Old Fitzgerald 13 Year Bottled in Bond Bourbon (Spring 2019)

I received a sample of this and something else special arrived, so I figured this would make for a good celebratory pour. Nose: sweet, brown sugar, some red apple, oak, red liquorice, cinnamon or maybe something a little spicier, nutty, vanilla, caramel, corn Palate: oh wow, that is sweet, nutty, toasted goodness. this would be dangerous. I could swallow this and immediately take another sip. second sip was so good. I just want more of this in my mouth and I can't really focus on what I'm tasting. what is this brown magic??, vanilla frosting, caramel, corn Finish: nutty, somewhat oily, long lasting, oak, tobacco, corn, peppery 85/100 - Buying at MSRP. This is really good, but the finish is lacking the flavors I love. It lingers forever, it's just not something delicious. I'd describe it as eating nuts and the nutty flavor just lasts in your mouth forever. If that excites you, then definitely go for this, but that's not something I'm going to chase. The nose is nice, nothing crazy, but there's something going on in the palate that just excites my mind and I'm struggling to focus enough on the actual notes. Old Fitz is not ridiculously priced at MSRP when you can find it - but is that even possible? These are usually over 350 on secondary and I'm not biting at that price. I'm also surprised by how much oak I was getting on this and it makes me curious about the 14 and 15 year offerings. The longer I sip this the less exciting it's becoming.

I have not had any of the Old Fitzgerald offerings. Though I’ve had Larceny which sort of counts, John E. Fitzgerald is written on the front of those and shares the same mashbill. This was given to me as a sample and I can’t wait to try it. The nose has sweet buttered corn, vanilla, light old leather, baked bread, light chocolate dust, a floral note and a hint of dried fruit and a little pear. I know I’m going to get dinged for saying this but the buttered corn note I got really reminds me of a similar note I get in Dickel Bottled In Bond, which I also enjoy. The palate is thick and oily with buttered corn, light oak, light leather, light baking spices, toasted nuts and nice dried apricots. You could say it’s viscous and polite. The finish is the shorter side of long. There is a lingering vanilla, oak, nuttiness, light spices and sweet corn that remains on the tongue. I thoroughly enjoyed this one. Though I’m glad I didn’t have the pretty bottle in front of me so I wouldn’t be tempted to buy one on secondary. I think the combination of the pretty bottle and the liquid justify the price at retail, but not more than that.

I liked this quite a bit but maybe not worth it at the price point? Nose: Very traditional wheated bourbon. Vanilla, caramelized sugars, grassy herbaceous notes, a little ethanol punch but not too heavy. Flavor: Sweet vanilla and caramel with roasted nuts like pecans. Buttery mouth feel. This definitely expresses why wheated bourbons take to long aging so well. Finish: Not as long as I would have expected with more sweet vanilla notes and some wood and smoke plus more toasted nuts. Overall this was a solid wheated bourbon but didn't knock my socks off. If this were a $50-$75 bottle and easily obtained I could see this being a regular pour but at MSRP over $130 and secondary well over $300 I'll probably stay away.

The color is a dark and lush amber that coats the glass in heavy waves of oils. The nose is soft with gentle oak, dark chocolate and fruit with hints of rich creaminess of vanilla and caramel with notes of spiciness. The palate is rich and turns dry the longer you hold it in your mouth. It is oak forward in a very pleasant way along with a peppery fruitiness, while the creamy notes of vanilla sweet caramel keep it balanced. The finish is medium with a lingering spicy oakiness, while the richer notes fade nicely, leaving behind a wonderful mouthfeel of dark chocolate. The whiskey is held back by its nose being too subtle and finish that sadly doesn’t last long enough to compliment the great palate.

Nose- butterscotch, peaches, caramelized sugars, seasoned oak, toffee Palate-honey on the palate initially, peanut butter, caramel for days, vanilla, white cake, touch of oak and spiciness throughout Finish- Long, creamy finish with beautiful notes of caramel, spice, and sweet honey This is amazing. An upgrade to the already amazing 9yr. Nose is great- although a little hot for 100 proof. Palate and finish are fantastic. Perfectly balanced and what every wheated bourbon should strive to be like.

Neat. Vanilla and oak lead the nose with a hint of nuttiness. Cream and berries. Cherries and maybe raspberries. Lots of these light, bright notes wrapped around the oak evening it all out. Really thick on the tongue, surprisingly so. Great flavor on the tongue. Sugar, powdered sugars, and those cherries and berries covered in a bit of maple. Finish brings in all the oak and vanilla. There is almost a pastry shell taste to the legs. Beautiful bottle. Beautiful wheater.