Caramel | Peanut brittle | Toasted oak | Orange rind | Rye grain

Caramel corn | Vanilla | Apple skin | Brown sugar | Touch of apricot

Marmalade | Cinnamon | Mixed nuts | Burnt caramel | Rye spice | Lemon | Light dry oak

After bestowing much-needed attention on the Old Grand-Dad brand over the past few years with new brand-wide label designs, Old Grand-Dad 114 Single Barrel, Old Grand-Dad 16 Year, and Old Grand-Dad 7 Year Bottled in Bond, Jim Beam is following them up with individual batches of Old Grand-Dad 7 Year Bottled in Bond Bourbon. Last year’s label featured “Distilled in Spring 2018,” and it came across as more decorative text next to its big “Aged 7 Years” marking, but it turns out that is how bourbon drinkers will differentiate between batches going forward.

Flavorwise, the “Distilled Fall 2018” isn’t a grand departure from last year’s batch - which is to be expected. The big Kentucky distilleries have consistency down to a science, and although they hope to offer a different tasting product with annual batches, it seems they have a hard time breaking away from what they have always strived for. While consistency may help bourbon drinkers stay with a brand after they finish a bottle, it doesn’t give them reason to grab a new bottle of the same brand mid-bottle. Releasing batches helps remedy this problem, but with the second batch, more flavor differences need to emerge if Beam hopes people will pick up every new batch.

Although the key flavors like caramel, cinnamon, and mixed nuts are once again present, the “Distilled Fall 2018” batch offers some small but key differences. On the nose, orange rind is much more apparent, bringing in a more rustic, citrusy scent. On the palate, caramel corn is more commanding with its toasted, earthy, sugary flavor. Apple skin, with its slightly tart and earthy flavor, further adds minor distinction. On the finish, marmalade and lemon are the key differentiating factors.

“Distilled Fall 2018” batch doesn’t reinvent Old Grand-Dad 7 Year Bottled in Bond Bourbon and simply offers a slight tweak in flavor. The flavors are also not so apparent that if you aren’t comparing the previous batch to this one, you’ll even notice them, except for the brand’s hardcore fans. That said, Old Grand-Dad 7 Year Bottled in Bond Bourbon still offers excellent value for the sip it offers, and as hardcore fans will tell you, don’t spread the word too much; they’d like Old Grand-Dad to remain below people’s radar. But with the attention Beam is throwing at the brand, it’s getting harder and harder for that to remain true.