Review: Old Fitzgerald Bottled-in-Bond 7 Years Old

Heaven Hill’s Old Fitzgerald line has been cranking out bonded whiskey on a regular clip, twice a year, but these seasonal, limited releases are hard to come by and invariably feature sky-high prices on the secondary market.

Now Heaven Hill is doing something about it, dropping a permanent edition of its bonded release, bottled at 7 years old. The new 7 year old features a different (but still fancy-looking) bottle than the semiannual Decanter Series releases, and it’s made from the same mashbill as other Old Fitz expressions: 68% corn, 20% wheat, and 12% malted barley. The seven years of aging are spent in a Level 3 char new oak barrel.

Also, because bonded releases are required to be the work of a single distilling season, you will find that season noted on the neck tag of each bottle of Old Fitzgerald 7. Green tags will indicate spring distillation season (with year noted), while gold tags will be used for the fall.

We received a sample from the spring 2018 distilling season.

And with that, let’s dig in.

Old Fitzgerald Bottled-in-Bond 7 Years Old Review

The nose of the whiskey is quite enchanting and sweet, with an immediate pop of silky vanilla and chewy caramel cubes. Gently honeyed at times, it quickly evolves restrained fruit notes of brown banana and baked apples, with layers of barrel char emerging only after significant time in glass.

The palate pushes the experience in the direction of spice and peanut shells, making for a more subdued and undulating quality. Loads of baking spices crash over the whiskey as a spray of cinnamon and nutmeg hit, followed by a reprise of banana (or banana bread, here) and vanilla wafter cookies. The finish finally sees a bit of sharper citrus, but this is fleeting, as the whiskey quickly retreats back to brown sugar, graham crackers, and vanilla pudding.

While at times a bit basic, the overall presentation is so sunny and effusive that it is ultimately tough to put down, a middle-age experience that leans into what wheated bourbons do best, offering a character that feels at once fruity and bready and a little spicy — but always subtle and demure. If you can find it for the MSRP, I’d snap one up. The good news is that if you missed the inaugural batch, it will be back, twice a year.

100 proof. Reviewed: Spring 2018 distillate.

A- / $60 [BUY IT NOW FROM FROOTBAT]

The post Review: Old Fitzgerald Bottled-in-Bond 7 Years Old appeared first on Drinkhacker: The Insider’s Guide to Good Drinking.