Heaven Hill provided ModernThirst with a sample of this whiskey with no strings attached. The thoughts and opinions in this review are our own.

What it is

The second iteration of the newly relaunched Old Fitzgerald Bottled in Bond label, this release follows up on the somewhat disappointing Spring 2018 release that we didn’t find particularly appealing. This particular bottle is 9 years old, and as a bonded whiskey is 100 proof. Retail Price is to be $89.99

Appearance

Dark brown-gold.

Nose

Lots of vanilla, oak, a surprising citrus fruitiness, and soft wheat bread.

Taste

Sweet creme brulee, a bit of heat, and vanilla are the overarching flavors here, followed by tapioca and sweet corn.

Finish

Viscous and fairly long in length, this finish is laced with spicy cinnamon and sweet creamy vanilla with a slightly bitter tannic tail.

Synopsis

This is a huge improvement over the Spring release, and is what we hoped a longer aged (and higher priced) Old Fitzgerald Bottled in Bond would be when it was announced. The creaminess and soft mouthfeel we wanted in Heaven Hill’s wheated mash bill is clearly present here with loads of depth in flavor. In addition, the over-oaked finish on the spring release is mostly gone here, replaced by a spice that is surprising in a wheater, and very welcome. Unlike the Spring batch, I highly recommend picking up a bottle of this.

ModernThirst.com Score: 91 out of 100