Old Fitzgerald Bottled in Bond Bourbon (Fall 2024)

By Richard Thomas

Rating: B+

Technically, the second round of 2024’s Old Fitzgerald Bottled in Bond still came out in the autumn: even if bottles didn’t reach shelves (or samples reaching reviewers) until it was officially early winter, the actual announcement was on December 12. For those who are not very aware of the calendar, winter officially began on December 21, so the 12th was still late autumn! Still, it was late enough to be the final release of the red hot autumnal bourbon release season.

Old Fitz comes from the same stock as Larceny, but meets the bottled in bond legal mandate: 100 proof, drawn from stock made in a single distilling year; matured under government supervision. In addition, the bonded mandate requires the whiskey to be at least four years old, but Old Fitz is always much older. It’s often, but not always, a double digit number of years. This particular installment is an 11 year old.

The Bourbon

Once in the glass, Old Fitz Bonded Fall 2024 takes on a middle amber appearance. The nose sat well inside traditional bourbon territory: brown sugar and vanilla, cinnamon and bergamot. On the palate, the bergamot note turns tannic, but the brown sugar, vanilla and cinnamon hold steady. To this, add a merged current of nuttiness and woodiness. The finish carries wood spices, replaced by nuttiness as it fades away.

The Price
Officially, this bottle is suppose to fetch $155 a bottle. Good luck picking it up for that price, however: past installments in the series routinely fetch market prices of $400+.