Old Fitzgerald Bottled-in-Bond 15 Year Fall 2019

/ / Bourbon, Review /

Old Fitzgerald Bottled-in-Bond 15 Year Fall 2019
Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey

50% ABV
$150
Website
Old Fitzgerald 15 yr Bottled In Bond Fall 2019

What the Distillery Says

OLD FITZGERALD BOTTLED-IN-BOND
Each spring and fall, a new edition to the Old Fitzgerald Bottled-in-Bond series is released. Inspired by an original 1950’s Old Fitzgerald diamond decanter, the packaging and series honor both the history of the Old Fitzgerald brand and the historic Bottled-in-Bond designation. The Old Fitzgerald line is well-known for its distilling pedigree, as the brand was first registered in 1884 and was eventually sold to “Pappy” Van Winkle during Prohibition. In 1999, Heaven Hill bought the brand and began distilling it at Bernheim Distillery in Louisville, KY.

15-Year-Old Tasting Notes
Color: Rich mahogany
Nose: Complex, very spicy for a Wheated Bourbon
Taste: Starts with the spices that were in the nose but becomes soft and gentle with honey and cake notes. Vanilla and oak follow with a delicious caramel tail.
Finish: Warm, long, sweet

What Gary Says

Nose:  Freshly baked coffee cake with vanilla frosting, cinnamon, toffee, oak, caramel, mint, leather.
Palate:  Creamy sweet, caramel, vanilla, cinnamon, baking spices, honey, mint, oak.
Finish:  Moderately long with lingering baking spices.
Comments:  This has more of a bit than I expected, but letting it sit in the glass for 15 – 20 minutes really did wonders. I had a bit of a sample of Old Fitzgerald 11 yr Bottled in Bond that I compared this against, and while not a huge oak fan – I preferred this easily. More richness and depth of sweetness, and the oak is there but pretty gentle for its age. These are always pricey, but in the current market, not outrageous (and the decanter is really nice, if you like that sorta thing).

Rating: Must Try

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Wild Turkey Master’s Keep Decades

/ / Bourbon, Review /

Wild Turkey Master’s Keep Decades
Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey

52% ABV
$150
Website
Wild Turkey Masters Keep Decades

What the Distillery Says

WILD TURKEY DECADES
This hand-selected lot of precious and rare barrels, aged between 10 and 20 years, represents the very best of two decades of bourbon making. Master Distiller Eddie Russell’s harmonious mingling of liquid results in an extraordinarily enjoyable whiskey with the finesse and deep character of older bourbon, anchored by the bold, balanced, and vibrant backbone of younger bourbon.

What Gary Says

Nose:  Vanilla, charred oak, caramel, cinnamon, orange zest, brown sugar, grilled corn (over charcoal), allspice roasted walnuts, a hint of maple.
Palate:  Caramel, brown sugar, vanilla, hefty oak, cherries, orange bitters, pepper, bitter dark chocolate.
Finish:  Long, drying with oak, spice and caramel.
Comments:  I’m not a big oak fan, so this isn’t my favorite Wild Turkey – but it is a damn nice, big and robust bourbon. A bit of water tamps the oak a bit, and amps up the chocolate and orange notes.

Rating: Stands Out

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Fighting Cock 6 Yr Bourbon

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Fighting Cock 6 Year
Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey

51.5% ABV
$17
Website
Fighting Cock Bourbon 6 years 103 proof

What the Distillery Says

The bad boy of Bourbon is bottled at a robust 103 proof, but its 6 years of aging smooth out the feathers real well. Through award-winning packaging and point-of-sale, and a unique and irreverent marketing campaign, Fighting Cock appeals to both male Gen X-ers and serious Bourbon lovers alike.

The “kickin’ chicken” has been a favorite throughout the South for years.

What Gary Says

Nose:  Salted caramel, vanilla, oak, brown sugar, nutty spice, subtle mint with a faint hint of overripe banana.
Palate:  Warm with vanilla, caramel, pepper bite, cinnamon, toffee and mint.
Finish:  Short and drying with oak, pepper and mint.
Comments:  For a sub-$20 bourbon, this is solid and definitely a great value. With an unapologetic rye bite, this has the edge you’d expect with the proof but also isn’t particularly harsh. While the web-site in September 2020 is still mentioning “6 years”, I want to be clear that current distribution of Fighting Cock Bourbon no longer carries the 6 year age statement regrettably (that was dropped in early 2015). This review however is from a bottle which did carry that age statement. I haven’t done a side by side (yet!) with the current version, but have that on my growing to do list.

Rating: Stands Out; Great Value

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Refreshed Review Index

/ / Gary's Blog

If you’re a follower of the blog (like Heather, Rich, the other Rich, a few others …) you may be familiar with our Review Index page where we organize all of the spirits we’ve reviewed by category and include links to them (formerly listed as “Review Archive”).  I’m excited to make some updates (hopefully improvements) based on user feedback, and wanted to take a moment to provide a quick overview:

Filtering

You can now filter by category and/or rating!

Let’s say you’re a fan of Speyside single malt Scotch, and want to see only those reviews we rated as ‘Must Buy’.  Or – you’re looking for a Rye recommendation that we thought was a ‘Great Value’.  Simply select from the options and click ‘Filter’ and you’ll be presented with any reviews that match.  You don’t have to set both fields in order to filter.

Single Malt Scotch Regions

While most reviews on single malt Scotch whisky would denote the region, I’ve added the region as a category to each of the over 200 reviews on single malts.  I also reordered the Review Index page to group those by region.  I know some folks may argue that ‘Island’ isn’t a region – but they’re simply wrong (sorry).

 

I hope these updates help you find what you’re looking for more easily!  And as always, if you have feedback, just drop me a line at gary@whiskeyapostle.com.

Cheers!

Gary

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Jim Beam Urban Stillhouse Select Bourbon

/ / Bourbon, Review /

Jim Beam Urban Stillhouse Select
Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey

50% ABV
$46
Website
Jim Beam Urban Stillhouse Select

What the Distillery Says

Extra-Aged Non-Chill Filtered For Richer, Full-Bodied Taste
Only available at the Jim Beam Urban Stillhouse located in Louisville, Kentucky

What Gary Says

Nose:  Vanilla, hint of maple, musty oak, a note of peanut brittle.
Palate:  Vanilla, caramel, oak, an odd herbal note, cinnamon and pepper.
Finish:  Short to moderate in length with oak.
Comments:  I bought this during a visit to the Jim Beam Urban Stillhouse in Louisville, KY. Unfortunately it was the last stop on a pretty busy afternoon so we didn’t have as much time as I would have liked to spend – but I did want to pick up on of these bottles as it can only be bought there on-site. I was disappointed. For the price, this is highly ordinary. Thought the non-chill filtration would give it some improved mouthfeel, but that didn’t come across. A bit of water improves it a bit, but for $46 there are a LOT of other bourbons I’d prefer (like Jim Beam Distiller’s Cut at roughly half the price, is a much better pour). If you visit the Urban Stillhouse, I’d highly recommend trying it on-site before buying a bottle (maybe the bottle I got was just a dud, as others I’ve spoken to enjoyed theirs). I approached this several times over the course of a year just in case I was having an off day or three, but no dice. Nothing exactly ‘bad’ about it, but again – highly ordinary for the price.

Rating: Average

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