A. Overholt Straight Rye Whiskey Review

BOTTLE DETAILS

• DISTILLER: James B. Beam Distilling Co.
• MASH BILL: 80% Rye | 20% Malted Barley, a.k.a. “Monongahela mash”
• AGE: 4 years
• YEAR: 2024
• PROOF: 95 (47.5% ABV)
• MSRP: $39.99

STEVE’S NOTES

SHARE WITH: Any American whiskey drinker, but especially rye fans

WORTH THE PRICE: Absolutely.

BOTTLE, BAR OR BUST: Bottles, at least two.

OVERALL: Unlike the legends attributed to and fabricated for whiskey marketing purposes, Abe Overholt was a person, a Pennsylvania rye farmer who took over his family’s business and grew the distillery end of it. He did well enough to create the longest standing American whiskey brand maintained continuously since 1810. No mean feat in a label-crowded marketplace.

This Monongahela mash iteration is the newest in a line of Old Overholt Rye iterations that includes a Bottled-In-Bond, a red-capped 114 proof and a 10-year cask-strength rye that I’ve yet to experience. (Boy, I’d love to find one of those!)

The nose lacks complexity–it’s a bit honeyed, and there are some background spice notes, but nothing leaps out to greet you. The golden color reveals its youth and proof, but no matter. Sipping this rye neat is how drinkers receive their rewards.

This is a rye whiskey with a ton of herbal character that’s not masked by the sweeter Kentucky-style rye that I and many others like in Beam’s Knob Creek line. This is rye whiskey that speaks beyond corn’s common caramel coating with a voice that goes deeper, all the way into the soil itself, to tell its own story, a story I find utterly intriguing because it reveals itself through taking new sips to turn a new page in the tale.

Bereft of corn, baking spice–not dill or spearmint–leads to dark notes like caraway seed, marbled rye bread, saddle leather, barn wood and just a little horehound candy. Barley does little to round the edges of this spirit, and I’m perfectly OK with that. This drinks a bit dusty, a character that comes through and becomes amplified by repeated sips. If there ever were a “lite” bitter digestif, this would be it. It flirts with that digestif complexity in a refreshing way that makes me want to continue sipping all its 95 proof without rocks or unnecessary water. Let this one stand on its own to enjoy its full spicy, corn-free glory.

The finish is pleasantly warm, amazingly long for a spirit this young and which never dries out. Were it not for the endless line of review bottles in my queue, this could so incredibly easily become a daily drinker, one I’d enjoy having on hand while cooking dinner. Even the whiskey’s website suggests no cocktail: only neat or a large rock for slow sipping.

BRAND NOTES

A. Overholt uses the same mashbill Overholt founder, Abraham Overholt used in 1810 – 80% rye grain and 20% soft malted barley – creating a fully warm yet deep spice, similar to rye whiskey from the 1800’s. The brand pays homage to its namesake Abraham Overholt with this new Monongahela Mash – our first foray back to our roots with a Pennsylvania Style-inspired classic rye.

Color: clover honey

Aroma: Caramel, subtle layers of sandalwood and caraway

Taste: Browned butter, honeysuckle, clove, seasoned oak

Finish: Pleasant, lingering notes of warm, rich baking spice.

Disclaimer: Bourbon & Banter received a sample of this product from the brand for review. We appreciate their willingness to let us review their products without strings attached. Thank you.