Background

Time to check in on another excellent Jack Rose tasting, this one covering Beam brands new and old… kind of! Quick note that National Distillers, which produced these 1970s Old Crow and Old Grand-Dad offerings, was acquired by Beam in 1987. Beam owns these brands now, but didn't at the time these two of the 6 whiskeys we're reviewing were produced. Rather than an extended background into, let's get into the notes for each pour! I've layered in some fun facts gleaned from the tasting and/or about the bottles throughout!

1970s Jim Beam White Label (NAS, 80 Proof)

Fun Fact: Bill Thomas, owner of Jack Rose, regaled us with how he used to be able to find dustys like this all the time in the early 00s, and for about $8 a bottle no less. He then brought them to his first whiskey bar and then charged about $8 a pour, which made a bunch of profit obviously but is nowhere near what most dusty pours will cost you now.

Nose: Musty cherry cordial, light leather. It's fruit forward while also having an unusual depth I haven't found in modern, 80 Proof whiskeys.

Palate: The cherry cordial kicks into high gear, cherry liqueur almost, along with a light cocoa notes.

Finish: The cherry note turns a bit medicinal at this point. Slightly cough syrupy. Hints of tobacco, leather, and wood.

Very Good (6/10)

Overall: Vibrant as all hell for 80 Proof! It's also brighter and a little lighter, more fruit driven, then I've personally encountered on a lot of dustys. For instance, I've tasted a few Beam decanters and that juice tends to have more of a leather funk.

1970s Old Crow (NAS, 80 Proof)

Fun Fact: Named for Dr. James Crow, one of the great innovators in whiskey history. Dr. Crow is widely cited as the inventor of the sour mash process. Working with Oscar Pepper at the Old Pepper Distillery, he was a true scientist of whiskey, instituting strict cleanliness procedures to produce a superior product.

Nose: Sherry, dark berries, leather. RICH dark fruits.

Palate: Mushed berries, dark grapes, touches of leather. It has a pretty syrupy texture, especially given the proof.

Finish: Currants, tobacco, leather, gently tannic and oaky.

Very Good to Great (6.5/10)

Overall: If you poured this for me blind and told me it was finished I'd probably believe you. There are just a lot of dark fruit flavors, punchy on the nose and viscous on the palate. Jack Rose has a handle of this that was used for the tasting and all I kept thinking was how quickly that handle would be finished in my house.

1970s Old Grand-Dad (NAS, 86 Proof)

Fun Fact: The face on the bottle of Old Grand-Dad… Basil Hayden!

Nose: Dark chocolate, leather, tobacco, luxardo cherries.

Palate: Brown sugar, more dark chocolate, a nice balance of wood influence cutting the sweetness.

Finish: Brown sugar, wood forward, a BUNCH of brown sugar honestly.

Great to Excellent (7.5/10)

Overall: I should have more salient thoughts here, but I liked this so much I drank it completely without thinking. Oh well, you review six whiskeys in one sitting and write something consequential about every one.

Old Grand-Dad Bottled in Bond (4 Years, 100 Proof)

Fun Fact: Jim Beam runs two bourbon mashbills, 75/13/12 used for Booker's, Baker's, Knob Creek and the standard white label. Old Grand-Dad and Basil Hayden both use their other, high Rye mashbill: 63/27/10.

Nose: Pure luxardo cherry, I have no other notes.

Palate: Bubble gum, sugar sweet fruit, burnt orange peel, touches of cherry.

Finish: Lingering orange syrupy sweetness, a bit of baking spices, nutmeg and cinnamon.

Good (5/10)

Overall: I have to credit my friend entirely for this summation, as she called this "the Barbie version of Old Grand Dad." It also just tastes like an old fashioned, and this is my addition to her fantastic note, but one that went a little too heavy on the simple syrup.

Knob Creek Jack Rose Pick (8, 120 Proof)

Fun Fact: I’m paraphrasing Bill, and potentially badly, but to hear him tell it, he was essentially full up on barrel picks and then Knob Creek rolls in with some samples and he loved this one. It also sounds like this is not the first time that’s happened. Being Bill Thomas must be dope.

Nose: Lemon tea, mixed berries, dark fruit and some brown sugar.

Palate: Berry compote, rich old oak, candied citrus. It’s a nice mix of dark fruits with a throughline of oak. Honestly it drinks more mature than it is, not that 8 years is anything to sneeze at.

Finish: Back to the lingering lemon tea, it’s a bit tannic and oak driven, and I also get a nice bit of citrus.

Great (7/10)

Overall: This evolved alot as I drank it. Originally was skewing more berry driven, then citrus, it's rich and approachable for the proof. I've found a good few Knob Creek picks to be darker cherries, or brown sugar forward, and this one evolves and changes as it opens up.

Booker's Apprentice Batch (7 Years, 125.5 Proof)

Fun Fact: This batch is an ode to Booker Noe’s time spent under Carl Beam’s tutelage. Carl and Booker worked together to get Beam's expansion site in Boston, KY up and running. Eventually, Carl turned over the reigns at that facility to Booker.

Nose: Muddled, having a hard time picking out specifics actually. Dark red fruit, like muted cranberry, occasionally a little bubble gummy, a little nutty.

Palate: Peanut shell, peanut brittle, pixie sticks, cinnamon and baking spices. If you're reading this thinking "that pixie stick note is a bit discordant…" well, that's pretty much as it tastes. Occasionally just a weird off note of candy sweetness.

Finish: More peanut shell, damp oak, roasted chestnuts.

Good (5/10)

Overall: I've been pretty honest before about Booker's not really being my jam. I don't begrudge anyone whose thing it is, but I personally don't find a lot of variance in the batches and it's not my profile of choice. Doesn't mean it's bad by any means, just not one I go to.