This Excellent New Whiskey Completely Revamps the Classic Old Overholt Rye

When it comes to rye whiskey, it’s hard to do much better than Old Overholt. Produced at the James B. Beam Distilling Co. (the home of well-known bourbon brands like Jim Beam and Knob Creek), the rye is affordable, dependable, and versatile, which has made it a favorite of bartenders around the world. And though distilled in Kentucky, its roots can be traced back to Pennsylvania where German immigrant Abraham Overholt started distilling whiskey in the small town of West Overton just outside of Pittsburgh in the early 1800s (his glowering likeness adorns every bottle).

This week, Old Overholt added a new expression to its lineup called A. Overholt, a rye whiskey made in the style of the Monongahela rye traditionally distilled in Pennsylvania, not unlike what old Abraham would've made.

Much of the rye whiskey made in Kentucky falls into the “barely legal” category, meaning the mashbill contains somewhere just above the legally required 51 percent rye grain. Such is the case with Old Overholt, but the new A. Overholt is made from a mashbill of 80 percent rye and 20 percent malted barley, without any corn. This nods to the history and legacy of Abraham Overholt, the brand’s founder, who created a minor whiskey empire in the small town where he and his employees lived. The distillery was eventually inherited by his grandson, the extremely wealthy Henry Clay Frick, who partnered up with the equally rich industrialist Andrew Mellon. Old Overholt survived Prohibition by making medicinal whiskey, but eventually Mellon sold his share in the distillery, the West Overton operation closed, and the whiskey changed ownership a few times over the years until Jim Beam acquired it in 1987.

A few years ago, Old Overholt got a complete refresh, raising the age from three to four years old and the proof from 80 to 86, both welcome improvements on the whiskey. Meanwhile, this new addition to the lineup was something that passionate fans of Old Overholt and Pennsylvania rye, both inside and outside the company, pushed for. According to Tim Heuisler, Beam Suntory's global small batch brand ambassador, the idea of making a Monongahela-style rye whiskey came from a conversation with eighth-generation Beam master distiller Freddie Noe over roast pork sandwiches at Reading Terminal Market, the storied indoor farmer's market based in downtown Philadelphia.

“This is the first time we’ve released a rye whiskey from our Kentucky distillery that has no corn,” Heuisler said. “I think if you do a side-by-side comparison with Old Overholt, this whiskey is a world apart. There’s a much bigger body and more robust spice to it.”

I was able to sample the A. Overholt whiskey a few weeks ago, and it’s both very good and very different from classic Old Overholt. There are notes of honey, maple, spice, black pepper, plum, and raisin on the palate, with just a touch of menthol on the finish. The whiskey is bottled at 95 proof and is non-chill-filtered. At $40 per bottle, it’s more expensive than regular Old Overholt, but it’s versatile enough to use in a cocktail like a Manhattan or to sip neat or over a large ice cube.

And unless you happen to have a 200-year-old bottle of whiskey originally distilled by Abe Overholt, there’s really no way to compare this to the Monongahela style he made. But A. Overholt is a fitting tribute to this rye whiskey pioneer whose legacy continues to be richly influential, and a welcome new addition to the Beam portfolio.

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