FALL 2019
for the National Distillers Group, which
had facilities in Cincinnati, Ohio, and
Frankfort, Kentucky, and acquired Old
Crow, Old Overholt and Old Taylor whis-
keys. During the Prohibition, the company
produced “medicinal whiskey.” In 1987, the
National Distillers Group sold its spirits
business to the Fortune Brands holding
company, which became Beam Inc.
Today, Old Grand-Dad is one of the 10
best-selling straight whiskeys. It is avail-
able in three different proofs: 80 proof,
100 proof bottled-in-bond and 114 barrel
proof. The lowest proof dropped from 86
to 80 proof in 2013.
Old Taylor
Old Taylor bourbon is currently produced
at the Buffalo Trace Distillery in Franklin
County, Kentucky, by the Sazerac Company.
It’s named after historic distiller Colonel
Edmund Haynes Taylor Jr. A premium ver-
sion, Col. E.H. Taylor, is available in small-
batch, single-barrel and barrel-proof ver-
sions, and as a rye whiskey. Some versions
of the bourbon and rye are bottled-in-bond.
Edmund Haynes Taylor Jr. was born in
Columbus, Kentucky, in 1832. He wasa
grand-nephew of President Zachary Taylor.
As was the case with many figures of the
Kentucky whiskey industry, he was often
referred to as “Colonel,” since he held the
honorary title of Kentucky Colonel, which
resembles the military rank but is not actu-
ally associated with military service and was
primarily used for public relations purposes.
Taylor started and owned seven dif-
ferent distilleries throughout his career.
The most successful of his distilleries
were OFC and Carlisle—the forerunners
of today’s Buffalo Trace Distillery. Taylor
died in 1922 at the age of 90.
Old Overholt
Old Overholt is considered America’s old-
est continually maintained brand of whis-
key. In fact, Old Overholt has been called
a “foundation stone of American whiskey”
due to its long history. It was founded in
1810 in West Overton, Pennsylvania.
Old Overholt is a rye whiskey distilled
by A. Overholt & Co., which is currently
a subsidiary of Beam Suntory. It is now
produced at the Jim Beam distillery in
Clermont, Kentucky. It is currently avail-
able in two versions: a three-year-aged
version bottled at 80 proof and a four-year,
bottled-in-bond version at 100 proof.
Rye whiskey is similar to bourbon
whiskey, but by law in the U.S. it must be
distilled from at least 51-percent rye grain.
The other ingredients in the mash are
usually corn and malted barley. Bourbon
whiskey must be distilled from 51-percent
corn. Rye is known for imparting what
many refer to as a spicy or fruity flavor to
the whiskey. Bourbon is sweeter and tends
to be more full-bodied than rye.
The brand was founded by Henrich
Oberholzer (anglicized to “Overholt”), a
German Mennonite farmer who moved
to West Overton, Pennsylvania, in 1800.
The Oberholzer family came from an
area of Germany that specialized in dis-
tilling “korn” or rye whiskey.
In 1888, the company adopted “Old
Overholt” as its official name and added a
picture of Henry’s grandson, Abraham, as
its logo. It was also around that time that
the company began selling its whiskey in
bottles instead of barrels. And by 1900,
Old Overholt had become a widely distrib-
uted national brand.
Now you can relax like an Old West
cowboy after a day on the range with a
shot of a whiskey that helped win the
West. Just remember, “Always drink your
whiskey with your gun hand, to show your
friendly intentions,” to quote a Scottish
Klondiker’s saying. ✪
GUNS OF THE OLD WEST 77
(Right) Wyatt Earp dealt faro at this saloon in
Dodge City. (Below) Arizona’s Orient Saloon
was a popular place for cards and whiskey.
