Old Grand-Dad was a distiller named Basil Hayden who made his name by distilling a bourbon whiskey made with a higher percentage of rye. Basil Hayden passed along the art of distilling to his son and then, in turn, to his grandson. It was the third-generation distiller, Colonel R.B. Hayden, who honored his grandfather by naming his justly-famed whiskey “Old Grand-Dad.” First bottled in 1882, Old Grand-Dad is specifically formulated with more rye for a lighter, spicier flavor. The traditional 86-proof bourbon offers sweet, sour, and woody notes with dashes of spice and caramel. During Prohibition, Old Grand-Dad was produced by a pharmaceutical company, the American Medicinal Spirits Co., and was one of the few distilled spirits permitted to be prescribed as medicine. With notes of oak and fruit on the palate, enjoy Old Grand-Dad Bourbon neat, on the rocks, or in a classic Old Fashioned or Manhattan.
