Old Fitzgerald Bottled-in-Bond Bourbon Review & Tasting Notes

Despite what some may think, my whisk(e)y tastes are not exclusive to any particular level. I enjoy top-shelf, hard-to-find, exclusive selections and dusty, often-ignored ones. Top-, mid- or bottom-shelf, I've tasted winners and losers.

 

One of the great whiskey subsets is Bottled in Bond. Often, but certainly not always, these are quite affordable. There are very strict guidelines in order to be qualify as Bottled in Bond. Aside from being a 100-proof American whiskey, it must be the product of one distillation season from a single distiller, and everything must come from a single distillery. There's no blending of different whiskeys. The whiskey must age in a federally bonded warehouse under US government supervision for at least four years. Finally, the label must identify the distillery and, if bottled elsewhere, where it was bottled.

 

I have known about Old Fitzgerald Bottled in Bond for a few years, but have never seen it on the shelf. Some have praised this, others have panned it. However, while visiting a newly discovered liquor store today, I saw and picked it up.

 

There's a lot of wheat and vanilla on the nose, wheat, nuts and spice on the palate. This one MUST have time to breathe, or you can use a spirits aerator to speed the process along. Otherwise, if you drink it straight from the pour, there's not going to be any flavor.

 

While not an earth-shattering whiskey by any means, it is decent. To those who poo-poo this Bourbon, I suspect you've not given enough time for this to breath. Perhaps you'll give it another shot.

 

The point I am trying to make is to not be a whisk(e)y snob, and know there are both treasure and trash to be found amongst all price points.

 

Respect the bottom shelf.