I’d like to thank Heaven Hill for providing this review sample with no strings attached
Well, hey there. Long time no see. I know I should have told you I was going to be away, but I really didn’t think I would be gone for quite this long. Sure, the holidays are a busy time to be an in-home dog sitter, but I could have probably managed that if my wife and I hadn’t also gotten sick with a nasty cold for most of that time as well. Figures, right? But we got to spend lots of quality time with one another—coughing, snotty, quality time. It wasn’t the most fun we’ve had together, but at least we had lots of snuggly dogs to help us manage.
But you aren’t here to read about my illness. You’re here to read about tonight’s bourbon. Old Fitzgerald is an old, old brand. At about 150 years old, it’s even older than I am. Or my mom. Or her mom. There’s a good chance there might be a couple more ladies up that lineage who have come and gone in that time, for that matter. Popularized by the one and only “Pappy” Van Winkle, Old Fitzgerald was the pride of the Stitzel-Weller distillery before eventually making its way over to Heaven Hill, the current brand owner.
When I first got into bourbon, Old Fitzgerald was a tasty and inexpensive brand for Heaven Hill. Then, it became a tasty and inexpensive “Kentucky-exclusive” brand for Heaven Hill before going off the market. After a brief hiatus, the brand returned as an Ultra-Super-Ultra Premium brand that is hard to find and even harder to afford. I thought that was going to be a mistake on Heaven Hill’s part, but I guess I was wrong. Sure, I haven’t been afforded the opportunity to buy a bottle yet (or even see one in the wild), but obviously, someone has since tonight’s version is the 14th one they’ve released. And at two per year, that means their plan been working for seven years.
I guess there’s a reason I’m not in charge of product decisions at whiskey companies. I’d probably go out of business following a model of “keep things as delicious as you can, sell it for the least you can, and sell a lot of it to make the endeavor worthwhile.” Actually, that sounds a bit like the old “Pappy” Van Winkle quote from when he was in business: “We make fine bourbon...at a profit if we can...at a loss if we must...but always fine bourbon.”
Old Fitzgerald Bottled in Bond, Fall 2024
Purchase Info: his sample was provided at no charge for review purposes. The suggested retail price is $154.99 for a 750 mL bottle.
Price per Drink: $10.33
Details: 50% ABV. 11 years old. Heaven Hill wheated bourbon mashbill.
Nose: Caramel apple, vanilla, and oak.
Mouth: Caramel, vanilla, oak, cinnamon, and apple.
Finish: Long side of medium length and warm with notes of caramel, cinnamon, and oak.
Thoughts: This is delicious. It perfectly showcases the Heaven Hill house flavor profile. Just tons of stereotypical bourbon notes throughout—rich and full-flavored, oaky but not too much oak. Super tasty. It’s honestly too bad it’s over $10 per pour because this one is very good, and I sincerely wish that everyone was as lucky as I am in getting to taste it. If you happen across it, and the price is worth it to you, jump on it.
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