Old Fitzgerald 9 Year Bottled in Bond Bourbon (Spring 2020)

BACKGROUND: The Old Fitzgerald bourbon brand was trademarked in 1884 by Charle Herbst, a Milwaukee wine and spirits wholesaler who also owned the Old Judge distillery in Frankfort, and by the dawn of Prohibition in 1920, it had become among the bestselling bourbons in the nation. Once distilling operations were shut down by the federal government, however, Herbst sold the trademark to Julian “Pappy” Van Winkle, who changed the mash bill from rye to wheat and began making the product at the legendary Stitzel-Weller distillery following passage of the 21st Amendment. Many of the buildings and smokestacks at Stitzel-Weller, which currently serves as an aging and bottling facility as well as a popular Louisville tourist attraction, are still painted with the Old Fitzgerald logo. In 1999, Heaven Hill acquired the brand, and it resides there today. The origin story of the bourbon’s name offers solid proof that the Barnum-like hokum and ballyhoo that is used to market and promote many brands today is nothing new to the liquor industry. Upon introducing Old Fitzgerald to the public, Herbst claimed it was named after John E. Lawrence, a supposed 19th Century distiller who allegedly sold his high-quality bourbon exclusively to railroads, steamship lines, and private clubs. Contemporary research shows, however, that John Fitzgerald was actually a bourbon thief, not a bourbon distiller. Employed as the U.S. Treasury Department agent who held the keys to Herbst’s Old Judge warehouses, Lawrence was known to let himself in at night, identify the best barrels, and help himself to copious amounts of bourbon they contained. Thus, Herbst and his employees began calling barrels that were particularly good or had obviously been tapped as “Fitzgerald barrels.” Thus, naming the brand after him was a bit of an inside joke. In 2012, Heaven Hill developed another bourbon in memory of Lawrence’s frequent theft and named it Larceny. Each spring and fall, Heaven Hill releases a new edition in its Old Fitzgerald Bottled In Bond series, which is bottled in a heavy decanter reminiscent of those from the 1950s. An ornate “tax strip” resembling those that were once required on all liquor bottles is affixed to the stopper, and the color of the front label denotes each different release, which have ranged in age from 9 to 15 years. The highly-allocated bourbon is made under the precepts of the 1897 Bottled In Bond Act, which requires it to be the product of a single distillery from a single distilling season, aged a minimum of four years, and bottled at 100 proof. This Spring 2020 release was aged for 9 years and retails for $90 as Heaven Hill generally prices Old Fitzgerald BIB at $10 for each year it was aged. The 15-year, for example, retailed for $150. NOSE: The nose is a bit delicate upon first impression, but scents of leather, caramel, and deep oak barrel char begin to predominate. Some hay and perhaps even a bit of fruity apple linger bashfully in the background. PALATE: The mouthfeel is syrupy almost to the point of being chewy, which is something I enjoy greatly. In fact, it is so viscous that too big of a sip can be a bit overwhelming. Butterscotch pudding and vanilla pair nicely with leather and butter notes . FINISH: Oak and cinnamon stand solidly front-and-center on the finish. Though it is an easy-sipper, this 100 proofer gives you a brief kick in the tonsils on the way down just to let you know that it ain’t a candyass. FINAL ASSESSMENT: Only two experiences in my life have fully lived up to the hype - attending the Masters golf tournament and drinking the Old Fitzgerald Bottled In Bond. Of course, my opinion may be biased by my deep love for wheated bourbons and anything that is bottled in bond, but make no mistake, I believe anyone would find this release provides a wonderfully satisfying and thoroughly enjoyable experience. I rank Old Fitzgerald Bottled In Bond 9-year with a rare but well-earned 9 on a 10-point scale.

The nose starts with a smooth burst of charred oak, touches of ripe fruit, vanilla, brown sugar and touches of leather. It has a nice depth to it as it quickly evolves into something creamy, very desert like. The palate is somewhat chewy and rich, filling the corners of the mouth with a great mix of baking spices, oak and vanilla, while a slight wave of ripe fruit washes over the tongue. The flavors converge rather than being distinct, giving you a very full experience with every sip. There is a certain weight to it, whereas trying to identify each note this is meant to just take it all as one. It is very desert like, leaving you incredibly satisfied with every sip. The finish is medium long and slightly oaky, there is a lingering spice and chew to it that keeps it alive. Perhaps the oak could be a bit stronger, but overall it works pretty nicely for what it is. It would also be nice for the creamier notes to be more prominent, but as is this is a nice treat.

So can we start by talking about this bottle? I mean can you honestly say you don't want to try the juice inside this gem? It looks like what you would expect to be sitting on some baller's bar top in the 60's! Ok enough about the bottle, let's try what's inside. Nose is all vanilla and toffee. This one I think I could just nose the glass for awhile and enjoy the evening without a sip. Who are we kidding here, of course I am going to drink it! First sip is initially soft on the palate with more of that vanilla, but a nice brown sugar and cinnamon burn warms you up quickly before settling into a long caramel finish. At $150 this is pricey, but damn it is fantastic. Vanilla and caramel rolling throughout. I rarely give really high ratings to pricey drams because they don't live to the hype. This will be an exception and I would pay $150 any day for another bottle.

🥃 - Old Fitzgerald BiB 9 year Spring 2011 Proof - 100 / 50% Sweetness - 7 / 10 very nice sweetness mixed with some earthy ness Dryness - 4 / 10 a nice smooth mouthfeel that coats the palate but isn’t extremely juicy Burn - 3 / 10 nice soft warm hug. Not much of a burn but a lingering warmth. Flavors - cherry, oak, peanuts, caramel and chocolate up front turn to vanilla and brown sugar with toasted nuts at the finish Bud’s rating - 7.5 / 10 Feel extremely lucky to have got my hands on a bottle at retail when PA dropped this! It’s a super smooth soft easy to drink bourbon. It has a great mix of sweetness and earthy tones. I really enjoy some of the unique flavors and the lower proof just makes it a great pour. Would love to try more iterations!

Nose - Caramel, vanilla, cinnamon, oak, hints of apple peels and cherries Taste - Caramel, cherry-vanilla, cinnamon spice, leather, chocolate Finish - Caramel, cherry chocolates, cherry-vanilla coke syrup, oak, gentle cinnamon tingle Score - 90/100 Final Thoughts - This is a good bourbon, nothing off putting about it. Fairly standard bourbon notes of vanilla, caramel, cinnamon but this has some nice notes of chocolate and cherry that pop in and out that I like. Good for a bourbon and worth what I paid for, but definitely not worth secondary prices. Would I drink it if offered? - Yes Would I specifically order it? - Maybe Would I buy a bottle? - Yes NOTE - All reviews are done without factoring in price.

Ethanol smell lingering for a while, some faint vanilla and oak. A little bland at first followed by some mild spice and then a flavor that I can't make out yet but it makes it hard to truly enjoy. I will see what happens when the bottle is at half way. But so far, not a flavor deserving of the price point. Came back to it after a month. Well... it actually taste decent now and that ethanol smell is almost fully gone. Bottle is a little more then half full and I guess some air has dramatically helped with the flavor. $90 ... well... it is a nice bottle. I always keep learning. Give the bottle some time to breathe and the taste might surprise you. (Still waiting on my Yamazaki to taste better )