Old Fitzgerald 11 Year Bottled in Bond Bourbon (Fall 2021)

Many good things happening in this newest Old Fitz release...although it took some patience. After having snagged bottles of the OF15 and the OF8, I can use this 11 year old to see how the middle ground fares. I loved both bottles and thought they each showed tremendous character and flavor. Excited to see what 11 years has in store. Nose is quite spicy and caramel forward upon first pour and the palate is the same with the finish showing the most potential. I knew something more was in there. After fighting through the first sip, giving it some time to calm down, get some air, relax in the glass, I placed the Glencairn back to my nose. It was like a brand new bourbon. The bakeshop sweetness is so much more apparent now with M&M blondies, vanilla frosting, and caramel apple cake dancing around my nose. But it also has spices like cinnamon and clove, fruit like red grape juice and brambly berry compote, and oaky notes of leather, char, and sweet tobacco. This nose really has so much symmetry after the initial disappointment. Such a great age for bourbon. This shows it all Viscous, mouth-coating deliciousness upon second sip. Soft chew caramels, cinnamon toast crunch, apricots, vanilla frosting, charred oak, sweet tobacco, and some leather with more sweet toasted oak, leather, and vanilla frosting on the very long finish. Give this one some time if you snag a bottle. I'm actually very excited to try this again in a few weeks to see if it continues to change in the right direction. Old Fitz really hit 2021 releases out of the park if you ask me. Both the 8 and this 11 are fantastic.

Tried out at a bar, open air, humid, pollen-dusted May night. Highball glass, neat. Takes a while for the nose to amount to much in this setting but lands like a younger, high corn mashbill. Would be hard pressed to tell the difference between this and Larceny. Thus are wheated bourbons in most cases, for me at least. Light body, corn and wheat checks cereal, hint of cherry and overripe banana, butterscotch sweetness with a bit of char… cream? There is a bit of an odd coating sensation left behind. The latter part is the most odd of them… kettle corn, tobacco, and French-vanilla ice cream. It’s actually better than the sip itself. Verdict - this particular expression doesn’t really do much for me. I know this is a sought after expression from the Heaven Hill pantheon but seems like a case where the fancy decanter outclasses the contents. Other releases might outclass this one but I would be a bit pissed to pay even the $100+ MSRP for this one, let alone secondary.

I thought this bottle was wonderful. 11 year BIB was the perfect presentation for this expression. I believe it is fully worth msrp to maybe $60-$80 over. The nose and palate evolves and changes by the minute. It has a ton of depth in aroma and pallet. The finish is quite long and quite nice. Goes down very easy. Full very rich mouthfeel. Would buy again in a heartbeat!

Nose: Some funk along with subtle caramel Palate: Rich vanilla with a good heaping of oak and char Finish: Long with more oak and some slight tannic notes While I'm generally a fan of Old Fitzgerald's Bottled in Bond decanter series, this one has the goods to earn the name but it's not in my wheelhouse.

A good wheated bourbon. The second Old Fitz I’ve had, I had this next to Maker’s 46 cask strength and found that more flavorful and enjoyable. This pour reminds me of the other Old Fitzgerald pours I’ve had. Nothing fancy, nothing jumps out as dominate flavors, just a well balanced, easy drinking whiskey.

Nose - Tobacco, Bready, Savory, Peppers. I love this smell, its super unique and still kind of sweet. Palate - Definitely peppery, with lots of notes of peppers, caramel, and pastry. This is delicious Finish - Finish is more of the same of the palate and is a delight.