The Whiskey Reviewer A World of Whiskey, Poured Every Weekday
By Richard Thomas
Rating: B+
Old Fitzgerald Bottled in Bond (Fall 2023)
(Credit: Heaven Hill)
An axiom in the whiskey trade is that a high age statement doesn’t necessarily mean a good whiskey, but what about the reverse? Can you have a great whiskey with a merely average age statement? Certainly much more than merely time goes into whiskey maturation, and if you doubt the truth of that statement, I suggest looking no further than the famous case of the Colonel E.H. Taylor Tornado Bourbon.
Heaven Hill‘s latest installment in the Old Fitzgerald line of bottled in bond, wheated bourbons raises this question because it rests at the bottom of the age range in that series, being just eight years old. That is still double the statutory minimum required by the Bottled in Bond Act, but the age statements on the series are often in the teens. The release has been accompanied by the usual croaking, despite the fact that this is only the second time the series has gone down to an eight year old expression, so that release certainly didn’t begin a race to the bottom for the series.
So, leaving aside the age statement of this 100 proof bourbon leaves the only question that really matters: how is it?
The Bourbon
The pour has copper, leaning to bronze appearance to it, which actually is rather suggestive of its age. That might be my mind playing tricks, but it is what I see, and generally speaking a lighter coloring speaks of a mature whiskey, rather than one that is middle aged or truly old.
The nosing yields the staple bourbon scents of melted brown sugar and caramel, coupled to current of nutmeg, clove and pine, with a fainter trace of cinnamon. Taking a sip revealed a more fruity dimension, but also a bit more tannic, so the brown sugar and caramel is jointed by peach tea, while the spicy notes all remain the same. Those spicy notes are what linger in the finish, and as a grouping at that.
In my estimation, Old Fitz Bonded Fall 2023 certainly punches above its weight. It’s flavorful, and has certain characteristics one doesn’t expect from an eight year old bourbon. To put this into perspective, Elijah Craig is said to be made from an eight to ten year old batching, so this is on the lower end of that range and is distinctively better. That said, I don’t think it is so much better as to merit the price tag (see below), seeing as how Elijah Craig Small Batch is a $35 bottle.
The Price
Officially, this bourbon is tagged at $109.99.
