Review #: 442
Description: Old Fitzgerald Bottled-In-Bond (2010)
Spirit: Bourbon
Background: Most people know of the Old Fitz line for its bi-annual release from the distillery, usually with a solid age statement. There’s also the bottom shelf, 80 proof version which might only be available in Kentucky? Not sure, but Heaven Hill used to have a cheap, BiB version with a similarly shiny label and low cost. Those days are gone, but I was able to get a sample of one that was bottled in 2010. So will it stand up to the modern releases with their fancy bottles? Or show why it was a cheap competitor with standard Maker’s.
Distillery – Heaven Hill
Bottler – Heaven Hill
Brand – Old Fitzgerald
Selection – N/A
ABV – 50%
Age – NAS
Nose – Fairly earthy and green, like an overgrown field of grass/hay, sweet cinnamon candy, red apple, sourdough bread, charcoal, lemon pepper? There’s kind of a tang in there I can’t quite place a descriptor to
Taste – Tons of cinnamon-sugar swirl bread, toasted wheat, maybe a touch of milky caramel It sweet, light, delicate
Finish – Still toasted bread, a little black pepper and cinnamon but not too much going on
Score: 5
Would I buy a bottle? If it was still available, I would.
Thoughts: This is nice and a good representation of quality, yet a bit young, wheated bourbon. Some grainy notes but the wheat is soft and sweet. I think this would be a fun one to suggest to new drinkers instead of Maker’s, which is also super approachable and can really highlight the mashbill and the cask at the same time.