Old Grand Dad Bourbon Whiskey

Old Grand Dad Bourbon Whiskey is a 750mL Kentucky straight bourbon whiskey bottled at 40% ABV (80 proof) — the base expression of the high-rye bourbon Raymond B. Hayden created in 1882 in honour of his grandfather, Basil Hayden Sr., whose portrait still fronts every bottle. It is distilled today at the Jim Beam distillery in Clermont, Kentucky, by Suntory Global Spirits, and marketed alongside Old Overholt as "The Olds." It is available to order online at Del Mesa Liquor.

• ABV: 40% (80 proof) — the base bottling's strength since 2013
• Size: 750mL
• Style: Kentucky straight bourbon whiskey, no age statement
• Origin: Jim Beam distillery, Clermont, Kentucky
• Mash bill: A notably 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)
• Namesake: Basil Hayden Sr., famed for his high-rye bourbon; his portrait is on every bottle

A Grandson's Tribute, in High Rye

The Hayden family had been distilling commercially since 1840 when Raymond B. Hayden — Colonel R.B. Hayden, a third-generation distiller — created Old Grand-Dad in 1882 and named it for the grandfather he never stopped crediting: Basil Hayden Sr., a distiller famed in his day for putting a higher proportion of rye in his bourbon than his neighbours did. The recipe honours the man: where Jim Beam's standard bourbon family runs around 13% rye, Old Grand-Dad is the house's high-rye bourbon, a formulation the bottle itself promotes. The brand passed to the Wathen family in 1899, was made as medicinal whiskey through Prohibition, and came to Beam in 1987 — the same Basil Hayden whose name Beam later gave to its own Basil Hayden's brand in 1992. Browse the brand on the Old Grand Dad vendor page and more high-rye bourbon in our bourbon collection.

Tasting Notes

Per the brand description carried by Virginia ABC: medium-bodied, with sweet vanilla, peppery spiciness and notes of clove and cinnamon, and a medium, lightly spicy finish — the high-rye signature in miniature. Reviewers add caramel, green apple and subtle oak over a cinnamon-led palate.

How to Enjoy

On the rocks for an easy pour, or in the whiskey cocktails it was built for — its rye spice keeps a Whiskey Sour or Old Fashioned from going soft. More everyday bourbon is in our bourbon collection and the full range in our spirits collection.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who is the "Grand Dad" in Old Grand Dad?
Basil Hayden Sr. — the founder's grandfather, a distiller famed for his high-rye bourbon. Raymond B. Hayden created the brand in his honour in 1882, and Basil Hayden Sr.'s portrait appears on the front of every bottle.

Is Old Grand Dad the same as Basil Hayden's?
They honour the same man and are widely reported to share the same high-rye recipe, but they are different bottlings — Basil Hayden's is a separate Beam brand launched in 1992, bottled at its own strength and age profile.

What proof is Old Grand Dad?
This base bottling is 80 proof (40% ABV) — it has been since 2013; older references to an 86-proof base bottle describe the pre-2013 bottling. The line also includes a 100-proof Bottled-in-Bond and a 114-proof expression.

The high-rye original since 1882 — order Old Grand Dad Bourbon Whiskey online from Del Mesa Liquor, San Diego, CA.