We’re all familiar with the expression, “never judge a book by its cover.” Even if we’re not talking about books, the premise holds true for many items, including whiskey bottles. It certainly makes sense; what good is a pretty bottle if the whiskey inside isn’t? However, some might argue that truly excellent whiskey deserves an appropriately ornate vessel, price be damned. To that end, Old Fitzgerald feels like a product line demanding people to put their money where their mouths are.
The Fitzgerald name can be traced back to the late 19th century when it was first registered in 1884 after U.S. Treasury agent John E. Fitzgerald built a distillery in Frankfort, KY. Many claim that Fitzgerald only sold his bourbon to rail lines, steamships, and private clubs, making it elusive and sought-after. Although Fitzgerald bottles hit the market in 1889, the original diamond decanter bottles didn’t appear until 1951, well after Pappy Van Winkle purchased the brand during Prohibition. Stitzel-Weller produced Old Fitzgerald until 1992 when the distillery shut down, leaving the brand in limbo until 1999 when Heaven Hill acquired the name and began distilling at the Bernheim distillery in Louisville. Fast-forward another seven years and barreling for the modern, bottled in bond Old Fitzgerald line began.
Heaven Hill originally planned for Old Fitzgerald to be a bi-annual release (spring and fall) for five years between 2018 and 2022. However, a release hit shelves in 2023, indicating a continuation of the brand beyond its intended product run. A couple of distillery-exclusive bottlings were also produced, bearing a red label and above average age statement. The second of these, a 16-year wheated bourbon, was released in Spring 2020, but apparently hit the distillery even into the following year. I know this because I bought a bottle while visiting Heaven Hill in summer 2021. Conveniently enough, this was the first distillery I hit during my Kentucky trip. However, I didn’t realize it was a distillery-only release until writing this review, otherwise, I may have bought two bottles. I recently finished off the one I bought, so did I feel it was money well spent?
Nose: Immediate red fruit, dark brown sugar notes, and an earthiness that gives way to brown butter with hints of toffee and maple syrup. Has an intermittent grassiness that ultimately fades in favor of peanut butter while the fruit presents more like raspberry jam while the oak imparts a toast-like association. And just like that, I’m thinking peanut butter and jelly sandwiches with toasted bread.
Palate: Comes on with dark berry medley before creamy peanut butter rolls in with brown butter and delicate leather notes. Fruit gets more syrupy on subsequent sips while the peanut butter holds true. This is basically an Uncrustable in a glass, but maybe with more graham cracker than bread.
Finish: This is where the age shows. Building burnt toast personality with tobacco and stronger leather notes than before. Some lingering blackberry and almond keep this medium finish feeling balanced and pleasant. Barrel char sets in more over time, forming a warm, toasty, oaky backdrop.
This bottle struggled to completely win me over. In many ways, it never did. I’m ready to attribute this to Heaven Hill’s wheated mash bills, because other than a peculiar Rebel Distiller’s Collection pick, I usually feel like there’s something off, missing, or both with their wheated bourbons and wheat whiskeys. The good news is that Old Fitzgerald 16-Year makes great strides to overcome such pitfalls. In my experience, when bourbons cross the 12-year mark, they often risk slipping into overly oaky territory, which can produce some truly unpleasant notes for certain palates, including yours truly. Despite the 16-year age statement, this bourbon feels balanced and well-crafted. It’s only on the finish that I find the oak notes make their presence known, which can get fairly drying and tannic, but it’s far from overdone.
There’s plenty to appreciate while drinking Old Fitzgerald 16-Year. And yet, I still find myself still find myself craving a more engaging experience. I almost want to say the bottling strength limits this whiskey’s potential, because I could see it flourishing with an extra five or so proof points. My bourbon tastes also tend to lean on the sweet side, and while I pull out a fair share of sweet notes, they don’t define the experience like the nuts, oak, and leather do. That’d be fine if they came across in a way that felt more elevated or unique to this bottle, but they don’t. To that end, most of the Knob Creek bourbons offer similar—if not superior levels of satisfaction when taken on their own.
All of this is to say that Old Fitzgerald 16-Year is somewhere between good and great, which then begs the question: was it worth the $230 I paid? On one hand, the whiskey absolutely doesn’t match the price tag. On the other hand, when you buy a bottle like this, you’re not just buying it for the whiskey. There’s the decanter, the often generous age statement, and the fact it’s a wheated bourbon. Even without tasting the whiskey, these incentives make it easy to justify a purchase, especially if you’ve never owned a bottle. What this translates to is an instance of not regretting a purchase despite knowing that I’d be overpaying for the final product, a sentiment I’m sure resonates with my fellow whiskey fans.
The Whiskey Ramble 