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Next Auction starts Friday 29 March. Bottle Deadline: 18 March.

Old Grand Dad Bicentennial Decanter 1976

Lot: 6140670A

Old Grand Dad Bicentennial Decanter 1976

Winning Bid: £575
(Reserve not met) This lot currently has: 9 bids

Currency Estimate

Important: Currency exchange rates are constantly changing; this feature is to be used as a guide price only. All final transactions occur in British Pounds (£).
Lot:
Distillery: 
Old Grand-dad
Age: 
N/A
Vintage: 
N/A
Region: 
Kentucky, USA
Bottler: 
Official / National Distillers
Cask Type: 
N/A
Bottled Strength: 
86 US Proof
Bottle Size: 
4/5 Quart
Distillery Status: 
Closed
product Details

Old Grand Dad Bicentennial Decanter 1976

Featuring the image of Basil Hayden, Old Grand-dad is a classic of the bourbon world.  This is a very rare decanter produced in 1976 to commemorate the Bicentennial of the founding of America in 1776.

The stories behind America's bourbon brands are some of the greatest in whisky history, and no other traces the narrative of Kentucky distilling as closely as Old Grand-dad. Bourbon historian Chuck Cowdery describes the brand's story as "one of the richest in bourbon country," with distilling dynasties such as the Beam, Dant, Hayden, Taylor, Medley and Wathen families all having a hand in its production over the years.

The original old Grand-dad was Basil Hayden, who's second generation descendents named their primary brand in his honour (he still features on the label today). They built the original Old Grand-dad distillery at Hobbs Station, not far from where Jim Beam's Clermont distillery now sits today. They bought the Hobbs Station distillery its brands in 1899, and developed a successful business out of it. Even with the Prohibition Act looming on the horizon, the Wathen family were shrewd, and re-organised their company as the American Medicinal Spirits Co. This allowed them to exploit a loophole in the Prohibition laws, which had banned the production and sale of alcohol, but permitted the continued bottling of whiskey for medicinal purposes and as a weekly baker's ration. Otto Wathen consolidated much of Kentucky's distilling, filling his warehouses with bonded stock and acquiring brands such as Hill & Hill, Bourbon de Luxe and Old Crow.

The AMS Co were eventually bout over by National Distillers, who went on to become one of the biggest post-repeal distilling companies in the US. The original Old Grand-dad distillery at Hobbs Station never re-opened after Prohibition however, with National Distillers buying what is the more familiar Old Grand-dad distillery in Frankfort in 1933. It and National Distillers were acquired by Jim Beam in 1987, who produced this at Clermont, a return (almost) to its spiritual home. The National Distillers era Old  Grand-dad distillery is now a Beam bottling plant.

Important Notice

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Please note: Due to the various ages of bottles and their seals, condition of liquid is at the buyer's discretion and no claim can be lodged against failure/leakage in transit.