America's oldest whiskey?

Old Overholt Straight Rye Whiskey, 4(?)yo, 750 ml, 80 proof, no packaging, standard bottle, about $12-15.



Since 1810 Old Overholt has been in more or less continous production by various owners. One of the Old Pennsylvania brands alond with Michter and Hirsch it is now owned by Fortune Brands (who also own Jim Beam) and is bottled in Kentucky. Up until Prohibition Rye was THE American whiskey. Then as now if you ask someone about rye they will usually think of Old Overholt.

Made with a mash of 59% rye Old Overholt is a sterling example of what was referred to as Monongahela Rye whos roots go back to the Whiskey rebellion and eariler.

Old Overholt noses big with pepper, spices, Rye and a strong alcohol smell that seems much greater then it's 80 proof would lead you to believe. The tasting starts soft before the rye, ginger and pepper bite in. the finish is long and the flavors slowly fade into a gentle sweetnes.

Like almost all Rye Whiskey, Old Overholt is more "in your face" then boubon or blends. Jim Murray, author of Complete Book of Whiskey states, "It has long been my contention that rye whiskey is the world's one seriously overlooked spirit and probably the finest and most flavorsome of all generic whiskey types."

While not the best Rye in the world it is a good starting point for those seeking something different. In the world of American whiskey, Rye starts here.

I've got a bottle of that on the bar. When I was younger and I was mixing drinks for my aunts, they'd say "Gimme a rye and water" so I said to my father "Dad, we don't have any 'Rye'" He'd say "Give 'em bourbon, they won't know the difference. There's really only RYE whiskey on the market and it's called Old Overholt." So the next time we went to Massachusetts (back in the 1970's the MASS liquor tax was much lower than CT), I made my father buy a bottle.

Of course that was almost 30 years ago :laugh: and we still have the bottle. I think we only served one shot out of it.

My buddies used to call it "Old Overcoat" :laugh:

If you look in my profile pic you can see it on the middle shelf, fourth in from the left immediately to the RIGHT of the orange bottle of Old Grand Dad

Hey AVB, does this stuff go bad? It sure don't smell too good ???

I've never had or seen a bottle that has been open for 30 years. I can think of a number of reasons why it could go bad and a few of why it shouldn't. If you shake it and see little things floating around I'd get a new one.

coventrycat86 said:

Hey AVB, does this stuff go bad? It sure don't smell too good ???

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I did some "sting Ops" with the State Liquor Auth in NYC and the showed us a trick.... Take the bottle and swirl it around, like you would do to a a glass of wine, then put a flashlight underneath it. You'll be able to determine better what are air bubbles and what are not.

just my 2¢

I should start drinking Scotch

Man AVB memories.......
I worked in a liquor store thru high school and this one old mean cranky bastid would come in. Only drank Overholt and we shuttered while he was waiting to be rung up. He was the only one who bought it , EVER. A bottle a month.
Thanks for bringing that back memory, I'm gonna be sitting in a dark corner now.................... ???

Beefcube said:

Man AVB memories.......
I worked in a liquor store thru high school and this one old mean cranky bastid would come in. Only drank Overholt and we shuttered while he was waiting to be rung up. He was the only one who bought it , EVER. A bottle a month.
Thanks for bringing that back memory, I'm gonna be sitting in a dark corner now.................... ???

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Hey Beef, was the guy an ex-marine from near York, PA, about 6 foot four? :laugh:

Except I wouldn't have been old back then, that pretty much describes me.

coventrycat86 said:

Beefcube said:

Man AVB memories.......
I worked in a liquor store thru high school and this one old mean cranky bastid would come in. Only drank Overholt and we shuttered while he was waiting to be rung up. He was the only one who bought it , EVER. A bottle a month.
Thanks for bringing that back memory, I'm gonna be sitting in a dark corner now.................... ???

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Hey Beef, was the guy an ex-marine from near York, PA, about 6 foot four? :laugh:

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