Old Grandad

[foggymountain]

For some reason. I have never, until today, wondered who was the old grandad of bourbon fame. This senior can no longer drink the rough whiskies, but it was my first regular college brand, along with Smirnoff, which, as the unsmelly drink, was good for drinking in class. His name was Basil Hayden, a distiller from c 1840. I celebrate Basil with all those unappreciated Americans of the past, such as Laben Deardorff.

 

[aldecaker]

I've donated a large part of my liver function to Old Grandad. I hope he appreciates it.

 

[foolwiththefez]

I've never tried Ole Grand-dad, but the "small batch" called Basil Hayden is my bourbon of choice. I buy a birthday and a New Year's bottle every year.

 

[derfatdutchman]

I spent some time with Old Grand-Dad, although at that time I preferred the company of Jack Daniels.

 

[moses]

I've hung out with gramps in the past, but IMHO Evan Williams is far more drinkable for about the same price. Takes me back though. :mrgreen:

 

[cobguy]

It's been a long time since I visited my dear old Grand Dad ... makes me think of these lyrics:
My whole family done give up on me

And it makes me feel oh so bad

The only one who will hang out with me

Is my dear Old Grand-Dad
- George Thorogood

 

[drwatson]

Great piece of history. I got food poisoning once from some bourbon salmon, haven't been able to even smell bourbon anymore without getting a gag reflex.

 

[agnosticpipe]

I like bourbon, but I like Deardorffs better. Never had the pleasure of owning one though.

 

[mso489]

+1 Evan Williams for easy drinkin'.

 

[captainprophesy]

Hell I still drink Old Grandad! For the price you can't beat it, I like some better whiskey's for special occasions, but for my day to day enjoyment I usually have Old Grandad on hand.

 

[brudnod]

I have been a bourbon drinker since UVA days in the early 70s. MY bourbon of choice, having had my time with Old Grand Dad, is George Dickel 12 year bourbon. A bit pricey but worth the money. Oh, yeh, also good with a pipe of tobacco...

 

[fnord]

Foggy:
Thank you for that historical nugget.
Drank OG bottled in bond during my college years for the 100 proof kick. Two blasts under my belt and I was charming, witty and maybe even just a little bit urbane for a SW Missouri hick.
Picked up a bottle the other night and it brought back a flood of memories: I was a broke-ass college grad who turned 22 at Harry's New York Bar in Paris so many years ago. I nursed a pour of Old Forester for over a half hour, having that Hemingway moment. A sweet, older Yank couple sat down beside me and we visited for a bit before I told them it was my birthday. I couldn't afford another round but they insisted that I have one on them. I told them I couldn't reciprocate and they said, "You will, someday."
I've been trying to pay it forward ever since.
Thanks for the reminder, Foggy.
Fnord

 

[gphenry]

Back in the day old Basil may have just been someone's grandpa, but today he is top shelf.
http://www.basilhaydens.com/basil-haydens/

 

[foggymountain]

Orley: Great to hear you are a Deardorff fan. I had many Deardorffs in my camera store, some of which I restored a little. My favorite was Deardorff serial number 6000, which I used for several years before selling it because the offer was too good to refuse. I ended up with an Ebony SV10UE, more rigid, tougher, more precise.

 

[aristokles]

I do not recall ever drinking any Old Grand-Dad but I was tempted to pick up a fifth this past Wednesday when the PA state store was out of my prferred cheap bourbon - Ezra Brooks 90 Proof. Instead I opted for a bottle of Rebel Yell. This is my first taste of Rebel Yell since 1968 at college in Lexington VA where one had to demonstrate one's qualifications to be a southern gentleman by imbibing copious quantities of Rebel Yell. One bottle was enough for me then; I went back to scotch.

47 years later I found it to be a lot smoother than I did "back when". In fact I think I'll pack a bowl of Bailey's Front Porch and pour two fingers for an afternoon snack. YEEHAH!

 

[jitterbugdude]

Not sure who he is either but in 1980 a buddy of mine (owned a liquor store) gave me a bottle of Special Edition Old Grand Dad. I was going to open it when I was 21 (in 1981), then decided to wait till I graduated from college, then when I got married, then when I was 40, then 50. I still have it. Now I'm thinking I might open it when I retire in 6 years. I wonder if it's bad? It'll be about 50-55 years old by then.. :wink:

 

[fnord]

JBD:
I don't think it'll be bad but it will certainly be different. The cork will probably have deteriorated somewhat and I'm sure there will have been some evaporation. Unlike wine, our favorite darker beverages don't age in the bottle so what you taste when opened might be a far cry from what the distiller planned. But, at the same time, the emotion(s) of toting a bottle of premium hootch around for 37 years and then opening might outweigh - indeed, far outweigh - said distiller's intentions.
Come what may, it'll still be a great day, JBD.
Fnord

 

[perdurabo]

Jitterbug, it'll be good. You should have seen some evaporation over time.
Never had the Ole Grand Dad.

 

[philobeddoe]

Jitterbugdude,

Before you finish the old bottle, you should go out and purchase a new bottle to compare them and see how the whisky has changed from the 1980 batch.