Old Crow is one of those names that carries serious weight in American whiskey history — it's been around since the 1830s, and at various points it was the best-selling bourbon in the United States. These days it sits firmly in the budget category, produced by Beam Suntory at their Clermont facility in Kentucky. At £35.95 and bottled at the legal minimum of 40% ABV with no age statement, Old Crow isn't trying to compete with premium single barrels. But that doesn't mean it should be dismissed.
As a Kentucky Straight Bourbon, Old Crow has to meet some fairly strict legal requirements that actually work in the consumer's favour. It must be made from at least 51% corn in the mashbill, aged in new charred oak barrels, entered those barrels at no more than 125 proof, and spent a minimum of two years maturing — though it's likely aged a bit longer than that. The "straight" designation is your quality floor, and it's a meaningful one. Whatever's in this bottle has earned its stripes under federal law.
What you're getting with Old Crow is a straightforward, no-nonsense bourbon. The corn-forward mashbill does exactly what you'd expect at this proof point — it delivers sweetness without much burn, with the kind of approachable character that made bourbon America's spirit in the first place. At 40% ABV, it's not going to blow your hair back with intensity, but that lower proof also means there's nothing to hide behind. What you taste is what you get.
Tasting Notes
I don't have detailed tasting notes to share on this particular bottle right now, but based on the style and category, you can expect the classic budget bourbon profile: corn sweetness up front, some vanilla and caramel from the new oak, and a relatively clean, short finish. It's the kind of bourbon that reminds you why the category works — simple, honest, and warming.
The Verdict
I'm giving Old Crow a 7.6 out of 10, and here's why: value. At under £36, this is a bourbon that punches above its price point. It's not going to win any blind tastings against bottles twice its cost, but it's not trying to. Old Crow knows exactly what it is — a reliable, well-made straight bourbon that delivers the fundamentals without asking you to remortgage. For someone building a home bar, or for anyone who wants a solid bourbon they won't feel guilty about using in cocktails, this is a smart buy. The fact that it carries the Kentucky Straight Bourbon designation at this price is genuinely impressive. You're getting legal guarantees about production quality that plenty of more expensive "bourbon-style" whiskeys from other countries can't offer.
Best Served
Old Crow was practically born for an Old Fashioned. That corn sweetness pairs beautifully with a good orange bitters and a touch of demerara syrup — the cocktail adds complexity that rounds out the bourbon's simpler profile. Use a proper large ice cube, express an orange peel over the top, and you've got a drink that tastes like it cost three times what it did. It also works brilliantly in a Whiskey Sour, where the citrus and egg white give it a creamy texture that plays well with the vanilla notes from the oak. Neat or on the rocks is perfectly fine too, but honestly, this is a bourbon that was made for mixing, and there's absolutely nothing wrong with that.
