Old Overholt 12-Year Extra Aged Cask Strength Rye Whiskey Review: Built for Cocktails

BOTTLE DETAILS

• DISTILLER: James B. Beam Distilling Co.
• MASH BILL: 80% Rye | 20% Malted Barley
• AGE: 12 years
• YEAR: 2025
• PROOF: The line ranges from 106-130 (53-65% ABV), but mine was 117 (58.5% ABV) 
• MSRP: $109.99
• BUY ONLINE: Not yet available.

STEVE'S NOTES

SHARE WITH: All whiskey fans, really, but particularly once-long-suffering Old Overholt fans who are now celebrating these remarkably better releases coming to market in the past few years.

WORTH THE PRICE: As a neat sipper? No. While it is 12-year-old whiskey, that age wasn't really on display. But for indulgent cocktails? Yes! (Keep reading.)

BOTTLE, BAR OR BUST: Bar first. If you like it, get a bottle and expect it to open up sloooowly. It's worth the wait, though.

OVERALL: I love everything about rye whiskey, particularly attributes some drinkers don't like: notes of dill, eucalyptus, mint, prickly spice and more. So, when Beam began rolling out older and higher-proof iterations of Old Overholt Rye, I bought a few and enjoyed them. Last year I received and reviewed a sample bottle of A. Overholt Rye, which I really enjoyed. At just 4 years old and bottled at 95 proof, it punched above its weight in terms of flavor. Total sleeper of a great bottle.

So imagine my excitement when offered a sample of Old Overholt Cask Strength 12-year rye. With the energy of Bart Simpson nagging the "femail man" over the arrival of his spy camera, I watched package delivery updates closely. When it arrived, it immediately got the rip (open the box), strip (the plastic seal) and sip (from the bottle) treatment right at my kitchen counter.

Sadly, I wasn't wowed as expected. But since many bottles don't reveal much promise until they're opened for a while, I made a cocktail that evening to work some air into the bottle. I then revisited it over several weeks with little sips here and there, but surprisingly, it wasn't waking up, wasn't delivering those raisiny-oaky notes I was hoping for from an old cask strength release.

Once the liquid eased below the shoulders of that glass Old Grand Dad-style bottle, it did come 'round and begin waking up. Dark stone fruits appeared on the nose, along with white pepper, cigar leaf, oak and flamed citrus. Granted, since this a Pennsylvania-style rye that has no corn, I didn't expect caramel or honey or any sweetness typically found in Kentucky-style ryes (which Beam does very well in longer-aged Knob Creek 115 proof releases). But I did expect rye-related aromas.

Those attributes didn't really show up on the palate either: no dill or mint or strongly herbal character that I picked up on the A. Overholt. Still, the mouthfeel is really rich and coating, and there's plenty of wood and baking spices as expected. Oak is pleasant without much tannin, and dried fruit notes (raisins, figs, dates) are happily left behind on the easy-easy finish. Surprisingly, this rye drinks nowhere near its 117 proof. It's cuddly as a fleece blanket.

The evening before I wrote this, I thought, "Let's try a Manhattan," and I did the standard whiskey (2 ozs.), Carpano Antica (1 oz.), Angostura (2 dashes), Angostura Orange (1 dash) and riffed only with 1 dash of Scrappy's Bitters Chocolate. Stir over ice, strain into a chilled glass, expressed orange peel and done. It was terrific! Full bodied, rich, round and decadent. Really fine, actually!

No telling how hard a beating a bartender would put on your wallet if you requested one of these, but for $109, you can make 12 Manhattans from this bottle (with a 1.5 oz. neat pour left over) which, in sheer cost of whiskey per drink, is only $9.08. Add in the Carpano ($1.38 per oz.) and you get a $10.45 cocktail that's well worth it.

Take my advice: For the holidays, skip the pricey champagne toasts and use this Old Overholt 12-year to make decadent and delicious Manhattans for your friends. They'll never forget it!

Late update: About two weeks after I wrote this review, I visited this once more, and I'm glad I did. New flavors such as dried apples and ripe plums have entered the mix, and its peppery notes have increased dramatically. Espresso and tobacco really shine through, and a little mint has finally made it to the nose. It's almost a different whiskey, one that's dramatically better than it was when I thought I was finished with this review. Buy this, cocktail it down to the shoulders and let it open up for neat sipping!

BRAND NOTES

This limited-edition cask strength and un-filtered Kentucky Style Rye was distilled and barreled in the spring season of 2013. This prized liquid was aged for 12, long years in four distinct warehouses in Clermont, Ky., to ensure incredible consistency and gently flavor mellowing over time. This unfiltered, cask-strength American rye delivers a distinct and rich liquid, full of balanced rye spice flavor complimented by notes of vanilla, caramel, and charred oak complexity.

TASTING NOTES

COLOR: Golden tawny

AROMA: Bold, vanilla and baking spice underpinned with hints of tobacco

TASTE: Allspice, sweet vanilla and caramel, charred oak

FINISH: Pleasant, full-bodied with lingering notes of black pepper

Disclaimer: Bourbon & Banter received a sample of this product from the brand for review. We appreciate their willingness to allow us to review their products with no strings attached. Thank you.