Lubricant for the Gears of the Mind
Written: May 02 '00
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Rich, deep, dark, mature
Cons: Twist-off cap; a nice one, but still...
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| beerfly's Full Review: Old Fitzgerald 12 Year Old Very Special Kentucky S... |
A brand with a history that passes through some of the most revered hands in bourbon.
Heaven Hill recently acquired the Old Fitzgerald brand when the young whelps who built "Diageo" out of United Distillers, Guinness, and (God help us) Dunkin Donuts decided to jettison their bourbons. Fools, I say, and good riddance. Heaven Hill also got the Bernheim distillery out of the deal, which they of course needed after the disastrous 1996 fire that leveled their own facility.
Heaven Hill master distiller Parker Beam (yes, the same family, different distillery) swears that Old Fitz will be made to the same exacting standards as it has been, and Parker the old dog has been learning new tricks to do it. Old Fitz is a wheated whiskey, like Weller and Maker's Mark, and Parker's never done that before--but I'm not worried at all. Even in an industry with lots of very smart and experienced distillers, Parker Beam is a standout.
Back to Old Fitz. Before Bernheim had it, Old Fitz was the flagship whiskey of the legendary Stitzel-Weller distillery, the Van Winkle family's pride and joy. Pappy Van Winkle bought Old Fitz for $10,000 during Prohibition, and was gleeful to have it at any price. In a paragraph or so, you'll learn why.
Pappy Van Winkle is most famous for the sign outside the stillhouse: "No Chemists Allowed!" But there was another sign at Stitzel-Weller that I think was even more deserving of fame, the sign at the front gate. "We make fine bourbon, at a profit if we can, at a loss if we must, but always fine bourbon." Makes the heart swell, don't it?
Let's get down to business. First, my one complaint about this whiskey. It deserves a cork. No whiskey this fine deserves a twist-off cap. As Julian Van Winkle once told me, "Round here, people say that's how you know the good whiskey: it's got a cork!" 'Nuff said.
To the nose: Old Fitz doesn't have the spicy rye that almost every other bourbon does, and that throws some people off (but not Maker's people!). It gives it a more approachable aroma, leaner, more pure, sweet and clean. There's plenty of devil in there, though. Go deep, and you'll get some vanilla, leather, and even a bit of berry tart/sweet. Once you get over the lack of rye, there's lots here for anyone.
The first sip of Old Fitz is like firing up a cigar; rich flavors of vanilla and leather wrap the tongue and lay down a base that will not go away for minutes after the liquor has long passed. Chew on the honey, feel the tingle; at 45% this one is just 'over-proof' enough to put 40% whiskies to shame. The barrel-time comes through in the rich, dark, almost dry leather and tobacco notes (that's tobacco leaf, not smoke, by the way: I grew up in cigar country and harvested tobacco: this is dry leaf).
Very peppy on the tongue. No mistake, this is lively whiskey. That's "Very Special" right there; too many older whiskies get dull in the barrel. [Side note: bourbons age much quicker than Scotch because of the hotter climate in Kentucky. A twelve year old bourbon is roughly equivalent to an 18 year old Scotch.]
This doesn't strike me as a party whiskey. This is a solitary whiskey, or maybe a conversation whiskey. When you've got serious things to think or talk over, like marriage, or kids, or shotguns, or dogs, this is the lubricant to oil the gears of your mind.
I'm ready for another trip to Kentucky.
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
beerfly
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Member: Lew Bryson
Location: Philadelphia, PA
Reviews written: 88
Trusted by: 82 members
About Me:
One bourbon, one Scotch, one beer, eh? I'll take Kentucky Spirit, Scapa, and HopDevil.
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