🥃 Old Crow

Old Crow is a Kentucky straight bourbon named after James Crow, a Scottish chemist and distiller. It was once the most popular bourbon brand in the US. Today it is a budget brand owned by Suntory Global Spirits, which also owns Jim Beam. According to available data, the base version is about 40% vol.

History. Crow worked at distilleries in Kentucky, including Oscar Pepper's on Glenn's Creek, and died in 1856. Sources give different birth years, from 1779 to 1789. He is often called the pioneer of the sour mash method, but The Whiskey Wash notes that he did not invent these methods; he introduced a disciplined scientific approach. The Old Crow trademark was registered more than ten years after his death. In 1868 the distillery was bought by W.A. Gaines & Co.; the brand later became a bestseller, and US presidents are said to have been among its fans. Beam bought the brand in 1987 and closed the old distillery.

How it is made. Production has now moved to the Clermont distillery in Kentucky. Open descriptions say the recipe is similar to Jim Beam, but the ageing is shorter: at least three years for the base version.

Range. In the US there is the base Old Crow and Old Crow Reserve. Reserve, according to available data, matures for at least four years and has 43% vol. (86 proof).

Why this matters to you. The word bourbon means a whiskey made from a mash of at least 51% corn, aged in new charred oak barrels; straight bourbon must age at least two years. The name Old Crow today points to an old history, not to an old recipe. The WHO reminds us that there is no safe level of alcohol consumption.