View Full Version : BOTM: 3/11 Old Fitzgerald BIB
fishnbowljoe
03-01-2011, 18:09
Okay folks, I just made it under the wire. I really debated on this one. I was really excited about this as BOTM. Then, last night, as I started to post it, I realized that it had already been done back in August of 2005. My bad. I missed this one when I was transposing Silverfish's list. Today I said, "What the heck!" I'll do it anyway. :rolleyes:
New, old, in-between. Let's hear it for Old Fitz BIB! :grin:
This month I will leave my taste notes out for the most part (At least for now.) I will only say that the current version is good. A great value pour. The older version(s) is, well... great. 'Nuff Ced. ;) Cheers! Joe
current version - relatively difficult to find in houston. anyway, as for the current version, it's been a while but if my memory is correct, straight out of the bottle, neat, the smell of alcohol dominates and it is simple and thin with a short finish. letting it breath a bit and a splash of water improves it greatly though. good value but i think there are better value pours out there. however, being partial to wheaters, i was going to the current OF BIB fairly regularly for a while. i have several bottles in my bunker but i doubt i will add anymore.
Does anyone know if this can be found in Georgia? I haven't seen it and would love to pick up a bottle to try if it can be found.
Thanks!
Jack
BMartin42
03-01-2011, 20:13
Boatloads of this on the shelves around here. Never pulled the trigger, but this gives me an excuse. I'll stop by and pick one up on the way home tomorrow. :grin:
White Dog
03-01-2011, 20:54
Current DSP-KY-1 liter bottled in 2009: Nose seems muted, balanced yet mid-palate flavors are a bit mild. Like the finish the most, with touches of maple and cinnamon. It's okay. I bought this bottle 6 months ago, and doubt that I would buy it again. When it comes to entry-level wheaters, I choose something Weller.
DSP-KY-16 200ml bottled in 1993(UPC 88076): Much more buttery/velvety texture in the mid-palate. More caramel, with a longer finish with lingering allspice and clove. (Found 10 bottles for $2.99 each. The store had everything behind glass, and I had to keep asking owner to hold the bottle closer so I could verify the DSP number. A line of customers was forming behind me and as I was gathering my bottles one VERY drunk customer yelled out, "He's gonna get f--ked up tonight!" This was around 10:00am. Priceless.:cool: )
DSP-KY-16 750ml bottled in 1985(UPC88508): Much sweeter nose, with a fat middle. Toffee, maple, with a slightly woody finish. Decadent. Best of the bunch. (Found 6 of these for $13.10 a bottle 2 days before last x-mas.)
Love this BOTM choice! Lots of fun to do, but it does leave me wondering as to how much my mind came into play with this tasting. Later this month I'll have my wife set up a blind tasting so that I won't be staring at that DSP number the whole time. Who knows what the results will be then.:rolleyes: :rolleyes:
Medicfrost
03-01-2011, 20:57
I can barely find Old Fitz, let alone BIB, I'm out this month, so I'm gonna repeat last months selection.
CaptainQ
03-01-2011, 20:58
The store had everything behind glass, and I had to keep asking owner to hold the bottle closer so I could verify the DSP number. A line of customers was forming behind me and as I was gathering my bottles one VERY drunk customer yelled out, "He's gonna get f--ked up tonight!" This was around 10:00am. Priceless.:cool: )
DSP-KY-16 750ml bottled in 1985(UPC88508): Much sweeter nose, with a fat middle. Toffee, maple, with a slightly woody finish. Decadent. Best of the bunch. (Found 6 of these for $13.10 a bottle 2 days before last x-mas.)
Love this BOTM choice! Lots of fun to do, but it does leave me wondering as to how much my mind came into play with this tasting. Later this month I'll have my wife set up a blind tasting so that I won't be staring at that DSP number the whole time. Who knows what the results will be then.:rolleyes: :rolleyes:
Love that story! I don't know about you, but I could pick out that SW bottling from the rest every time . I love the sweetness married with the uniqueness of DSP16 yeast flavor.
Haven't seen any Fitzgerald around here in quite a while.
Parkersback
03-02-2011, 08:28
Never seen it in NYC.
Curious because we get a lot of Heaven Hill products locally.
BMartin42
03-02-2011, 15:07
Picked up a bottle today. Left 23 others sitting on the shelf. $14.99. For comparison purposes Weller SR is $15.99, Weller Antique $20.99, and Weller 12 $26.99. Not going to get a chance to taste this evenening as I have preview night at my daughter's school, but I think I will be hitting it tomorrow and doing a side by side with the Weller SR. Can't wait to post results.
I don't care for it at all at any price.
Heaven Hill has definitely failed as the caretaker of this historic label.
CaptainQ
03-02-2011, 17:10
I don't care for it at all at any price.
Heaven Hill has definitely failed as the caretaker of this historic label.
You would think it could be better considering how great a job they did with the 2010 Parkers Heritage wheater. Pappy would not approve of the current bottling.:frown:
Special Reserve
03-03-2011, 02:20
You would think it could be better considering how great a job they did with the 2010 Parkers Heritage wheater. Pappy would not approve of the current bottling.:frown:
You have to think that he would approve of the PHC 2010.
White Dog
03-03-2011, 06:48
You have to think that he would approve of the PHC 2010.
Certainly, but you'd think HH could pull off a moderately priced wheater. Current Old Fitz suggests they can't.
Can't find it in CT. Will have to order it on line.
StraightBoston
03-03-2011, 11:52
Possibly the first time ever that I've had the BOTM in the correct month -- coincidentally, last night I poured an Old Fitz BIB from a "Blarney" decanter, distilled 1964/bottled 1970.
A little more burn than the best I've had of that era, and sharper -- more almonds than cherries in the nose -- but still a complex and wonderful bourbon.
(I'm with Oscar on the current HH version -- no redeeming qualities whatsoever to my taste.)
I'd have to say that I'm a fan. There's nothing spectacular about it. It's just a decent 4 year old, wheated bourbon, bottled in bond. If you compare it to Parkers Heritage, or S-W stuff from years ago, then you are comparing it to things that cost a lot more. How about comparing Old Fitz to Makers Mark?
Or Rebel Yell for that matter. The last bottle of recently released Fitzgerald Prime I bought was demoted to mixer.
Special Reserve
03-03-2011, 19:35
Certainly, but you'd think HH could pull off a moderately priced wheater. Current Old Fitz suggests they can't.
I agree with you.
Got a bottle coming from Binny's. Should have it next week and I can give it a try.
Chuckles
03-04-2011, 09:00
My dad weaned me on Old Fitz circa 1970, and I bought this hoping to revive my taste for that SW product. My disappointment in the current Old Fitz led me to this site. Having now sampled several Wellers and Van Winkles, I can barely tolerate this Old Fitz BIB, which embarrasses my late father's VVOF now in my bar. In Chicagoland, Old Fitzgerald BIB sells for about $15 from the bottom shelf, where it belongs; pay a few bucks more and move up a shelf or two to a Weller.
My sentiments exactly Charlie. By the way the first drink of Fitzgerald my Father and I had together was in 1970 upon my return from Vietnam.
Old Fitzgerald BIB sells for about $15 from the bottom shelf, where it belongs; pay a few bucks more and move up a shelf or two to a Weller.
I have to admit that BT hasn't done a bad job at all with respect to the Weller label, HH could learn a thing or two from them as far as wheaters go.
I had a pour of Old Fitz BIB from DSP 16 last night and man the butterscotch and caramel were fantastic. It has a velvety thickness to it that you just don't get from today's bourbons...man oh man I wish SW was still producing bourbon! :(
BMartin42
03-04-2011, 13:40
Finally got to try the BOTM this afternoon. Wow, what a dissapointment. Just really bad. Not many redeeming qualties at all IMHO. I tried cutting it to 90 proof and all it did was water down the nastiness. For the price difference give me Weller SR every time for a cheap wheater. The Weller SR is only a dollar more which makes it a no brainer to me. I am a wheated bourbon fan, but this is ALMOST the worst bourbon I have ever tasted. The worst thing about it is the aftertase. I can't call it a finish. It just lingers like I bit into a piece of charcoal. I've had three pours, and that is enough. This will move to the "mixer" section of the bar.
I really wish I could try some of the stitzel-weller version since everyone raves about it. I've looked locally but not many dusties to be found.
White Dog
03-04-2011, 13:49
I expect these general thoughts to hold up all month. Just about all of us turn to BT's Weller label for entry-level wheaters. Hell, even Oscar had something nice to say about BT in that regard.:lol:
Heaven Hill, are you listening?:rolleyes: :rolleyes:
Chuckles
03-04-2011, 16:16
...man oh man I wish SW was still producing bourbon! :(
Don't we all wish that! I'm gonna have to have a pour from my treasured VVOF just to wash away my memory of the current OldFitzBIB.
jburlowski
03-05-2011, 03:45
Certainly, but you'd think HH could pull off a moderately priced wheater. Current Old Fitz suggests they can't.
Or won't. When I asked Craig Beam (at a tasting a while back) about HH doing more / better with their wheaters --- all I got in response was an indifferent shrug of the shoulders.
flintlock
03-05-2011, 05:55
I like HH whiskey in general, so I guess I wasn't too surprised that I liked the OF BIB. I made fancy tasting notes, but basically, I thought this was good basic bourbon - nothing at all objectionable. It doesn't have much presence right out of the bottle, but if you let it set, and warm it up a bit in your hand, it opens up into a very nice, ordinary bourbon. I've had bad bourbon, and to me, this ain't it. I'll buy it again at the price. I'd much rather have it than Jack Daniel's, for instance.
My feeling about the current OF BIB: When I first got into bourbon, I found some of this stuff for $12 in a local liquor store and thought it would be worth it. And, for the price, I thought it was decent at the time for what you paid. Later on, I started expanding and trying other labels. The moral of the story is that I'll take any Weller over this any day of the week.
To my taste, OF BIB hits the nose with volatile alcohol first. There isn't much body or depth to the bourbon -- the only complexity which is somewhat interesting is the characteristic Heaven Hill touch woodiness, among which one of the flavors is eucalyptus, which is OK in small amounts. The finish is almost non-existent. The best thing I can say about it is that it's by no means an offensive whiskey -- which is pretty common at the $12 price point!
Don't even get me started about the OF Prime. There's just nothing there. I consider it to be merely a substance that one adds to Coca-Cola which convinces the ladies to abandon their better judgement in social situations.
chefnash51
03-05-2011, 18:10
Had a pour last night, and was not enjoying it. Decided to down it and move onto something better.
I tried the Old Fitzgerald BIB, and based on the price I paid, found it to be a decent drink. I am sorry to say that I was never able to try the SW make. There are other bourbons in this price range I am wanting to try so if I ever purchase this again it will be a while.
Jim
Chuckles
03-07-2011, 09:22
I was really excited about this as BOTM. Then, last night, as I started to post it, I realized that it had already been done back in August of 2005.
I hope this isn't too far off the subject for this thread. I'm okay with re-doing a BOTM in due course: for example, I saw new versions of William Larue Weller and Old Forester Birthday in the stores over the weekend, and I would really value SB members' opinions on those bottlings before investing in them. On the other hand, there are lots of labels still waiting for a shot at BOTM. Maybe we need a new thread subject like "Bourbon Of The Month Revisited."
Just received my bottle of OF BiB and will sample tonight.
Regarding the current stuff: it's not something I drink a lot of, but as a well-type bourbon it's not bad. I think the BiB, 1849 and the prime could certainly stand improvement (in ascending order of the amount of improvement needed), but the most recent VSOF I got was actually pretty good. That and the 2010 PHC make me hopeful that Old Fitz is on its way up as a brand.
Very well put, Josh.
Gary
roostercogburn
03-23-2011, 21:22
To me, Old Fitz is wholly inoffensive. While I don't get the volatile alcohol nose that some people have mentioned, I can't say that I get much at all from it. This theme, for me, carries into the palate, which is mildly sweet and not unpleasant. The finish is very brief and undistinguished.
All in all, I can't say I'm terribly disappointed by the BiB, though I didn't have the expectations that some who've had the older expressions understandably carry. For less than $15, it's an unremarkable wheater that I can drink comfortably when I don't feel like having my usual rye (or high-rye bourbon).
rocky480
03-25-2011, 15:02
Wow, what a dissapointment. Just really bad. Not many redeeming qualties at all IMHO. I tried cutting it to 90 proof and all it did was water down the nastiness.
The sums up my opinion of the current OF BIB. Add water, add ice, still bad. The only way I've found to drink it is in a sour where the flavor can be masked by the mixer.
The sums up my opinion of the current OF BIB. Add water, add ice, still bad. The only way I've found to drink it is in a sour where the flavor can be masked by the mixer.
This stuff seems to be all over the place. A few bottles from 2004-05 were fine... the last stuff was just as you describe it. Why the variation???
rocky480
03-26-2011, 11:05
This stuff seems to be all over the place. A few bottles from 2004-05 were fine... the last stuff was just as you describe it. Why the variation???
A good question. OWA had a few years where the quality wasn't as good as prior years (although the down years are about 1,000,000 times better than the current OF BIB I have open). Since both are wheaters, could there have been a problem with the wheat that was available for use in distilling during this time period that lead to such variation? Just a wild thought that came to mind if it's completely off base for whatever reason.
Special Reserve
04-09-2011, 05:54
I had my first taste of Old Fitzgerald BiB this morning.
WOW!
Thick and soft, oily and smooth, sweet and spicy, sudden bursts of flavor with a long finish. Appears to have been bottled in 1988.
Now to make it last.
I had my first taste of Old Fitzgerald BiB this morning.
WOW!
Thick and soft, oily and smooth, sweet and spicy, sudden bursts of flavor with a long finish. Appears to have been bottled in 1988.
Now to make it last.
Talk about hitting the nail on the head. Just a perfect description of what is so appealing about what was distilled at DSP 16 and bottled as Old Fitz even in the post 1972 through 1992 era. So perfect I just had to have me a tiny tiny pour here at 11:30 AM also.
Virus_Of_Life
04-09-2011, 16:48
what is so appealing about what was distilled at DSP 16 and bottled as Old Fitz even in the post 1972 through 1992 era.
Yeah, that talk of post 1972 is a bunch of fooey (:shithappens:) , one of the best SWs I've tasted was distilled well past '72 and I've never heard anyone turned one down because "it was distilled after 1972" !
Yeah, that talk of post 1972 is a bunch of fooey (:shithappens:) , one of the best SWs I've tasted was distilled well past '72 and I've never heard anyone turned one down because "it was distilled after 1972" !
CALLING JEFF MO!!!
tommyboy38
04-10-2011, 19:43
I enjoy the older versions and think I need some right now. I don't think I'll be purchasing a newer version soon because of the old stuff bunkered.
I have a feeling that if SW was still distilling, we'd find something we didn't like and complain about it. You only miss it after its gone.
The Boozer
04-14-2011, 04:04
Regarding the current stuff: it's not something I drink a lot of, but as a well-type bourbon it's not bad. I think the BiB .... could certainly stand improvement. The 2010 PHC make me hopeful that Old Fitz is on its way up as a brand.
Agree. Some days the Fitz BiB is a decent pour, other days not so much.
unclebunk
04-14-2011, 06:28
I have an older friend whose favorite bourbon of all-time is Old Fitz BIB. He always has a bottle on hand, as well as an assortment of other fine whiskies, but OF is his "go to" bourbon when we're sitting around the fire pit or listening to a ballgame on the radio, so I've come to like it quite a lot. I'm sure that part of its appeal to him is nostalgic, which is why he grabs every bottle he sees when hitting estate/garage sales. Some of the dusties he's turned up have been absolutely superb but I don't mind the current stuff at all and have even had some luck turning other friends on to it. You put it in the glass, I'll drink it!:grin:
Bought this today for $19.99/litre. I don't have a basis for comparison back to the DSP-KY-16 bottlings, but I thought this was "OK" for the price; a step-up from Maker's Mark but not quite to the level of OWA or Weller Special Reserve. Neat the heat seemed a bit too dominant, however, sitting on the back porch, adding a couple of ice cubes while monitoring the grill, this was satisfying. The dominant flavor seemed to be the menthol/mint, with a touch of wood on the back end.
Not sure I'll replace it when it's gone, but liked it enough to find any of the VOF or VVOF when I come across them - and I've never seen either in this area never mind the DSP-16 bottles. At this price range, I'd probably reach for a Dickel 12 more often, but as a change of pace, this was alright.
wmpevans
01-25-2012, 07:33
Tried the current Old Fitz BIB last night.
A real disappointment: concentrated alcohol on nose and palate; very thin flavor without much taste to distinguish it.
As a comparison I then poured ORVW 10/107. What a difference. Full of rich flavor, and a long finish. A great pour. Whatever common ancestry these pours had in past is long forgotten.
It's a real shame HH can't do better with Old Fitz given the heritage of this name. Also, somewhat of a mystery as HH can produce a great wheater as proven by the Parker 2010 release.
Bill.
vBulletin® v3.6.4, Copyright ©2000-2012, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.