Fable & Folly 14 Year Old Whiskey Review

By Richard Thomas

Rating: B+

Reading the specifications behind the new Orphan Barrel release, Fable & Folly, makes it sound like the swan song of this Diageo-made series. Series Master Blender Andrew Mackay drew on “remaining stocks of Barterhouse, Forged Oak and various Rhetoric releases with aged rye and corn whiskies.” Knowing a bit about those past Orphan Barrels is an important point here, because Forged Oak was the youngest of the named predecessors at 15 years. Barterhouse was 20 years old and Rhetoric started at 20 years. Age statements follow the most youthful whiskey in the blend, so it’s those aged rye and corn whiskeys that give us the 14 years.

This was bottled at 90 proof. In addition to their silence in regards as to the proportions of the blend, Diageo also said nothing about how big of a production run there was for this limited edition. However, I have seen reports of bottles numbered above 50,000, so it was quite a big run by limited edition standards.

The Whiskey
Fable & Folly takes on a light, polished copper appearance in the glass. I have described the ultra-aged constituents of this American Whiskey, but if I hadn’t said anything, the nose would have spoken straight to that point. It leads with it’s leathery, hoary woodiness. Behind this are notes of caramel, mint and cookie spices. The flavor brings things into better balance, with that cookie-sweet and spicy side coming into balance with the old horse barn tack quality that lead in the scent. The two sides of Fable & Folly’s character continue their hand-off on the finish, which surprisingly turns light and sweet as it fades away; I was surprised because if a whiskey has a woody aspect, that is what asserts itself at the close, but not here.

Stirring in the middle-aged rye and corn whiskeys was a good thing here, because Fable & Folly is no over-oaked beastie. Instead, it’s an easy sipping whiskey that puts an interesting twist on the experience. The only problem with it is the price tag, which even by prevailing standards is a steep.

The Price
Officially, this bottle goes for $150. Given the size of the production run and the fine, but not outstanding quality of the release, it’s hard to justify paying a mark-up for the bottle. So, if the retailer wants much more than $150, don’t pay it.