Old Fitzgerald 11 Year Bourbon

Brian’s Old Fitzgerald 11 Year Bourbon Review:

reviewed 01-March-2022

OLD FITZGERALD 11 YEAR BOURBON REVIEW:

Since early 2018, each spring and a new edition to the Old Fitzgerald Bottled-in-Bond decanter series is released. While the age of each bottling varies, all have the Bottled-in-Bond designation.

The black labeled fall 2021 release, Old Fitzgerald 11 Year (Old Fitz 11) offers the nose a slight nip of alcohol as well as a hint of sherry wine. It is herbal with notes of roasted corn and wheat and one can smell fruits of current and plum and taste a mixture of sweet and Maraschino cherries with some allspice, light cinnamon and pepper. There are sweets of yellow cake, vanilla, brown sugar, woody honey and dark toffee as well however to me, this is a simple bourbon, and frankly, I feel a let down. For me, the aromas and flavors are too blended and it provides only a medium throat warming herbal and floral finish.

OLD FITZGERALD 11 YEAR VITAL STATS:

Category: Bottled-in-Bond Wheated Bourbon
Region: Louisville, Kentucky, USA
Distillery: DSP-KY-1 (Bernheim Distillery)
Mash Bill*: 68% Corn, 20% Wheat, 12% Malted Barley
Barrel Char: #3
Barrel entry proof: 125
Age: 11 Years Old
ABV: 50% (100 Proof)
Release Date: August 2021
NABCA CSC #: 16373
Price: $109.95 (Idaho, February 2022)

Learn more at Heaven Hill Distillery and
*Bourbonex – Heaven Hill Distillery Info

ENJOYMENT METHOD FOR THE REVIEW:

Alternate pours, equaling about four ounces, were added into two Glencairns from a newly opened bottle. My daughter and I enjoyed the bourbon neat for this review.

Check out her review for this bourbon here!

OLD FITZGERALD 11 YEAR NOSE:

Old Fitz 11 gives my nose a slight nip of alcohol in a hint of sherry wine. As I inhale, roasted corn and wheat, and fruits of current and plum topped with allspice and white pepper drift up from the glass. With more careful nosing, fresh baked wheat bread and vanilla infused cake wafts from the glass. With heavy draws additional sweets of brown sugar, woody honey and faint light toffee drizzled over pecans waft as well. Any wood I detect is faint, as light oak and hazy toasted wood and sweet smoke fade in and out. This bourbon has a simple and gentle nose.

OLD FITZGERALD 11 YEAR PALATE:

Old Fitz 11 warms the mouth and offers faint notes of herbal roasted corn and wheat. There is also a mixture of sweet and Maraschino cherries with allspice, light cinnamon and pepper. Sweets of yellow cake, vanilla, brown sugar, woody honey and dark toffee treat the taste buds as well. With an aggressive Kentucky chew, the whiskey becomes almost coppery and effervescent with lots of black pepper and a pronounced alcohol presence. To round out the taste I sense dry oak, toasted wood and barrel char. To me this is a simple bourbon, and frankly, I feel a let down.

Balance, Body, Feel and Look:
Old Fitz 11 seems blended to the point of masking aromas and flavors in my mouth. It is mellow, viscous and oily and easy to hold. After each sip, extremely long clinging legs cling as the liquid passes back to the auburn colored pool leaving behind only a few clinging droplets inside the Glencairn.

OLD FITZGERALD 11 YEAR FINISH:

Old Fitzgerald 11 Year offers a medium throat warming herbal and floral finish. With careful thought I feel sweet and Maraschino cherry juice dusted with allspice and pepper sliding down my throat. There is a soft sensation of vanilla and light brown sugar drifting on dry oak and hazy toasted wood as well. And when emptied, the Glencairn smells almost fruity with a nice dose of sugared cinnamon dusted over drying oak.

MY RATING: 87/100

Will I buy this whiskey again? YES
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Click 87/100 to access other whiskies with this score.

WHISKEY TRAITS, FLAVOR NOTES AND PROFILE GRAPH:

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Old Fitzgerald 11YR Review

Hannah’s Old Fitzgerald 11YR Review

Original review written March 1, 2022

GENERAL DESCRIPTION:

It’s good, light, and easy to sip. Is it worth $100+ though? Doubtful. I’m enjoying it, but I won’t feel incredibly pressured to repurchase once it’s gone. 86/100

VITALS:
Old Fitzgerald 11YR Review

– Made In: Louisville, Kentucky, USA
– Distiller: Bernheim Distillery/DSP-KY-1
– Classification: Bottled in Bond Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
– Age: 11 yrs.
– Mash Bill: Corn=68%; Wheat=20%; Malted Barley=12%
– Casks: Char #3
– Barrel Entry Proof: 125
– ABV: 50% (100 proof)
– Price: $109.95 USD in Idaho 2022

Visit heavenhilldistillery.com for more information

ENJOYMENT METHOD:

I enjoyed the spirit neat from a Glencairn glass with father and fellow Whiskey for the Ages reviewer, Brian.

Check out his review for this bourbon here!

SETTING:

This would be a good bourbon to have on the shores of a small pond. Petals have fallen and sweetened the water, and their color shines out bright and obvious in some warm sunlight. They are soft to hold, and the water is warm enough to have your feet settled in. It’s healing in its own way, and certainly quite relaxing with gentle smells playing on a breeze.

Photo by Travis Grossen on Unsplash

NOSE:

This isn’t as aromatic as I was expecting it to be. I find peppery notes, along with a fresh, herbally quality. I can’t identify much for fruit aside from maybe some green apples. However, there is a simple syrup, yellow cake, and a floral element and maybe a sprinkle of some cinnamon if I squint. I wish there were more aromas to note, but this really is just very simple and gentle. It smells good, certainly, but I can’t help but feel… slightly let down by this nose? Not much for wood or even an alcohol burn.

PALATE:
Old Fitzgerald 11YR Review

– Mouth Feel: This starts raspy across the palate, but at the back of the sip, it surprisingly turns almost watery. It’s a confusing aspect of this bourbon.
– Balance: Solid balance. While simple, everything is still quite well-blended and I have no complaints.
– Visual: Auburn in color, this leaves behind an irregular crown and many long, lingering legs down the side of the glass.

– Taste: The taste is a definite improvement from the nose, with the mouth feel kicking in with a raspy quality and coaxing out more fruit and even more floral essences. It’s rosy, and stone fruit comes into play a lot more here as well, particularly light stone fruit. The end of the sip offers up some cherries, grapes, and light oak, which adds some necessary complexity to this bourbon. There’s some light caramel, and more light spices like cinnamon.

All in all, this is very easy to sip, and the alcohol is remarkably gentle. I could see getting in trouble with this bourbon. It’s entertaining, and a Kentucky chew makes the sugary flavors stand out that much more.

I will say, that if I was looking to pour something light and fresh, I might sooner go to a rye for a cheaper price than a bourbon that is valued at over $100 USD.

FINISH:

– Lasting Power: Medium. There is some residual warmth that builds up throughout the course of the glass, and some minor aftertaste.
– Between Sips: Rose and grape linger between sips, but they don’t stick around for long. Nevertheless, it’s still quite enjoyable.

– No More: This stays consistent throughout the glass, and I think it does grow on you considerably – especially if you’re a fan of dark, charred oak, rich bourbons. It does grow on you.

The empty Glencairn is a warmer, richer oak with fruit buried within. It’s different from other empty glasses, and it’s something I could picture being a candle quite easily.

WORTH THE PRICE?

Simply put, no. $100+ is a big ask, and this just is not worth that price. I’d pay $40 comfortably, or even $50, but $100 is just not an appropriate amount to me for this bourbon. I already know it’s a bourbon I’ll have to be in the mood for, in order to pour, and I don’t know if I’ll be in the mood often. It won’t be a bourbon I’ll hate finishing, but it does sting to know we paid this much for it, to be entirely honest.

OLD FITZGERALD 11YR REVIEW RATING: 86/100

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