Old Overholt Extra Aged Cask Strength 11 Year Old Rye Whiskey 2026
Old Overholt Extra Aged Cask Strength 11 Year Old Rye Whiskey 2026 is the 2026 edition of Beam's annual Extra Aged Cask Strength release — and at 125.6 proof (62.8% ABV) it is the strongest bottle the series has ever produced. The whiskey was barreled in 2014 and matured for eleven years across warehouses J, K and M on the James B. Beam Distilling Co. campus in Clermont, Kentucky, before bottling in the summer of 2026. Old Overholt is America's oldest continually maintained whiskey brand, founded in 1810, and this limited annual release is its Kentucky-style rye poured exactly as it came from the barrel. It is available to order online at Del Mesa Liquor.
- Proof / ABV: 125.6 proof (62.8% ABV) — the highest proof in the Extra Aged Cask Strength series
- Age: 11 years; barreled 2014, bottled summer 2026
- Style: Kentucky-style straight rye whiskey, bottled at cask strength
- Mash Bill: 80% rye, 20% malted barley
- Maturation: Warehouses J, K and M, Clermont, Kentucky
- Distillery: James B. Beam Distilling Co., Clermont, Kentucky
- Size: 750mL
The Fourth Annual Cask Strength Release
Beam started the Extra Aged Cask Strength line to show Old Overholt rye at full barrel proof, and each year has brought a different combination of age and proof: a 10 year old at 121 proof in 2023, an 11 year old at 107.4 proof in 2024, and a 12 year old at 117 proof in 2025. The 2026 edition steps back to eleven years but pushes the proof to 125.6 — a deliberate pick of the vintage Beam judged best, not a number on a ladder. The earlier 11 year bottling lives on as its own listing in our Overholt collection, and the two make a revealing side-by-side pour for anyone who follows this series year to year.
Tasting Notes
The nose opens with Beam's signature peanut note in the form of peanut brittle, joined by grilled peach, baking spices, vanilla blossom and a touch of molasses over charred oak and faint burnt caramel. The palate turns spicy and sweet: bold rye spice, white peppercorn and cinnamon cake with lemon meringue, tart stone fruit and vanilla syrup. The finish flashes summer fruits before settling into cinnamon apple pie, chewy oak, caramel and a touch of leather, with the spice lingering long after the sip.
How to Enjoy
Pour it neat in a whiskey glass and let it sit for a few minutes — at 125.6 proof the first sip is intense, and a few drops of water open up the peach, caramel and baking spice. It also builds a serious, spice-forward Manhattan or Old Fashioned. However you pour it, it belongs in conversation with the rest of our rye whiskey shelves.
Frequently Asked Questions
What proof is the 2026 Old Overholt Extra Aged Cask Strength?
125.6 proof (62.8% ABV) — the highest proof of any release in the Extra Aged Cask Strength series so far.
How is the 2026 edition different from the 2024 11 Year Old?
Both are 11 year old cask strength ryes, but they are different vintages: the 2024 bottling was distilled in 2012, drawn from four Clermont warehouses and bottled at 107.4 proof, while the 2026 edition was barreled in 2014, matured in warehouses J, K and M and bottled at 125.6 proof.
What is the mash bill?
80% rye and 20% malted barley — a Kentucky-style rye mash, higher in malted barley and lower in rye than the 95% rye recipes common in Indiana.
Is the 2026 Old Overholt Cask Strength a limited release?
Yes. The Extra Aged Cask Strength is a limited annual release from the James B. Beam Distilling Co., issued once a year in small quantities.
Where is it made?
At the James B. Beam Distilling Co. in Clermont, Kentucky. Old Overholt began in Pennsylvania in 1810 — the label still reads "Born in P.A., Made in K.Y."
The boldest Overholt ever bottled — order the 2026 Extra Aged Cask Strength from Del Mesa Liquor while this vintage lasts, and browse more barrel-proof American whiskey across our whisky range.