Old Overholt Bonded Rye Whiskey
Old Overholt Bonded Rye Whiskey is a 750mL Kentucky straight rye whiskey bottled at 100 proof (50% ABV) under the Bottled-in-Bond Act of 1897 — the product of one distiller, at one distillery, in one distilling season, aged four years in a federally bonded warehouse. Introduced in early 2018 as the bonded expression of America's long-running rye, it uses the same recipe as the standard Old Overholt, at bonded strength — born in Pennsylvania, and made today by the James B. Beam Distilling Co. in Clermont, Kentucky. It is available to order online at Del Mesa Liquor.
- ABV: 50% (100 proof) — exactly, as bottled-in-bond requires
- Size: 750mL
- Age: 4 years, in a federally bonded warehouse (the bonded minimum)
- Origin: Brand founded in West Overton, Pennsylvania; produced today in Clermont, Kentucky
- Mash: At least 51% rye by law for straight rye; Beam's exact recipe is undisclosed
- Designation: Bottled-in-Bond — one distiller, one distillery, one season, government-supervised aging
Born in Pennsylvania, Bonded in Kentucky
Old Overholt began with Henry Oberholzer, a German Mennonite farmer who settled at West Overton, Pennsylvania in 1800 and took up rye distilling; his son Abraham built it into a business from 1810, and the whiskey became a classic Monongahela rye. Abraham's grandson Henry Clay Frick — the industrialist, not the senator — took over in 1881 with Andrew Mellon as a partner; "Old Overholt" became the official name in 1888, with Abraham's portrait as the logo, and the brand survived Prohibition as medicinal whiskey. Beam acquired it in 1987 and moved production to Kentucky, where the 2020 label refresh summed the geography up itself: "Born in PA. Made in KY." The Bonded expression, announced in March 2018, revived a bonded Overholt for the first time in about thirty years — and since 2015 the brand has been marketed with Old Grand Dad as "The Olds." Browse the brand on the Overholt vendor page and more rye in our whisky collection.
Tasting Notes
Per Beam Suntory's launch announcement: a nose of oak and caramel with hints of vanilla; a palate of char, spice and fresh oak; and a finish of char with a hint of light fruit, in a dark honey-brown whiskey. Reviewers read it more savoury and tannic than the standard bottling — the bonded proof carries the spice harder.
How to Enjoy
Built for a Manhattan or Sazerac at full bonded weight, and honest neat for rye traditionalists. More bonded and high-proof bottles are in our whisky collection and the full range in our spirits collection.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does bottled-in-bond mean?
Under the Bottled-in-Bond Act of 1897, the whiskey must be the product of one distiller at one distillery in one distilling season, aged at least four years in a federally bonded warehouse under government supervision, and bottled at exactly 100 proof.
Is Old Overholt still made in Pennsylvania?
No — the brand was born there in 1810, but Beam moved production to Kentucky in 1987; today's Overholt is distilled in Clermont, Kentucky. The brand's own labels now say "Born in PA. Made in KY."
How is the Bonded different from regular Old Overholt?
Same recipe, per the distillery — but bottled at 100 proof instead of the standard bottling's lower strength, with the bonded guarantee of one season, one distillery and four years in a bonded warehouse.
A 200-year-old rye at bonded strength — order Old Overholt Bonded Rye Whiskey online from Del Mesa Liquor in San Diego, CA.