11-year Old Overholt Rye Whiskey Bests Older Sibling from 2025
This is a dark fruit bomb of currant jam and a compote of cherries, blackberries and peaches that finishes with black pepper and black jelly bean. Vibrant and full bodied for sure, but heat is negligible.
Bottle Details
- DISTILLER: James B. Beam Distilling Co.
- TYPE: Straight Rye Whiskey
- MASH BILL: 80% Rye | 20% Malted Barley
- AGE: 11 years
- YEAR: 2026
- PROOF: 125.6 (62.8% ABV)
- AVAILABILITY: Available across the U.S.
- MSRP: $109.99
- BUY ONLINE: Not available on the Beam website
TASTING NOTES
NOSE: This starts off crazy complex: smoldering cedar, freshly ground baking spices, browned butter, warm raspberry jam and pastry cream. Trust me, I could go on.
PALATE: A dark fruit bomb of currant jam and a compote of cooked cherries, blackberries and peaches that finishes with black pepper and black jelly bean. It doesn't drink at the stated 125.6 proof. It's vibrant and full-bodied for sure, but its heat is negligible.
FINISH: Rich, fruity, tingly, oaky, warm and long-lasting. You'd think that an 11-year-old whiskey would have a bit more tannin, but you'd be wrong here. And if you're like me, you'll be happy about that.
Reviewer's Verdict
RATING: Buy. It's just that friggin' good. If you don't have FOMO for it, you should, especially if you like great rye. And Old Overholt 11-year is a great rye.
WORTH THE PRICE: Yes. I'm hard-pressed to think of a better premium rye at this price. No, $110 is not inexpensive, but this is a truly special bottle and worth it.
WHO IT'S FOR: Any American whiskey fan, but especially lovers of well-made and well-aged rye. Sure, pour it for bourbon lovers, too, but skip wheated-bourbon-only fans. This incredible flavor wave is likely too much for them to ride.
REVIEWER'S VERDICT: I'm a big fan of Jim Beam whiskies, but Old Overholt Rye is, for now at least, my favorite ... well, along with underrated and overlooked Hardin's Creek Warehouse Series I reviewed, which is also age 11. After I finished tasting this cask-strength oldster, I remembered a 100ml reference sample of last year's 12-year release I had on the shelf. The similarities in the two showcase the pinpoint consistency of this product, and the added depth and spice of the 12-year reminded me of what an extra trip around the sun will do to already great rye.
But while last year's release took a while to open up and show its stuff, this 11-year came out dancing and ready to party. Would the 12-year have tasted like that with one less year of aging? Who knows?
I love a Sazerac cocktail, and that must be made with great rye. But so far, I can't bring myself to stop drinking this rye neat. I didn't want to miss any of its fruit and complexity, and I wanted more left to share with friends. I'm pleased that it's widely available in the U.S., and I'm hoping someone will report their findings in the comment section. Find this, buy it and enjoy it.
Disclaimer
This bottle found its way to us compliments of the brand. What ends up on the page is ours alone — and they knew that going in. Around here, honesty isn't a policy. It's the whole damn point.
About Our Rating System
Bourbon & Banter uses a three-tier rating system created over a decade ago: Bottle, Bar, or Bust.
- 🍾 Bottle — Buy it. This one deserves a place in your cabinet. (Approximate equivalent: 85 and above on a 100-point scale)
- 🥃 Bar — Worth trying, but not necessarily worth owning. Find it at a bar before committing to a bottle. (Approximate equivalent: 70–84)
- 💀 Bust — Skip it. Life is too short and your shelf space too valuable. (Approximate equivalent: below 70)
Numeric scores imply a precision that doesn't exist — and most publications never score below 80, making half the scale meaningless. We'd rather answer the question that actually matters: buy it, try it at a bar before you buy, or skip it. The approximate equivalents above are for reference only.