BOTM: 3/11 Old Fitzgerald BIB

[Hawg73]

Got a bottle coming from Binny's. Should have it next week and I can give it a try.

[Chuckles]

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.

[squire]

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.

[OscarV]

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.

[hectic1]

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]

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]

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.

Heaven Hill, are you listening?

[Chuckles]

...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]

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]

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.