Old Fitzgerald 1849

/ / Bourbon, Review /

Old Fitzgerald 1849 Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
45% ABV
$17
Website
1849
What the Distillery Says:
An historic brand, which dates back over 120 years, Old Fitzgerald Bourbon enjoys a nationally recognized reputation as an award winning whiskey with a tradition of extra-aging.

Made with a “whisper of wheat” instead of the more traditional rye grain, Old Fitzgerald offers a unique and well-loved taste profile. Today, Master Distillers Parker and Craig Beam have preserved the traditional formula and techniques, while adding the benefits of seven generations of Bourbon distilling expertise.

What Gary Says:
Nose: Sweet corn, a bit more wood, some mint, anise is there, but more subdued.
Palate: Bit more bite up front, corn sweetness with a little pepper spice going on.
Finish: Medium in length.
Comments: Compared to Old Fitz Prime, I tend to prefer this as it has a little more spice and edge to it, although it is still a pretty mellow pour. Only a couple of bucks more, and about that much better I’d say.
Rating: Average

What Richard Says:
Nose: Much lighter than the other versions with a nice mellow sweetness.
Palate: Sweet toffee syrup with a nips of black pepper around the edges.
Finish: Heavier on the wood coming through the finish compared to the Prime and BIB.
Comments: Another fine serviceable version of Old Fitz. This one isn’t going to knock your socks off but it’s not off putting in the least.
Rating: Average

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Old Fitzgerald Bottled-in-Bond

/ / Bourbon, Review /

Old Fitzgerald Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey Bottled in Bond
50% ABV
$15
Website
10441894
What the Distillery Says:
An historic brand, which dates back over 120 years, Old Fitzgerald Bourbon enjoys a nationally recognized reputation as an award winning whiskey with a tradition of extra-aging.

Made with a “whisper of wheat” instead of the more traditional rye grain, Old Fitzgerald offers a unique and well-loved taste profile. Today, Master Distillers Parker and Craig Beam have preserved the traditional formula and techniques, while adding the benefits of seven generations of Bourbon distilling expertise.

What Gary Says:
Nose: Quite nice – vanilla, toffee, anise, toasted marshmallow, rice pudding, hint of coconut – all with a backdrop of musty rickhouse.
Palate: Sweet corn, tapioca, vanilla; smooth.
Finish: Medium in length, with a hint (and I mean a hint) of spice at the end.
Comments: Bottled-In-Bond typically means it is 4 years old (although it certainly could be older), but comes across as right around that to me. A step up from Old Fitz Prime and Old Fitz 1849, while not much of a step up in price (in fact, may be the same or less than 1849). I appreciate the extra proof, and the nose for me is a big improvement over the others.
Rating: Stands Out

What Richard Says:
Nose: Slightly musty at first but it opens into toffee crisps, vanilla, and a little barrel char.
Palate: A richer mouth feel than the Prime. The extra proof makes it more assertive and direct. Corn pudding, vanilla wafers, and a black pepper bite sprinkled in with the wood notes.
Finish: Barrel char and a sprinkle of white pepper around the edges.
Comments: For $15 this is a damn fine bourbon. It drinks more like a rye bourbon than a normal wheater. This would make a nice sipper or mixer. With somewhat limited availability you might want to consider grabbing if one when you see it if it isn’t normally available in your area.
Rating: Stands Out

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Old Fitzgerald Prime

/ / Bourbon, Review /

Old Fitzgerald Prime Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
43% ABV
$14
Website
PRIME
What the Distillery Says:
An historic brand, which dates back over 120 years, Old Fitzgerald Bourbon enjoys a nationally recognized reputation as an award winning whiskey with a tradition of extra-aging.

Made with a “whisper of wheat” instead of the more traditional rye grain, Old Fitzgerald offers a unique and well-loved taste profile. Today, Master Distillers Parker and Craig Beam have preserved the traditional formula and techniques, while adding the benefits of seven generations of Bourbon distilling expertise.

What Gary Says:
Nose: Anise, candy corn in molasses, hint of mint.
Palate: Licorice, caramel corn, cherry-cola (strange, but that’s what the brain is pegging it at!), bit of wood.
Finish: Fleeting with just a touch of spice at the end.
Comments: While a pleasant dram, I would also call it forgettable and uninspiring. I tend to prefer rye-forward bourbons than wheaters, which doesn’t help its cause for me personally. Very smooth – for the money, it isn’t bad. This is the “entry level” in the Old Fitz line, so would expect better when progressing through the lineup.
Rating: Average

What Richard Says:
Nose: Initially it’s a sharp licorice nose that settles into honeysuckle and spearmint.
Palate: The mouthfeel is very thin but the flavor is nice. A light candy sweetness that quickly turns dry with a black pepper bite around the edges.
Finish: Black pepper with a dash of cayenne and wet wood pulp.
Comments: Meh. Not bad by any means but not noteworthy either. For $14 you could definitely do worse. It’s thin and doesn’t leave you wanting more but it is a fine utility bourbon.
Rating: Average

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Lost Prophet

/ / Bourbon, Review /

Lost Prophet Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey Aged 22 Years
45.05% ABV
$120
Website
Orphan-Barrel_Lost-Prophet-Bottle-Shot_Lo-Res
What the Distillery Says:
Lost Prophet speaks softly but carries a big stick. Eloquent and gentle, this Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey was unearthed after spending 22 long years resting in charred American white oak barrels, tucked away in a corner of the historic Stitzel-Weller rickhouses in Shively, Kentucky.

Lost Prophet is a soft spoken whiskey, with aromas of honey, apricot and clove that reveal a silky, full-bodied taste with notes of spiced vanilla and a touch of leather, culminating in a sweet smoky finish.

Only a small amount of Lost Prophet exists and it will only be released once. After the last bottle has been sold, it’s gone for good, its nomadic journey coming to an end.

What Gary Says:
Nose: Sitting in an old, comfy leather chair where cigars had been enjoyed prior (but not recently), rich vanilla, nice balance with oak.
Palate: Brighter and sweeter than the nose advertised, dark stewed fruit (maybe fruitcake?).
Finish: Moderately long, and sweet.
Comments: This was better than I expected, and I prefer it over Forged Oak or Rhetoric 20yr. The nose is really nice, and balances the savory (including a hint of smoke) with the sweet like a pro. The palate was more on the sweet side, which was a bit of a surprise – but I’d rather have more sweet than oak personally (but it isn’t “too sweet” either). So far, this is definitely one of my favorites from the Orphan Barrel series.
Rating: Must Try

What Richard Says:
Nose: Stewed peaches, caramel chews, creme brulee, and cinnamon candies.
Palate: Rich cinnamon and vanilla sweetness battling with a tart, tannic woodiness.
Finish: Long and slow with a rich sweetness fading to a strong oak note.
Comments: Not one for the oak averse but it’s a very nice expression of 20+ year old bourbon. I really enjoy this one. The oak does this really interesting interplay with that honey vanilla sweetness.
Rating: Must Try

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Forged Oak

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Forged Oak Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey Aged 15 Years
45.25% ABV
$80
Website
forged oak
What the Distillery Says:
A pillar of strength rooted in time and wisdom, Forged Oak was found while foraging through the historic Stitzel-Weller rickhouses. This Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey spent 15 contemplative years in charred American white oak barrels.

Forged Oak is a statuesque whiskey with aromas of cedar, maple and vanilla bean that give way to seasoned woody notes of cocoa and young berries, ultimately leading to a long, dry finish of black pepper.

What Gary Says:
Nose: Oak, burnt sugar, raisins, caramel toffee, cinnamon undertones with hints of leather.
Palate: Creamy mouthfeel, sweet oak that transitions to pepper spice.
Finish: Quite nice – long and lingering.
Comments: When I first sampled this, I was underwhelmed – so I know I had a slight negative bias when approaching this one again. It somewhat surprised me this time around; I like it more than I expected! The finish is one of the longer ones I can recall. While I enjoy the palate, for the age (and price point), I was hoping for more. It has a nice mouthfeel, but seems a bit more muted. If I stumbled upon it on a shelf, I’d have to think about it; not an automatic buy for me, but worth considering.
Rating: Stands Out

What Richard Says:
Nose: Pleasantly woody with copious amounts of toffee and cinnamon raisin toast.
Palate: Rich and almost chewy. This is a really nice caramel sweetness. Easily one of the better sweet notes I’ve come across in bourbon. Not cloying in the least and not too faint. Just right. It’s backed by a nice integration of vanilla, more cinnamon, and a little crushed mint.
Finish: Oak, black pepper, and cocoa powder.
Comments: I haven’t exactly been bowled over by the earlier Orphan Barrel releases but this one came out quite nice. This is a cracking glass of fine aged and well integrated bourbon. I think if this was release by the current owners of the Bernheim distillery (Heaven Hill) where this was made instead of all the hoopla Diageo attributed to the Orphan Barrel range then it would be received as the exceptional bourbon it is.
Rating: Must Try

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