# Whatever happened to "Old \_\_\_ " bourbons? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** liquor-alcohol\ **Created:** [August 28, 2011, 11:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatever-happened-to-old-___-bourbons/594432 "2011-08-28T23:27:44Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Ellis\_Aponte\_Jr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@Ellis\_Aponte\_Jr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ellis_Aponte_Jr)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2011, 11:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatever-happened-to-old-___-bourbons/594432/1 "2011-08-28T23:27:44Z")
Perusing some old magazine ads from the 1950s/1960s (don’t ask), I couldn’t help but notice that there used to be a plethora of bourbon brands named “Old” something-or-other. Examples include **Old Crow Old Grand-Dad Old Weller Old Forester Old Fitzgerald Old Hickory Old Taylor** **Old Thompson** (actually blended whiskey) **Old Charter** Maybe this is an unanswerable question, but what happened to all these brands? In bars nowadays I generally see Jim Beam, Wild Turkey, Makers Mark, Knob Creek, Woodford, and maybe a couple of others. Mind you, I don’t look at the well bottles - are there any “Old” bourbons hiding out down there? Is this just a case of “out with the old, in with the new?” or is there a particular reason people don’t drink “Old” bourbons anymore? ---
**Author:** ![sitchensis](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sitchensis/32/4892_2.png) [@sitchensis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sitchensis)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2011, 11:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatever-happened-to-old-___-bourbons/594432/2 "2011-08-28T23:31:45Z")
I drank a fifth of Old Grand Dad on a St Patricks’ Day in college. So as of 2003 you could still buy it in a liquor store in WA. ---
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2011, 11:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatever-happened-to-old-___-bourbons/594432/3 "2011-08-28T23:48:12Z")
Many of the Old French Bourbons got beheaded in the Revolution. ---
**Author:** ![bouv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bc8723/32.png) [@bouv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bouv)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2011, 11:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatever-happened-to-old-___-bourbons/594432/4 "2011-08-28T23:51:45Z")
I know Old Crow and Old Granddad are still around, can’t say for sure about the others. ---
**Author:** ![zombywoof](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/9e8a1a/32.png) [@zombywoof](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zombywoof)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2011, 12:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatever-happened-to-old-___-bourbons/594432/5 "2011-08-29T00:22:37Z")
A good number of “Old \_\_” brands are still around and listed [here](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_whisky_brands)…some of it is bottom shelf stuff I think. ---
**Author:** ![devilsknew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4da419/32.png) [@devilsknew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/devilsknew)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2011, 1:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatever-happened-to-old-___-bourbons/594432/6 "2011-08-29T01:36:09Z")
I’m not sure, but maybe the “old” naming convention in America had something to do with the American standard for Bourbon, Jack Daniels “Old No. 7 Brand” which is still prominent on every Bottle of Jack. ---
**Author:** ![F.U.Shakespeare](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/aca169/32.png) [@F.U.Shakespeare](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/F.U.Shakespeare)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2011, 1:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatever-happened-to-old-___-bourbons/594432/7 "2011-08-29T01:58:50Z")
I regularly drink Old Crow and Old Grandad, depending on how much cash I have. I remember a throwaway gag in a Woody Woodypecker cartoon in a bar, which displayed a brand, **Old Post Mortem** : I don’t know whether they’re saying it kills you, or that the alcohol content is high enough to use for sterilizing instruments. Probably both. The comedy came from the juxtaposition of Latin words with the old English of whiskey from the UK/US. And don’t forget **Old Ned**. I recall a cartoon from the 1950’s: the bartender held a bottle out to a customer and said, “Now if you really want something _old_…” The bottle had a face on it, and the face’s beard had grown way beyond the picture, even beyond the bottle. The only other ‘Old Ned’ reference I remember is Mr. Peterson (Dr. Hartley’s patient) on the Bob Newhart Show, who declared his intention to “raise Old Ned” when going out for a night of drinking. ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_R.Mortiss](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tim_r.mortiss/32/142_2.png) [@Tim\_R.Mortiss](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_R.Mortiss)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2011, 2:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatever-happened-to-old-___-bourbons/594432/8 "2011-08-29T14:47:23Z")
I remember a bottle of “Old Overcoat” in a Three Stooges short. I assume the word “old” is included to imply that the liquor is well aged, in addition to the brand itself being old and venerable. ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2011, 3:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatever-happened-to-old-___-bourbons/594432/9 "2011-08-29T15:15:40Z")
The Old Rip van Winkle distillery makes Pappy van Winkle bourbons aged from 10 to 23 years in the cask. I’ve got several of them and they’re very well-crafted. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2011, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatever-happened-to-old-___-bourbons/594432/10 "2011-08-29T15:33:30Z")
> [@Tim\_R.Mortiss](#): > > I remember a bottle of “Old Overcoat” in a Three Stooges short. That’s a reference to [Old Overholt](http://www.whiskymag.com/whisky/brand/old_overholt/whisky319.html), which is a rye. It was fairly popular in the 30s. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2011, 3:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatever-happened-to-old-___-bourbons/594432/11 "2011-08-29T15:54:35Z")
They are all still available for sale at my local Bevmo. **Old Grand-Dad Bonded** (100 proof) and **Old Weller Antique** (127 proof) are excellent bourbons. **Old Forester Birthday** is highly limited and highly delicious. ---
**Author:** ![postcards](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8e8cbc/32.png) [@postcards](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/postcards)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2011, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatever-happened-to-old-___-bourbons/594432/12 "2011-08-29T16:18:58Z")
> [@devilsknew](#): > > I’m not sure, but maybe the “old” naming convention in America had something to do with the American standard for Bourbon, Jack Daniels “Old No. 7 Brand” which is still prominent on every Bottle of Jack. Except that Jack Daniel’s isn’t a bourbon, it’s a Tennessee whisky. And, just a nitpick here, but note the use of the apostrophe: Jack Danial’s is a whisky, Jack Daniels is a [car dealer in New Jersey](http://www.jackdanielsmotors.com/). ---
**Author:** ![Tom\_Tildrum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e95f7d/32.png) [@Tom\_Tildrum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Tildrum)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2011, 4:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatever-happened-to-old-___-bourbons/594432/13 "2011-08-29T16:34:38Z")
Bourbon makers are trying to position it as a hip, high-end product for young drinkers (hence the trend toward “small-batch” premium brands), and naming something “Old” doesn’t fit that image. ---
**Author:** ![VinylTurnip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b2d939/32.png) [@VinylTurnip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VinylTurnip)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2011, 5:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatever-happened-to-old-___-bourbons/594432/14 "2011-08-29T17:11:33Z")
> [@postcards](#): > > Except that Jack Daniel’s isn’t a bourbon, it’s a Tennessee whisky. According to Wikipedia, [Tennessee whiskey is Straight Bourbon Whiskey produced in the state of Tennessee.](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tennessee_whiskey) ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2011, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatever-happened-to-old-___-bourbons/594432/15 "2011-08-29T18:05:18Z")
> [@Sampiro](#): > > Many of the Old French Bourbons got beheaded in the Revolution. Well done, sir. > [@postcards](#): > > And, just a nitpick here, but note the use of the apostrophe: Jack Danial’s is a whisky, Jack Daniels is a [car dealer in New Jersey](http://www.jackdanielsmotors.com/). And Gaudere’s is a Law. ---
**Author:** ![postcards](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8e8cbc/32.png) [@postcards](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/postcards)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2011, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatever-happened-to-old-___-bourbons/594432/16 "2011-08-29T18:54:02Z")
> [@KneadToKnow](#): > > And Gaudere’s is a Law. Damn! I could’ve sworn I checked that! ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2011, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatever-happened-to-old-___-bourbons/594432/17 "2011-08-29T19:41:35Z")
> [@postcards](#): > > Damn! I could’ve sworn I checked that! It’s insidious. And I’m tickled by the thought that someone reading this may be looking back now and unable to figure out where it bit you. ---
**Author:** ![teela\_brown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d9b06d/32.png) [@teela\_brown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/teela_brown)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2011, 9:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatever-happened-to-old-___-bourbons/594432/18 "2011-08-29T21:02:57Z")
And then there’s the name that the bums in _Cannery Row_ made up. They referred to a cheap brand of “Old Tennessee” whiskey as “Old Tennis Shoes”.