Old Fitzgerald may not be a brand that you know a lot about. That does not mean that it doesn’t have a long history. The brand was first registered way back in 1884. Eventually, the brand was bought by “Pappy” Van Winkle, and then purchased by Heaven Hill in 1999. The big reason you may not be familiar with Old Fitzgerald is likely due to not being distributed as largely as other Heaven Hill brands.
Under the stewardship of Heaven Hill, the brand is released twice per year, in the spring and fall, as a bottled-in-bond product with very limited distribution. Collectors and “whiskey hunters” are those few who know much about the releases and try to find this special release decanter bottle. For those that don’t know much, Old Fitzgerald is a wheated bourbon, much like Larceny, another brand in the Heaven Hill stable.
From my personal experience, wheated bourbons typically do not have a flavor profile that excites me. It is fairly well known that I am not a big fan of Larceny, but I do appreciate wheated bourbons at a higher proof. That seems to be where the wheated profile really starts to shine. I have not had a bottled-in-bond wheated bourbon yet, so I am curious to see how this fares. So, let’s see what Old Fitzgerald is all about!
This whisky was provided to us as a review sample by Heaven Hill Distillery. This did not influence the final outcome of this review in any way.
Old Fitzgerald 10yr Bottled-In-Bond
Class: Kentucky Straight Bourbon
Price: $140
Notes:
- Spring 2024 Edition
- 10 years old
- Distilled, aged, and bottled at Bernheim Distillery, Louisville, Kentucky
- Unspecified wheated mash bill, though commonly thought to be 68% corn, 20% wheat, and 12% malted barley
- Bottled at 50% ABV (100 proof)
- Matured in new American oak barrels
Nose: 86/100
Rich caramel greets you warmly. Butterscotch, vanilla, and ethanol all vie for attention. A touch of cinnamon lies beneath.
Palate: 88/100
Surprisingly subtle. Black tea leads the way here. Honey and caramel follow nicely. Barrel char provides a wonderful foundation.
Finish: 88/100
Caramel, barrel char, black tea, and baking spices all mingle nicely. Rich, warm, and lingering finish. Just delicious.
Overall: 87/100
Recommendation: Must try!
This is a damn fine bourbon. The price isn’t terrible for a whiskey of this quality, though I wish it was a bit cheaper. The real problem with recommending this bourbon is the availability. I have never seen a bottle in real life, and it is extremely limited, so you likely won’t be able to find it. If you do find it somewhere at a reasonable price, definitely give it a try.
What did we learn?
We already knew that Heaven Hill makes some excellent bourbon. Due to its limited distribution, Old Fitzgerald is more of a mystery for a lot of people. In this case, we see a higher-proof wheated bourbon start to shine. Wheated bourbons tend to be more subtle and softer than their high-rye cousins. However, the quality of a wheated bourbon is much more obvious at higher proofs. This is especially true once the proof gets close to 115 proof. I would love to taste Old Fitzgerald at a high proof like 115 or even 120 proof. I believe it could rival W.L. Weller.
