Old Grand Dad 100 Proof Bonded Bourbon Whiskey
Old Grand Dad 100 Proof Bonded Bourbon Whiskey is a 750mL Kentucky straight bourbon bottled at 100 proof (50% ABV) under the Bottled-in-Bond Act of 1897 — one distiller, one distillery, one distilling season, aged at least four years in a federally bonded warehouse. It is the bonded expression of the high-rye bourbon created in 1882 for Basil Hayden Sr., distilled today at the Jim Beam plant in Clermont, Kentucky — and it is not the 114: that is a separate, higher-proof expression with no bonded designation. It is available to order online at Del Mesa Liquor.
- ABV: 50% (100 proof) — exactly, as bottled-in-bond requires
- Size: 750mL
- Age: At least 4 years, in a federally bonded warehouse (the bonded minimum)
- Origin: Jim Beam plant, Clermont, Kentucky
- Mash bill: The brand's high-rye recipe — widely reported as 63% corn, 27% rye, 10% malted barley, the same reported recipe as Basil Hayden's (Beam does not publish it officially)
- Line-up: Base 80 proof / this Bonded 100 proof / 114 proof — three distinct expressions
The Bonded Member of a High-Rye Family
Old Grand-Dad was created by Raymond B. Hayden in 1882 in honour of his grandfather Basil Hayden Sr. — portrait on every bottle — a distiller famed for a heavier hand with rye, and the bonded bottling is where that inheritance meets the law of 1897. The Bottled-in-Bond Act was consumer protection from an era of rectified and adulterated whiskey: one distiller, one distillery, one season, at least four years in a government-supervised bonded warehouse, and exactly 100 proof in the bottle. Beam Suntory was already redesigning this bottling's packaging back in 2015 on exactly those credentials — it is a long-standing expression, not a revival. Today it is distilled at Clermont and marketed with Old Overholt as "The Olds." Browse the brand on the Old Grand Dad vendor page and more bonded bourbon in our bourbon collection.
Tasting Notes
Per Breaking Bourbon's review of the bonded bottling: a nose led by cinnamon, with sweet caramel, vanilla and a hint of burnt oak; a palate with big cinnamon spice up front, then dark fruit, baking spices and rye spice, medium-bodied; and a finish opening with caramel candy and raw sugar, then baking spices and a light touch of seasoned oak, medium in length.
How to Enjoy
Neat or with a splash — at bonded strength it needs nothing — and it is the Old Grand Dad to reach for in a Manhattan. More bottled-in-bond bottles are in our bourbon collection and the full range in our spirits collection.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Old Grand Dad Bonded the same as Old Grand Dad 114?
No — they are separate expressions. The Bonded is 100 proof with the bottled-in-bond guarantee (one season, one distillery, at least four years, government-supervised aging). The 114 is bottled at 114 proof and carries no bonded designation.
How old is Old Grand Dad Bonded?
At least four years — that is a legal condition of the bottled-in-bond designation, aged in a federally bonded warehouse. It is a guaranteed minimum, not a precise age statement.
How does the Bonded differ from the regular Old Grand Dad?
Proof and paperwork: 100 proof against the base bottling's 80, plus the bonded guarantee of a single season and distillery — on the same reported high-rye recipe family.
Bonded, high-rye, and exactly 100 proof — order Old Grand Dad 100 Proof Bonded Bourbon Whiskey online from Del Mesa Liquor in San Diego, CA.