BOTM 4/17: Old Fitzgerald BIB

[fishnbowljoe]

I appreciate everyone's suggestions for this months BOTM, but after much deliberation, I decided to go with the one that I had been thinking about for a while. I will admit that my recent empty barrel purchase had a little to do with this months pick, but the main reason I chose Old Fitz BIB is because a number of members have been posting about it lately.  

 

In order to reacquaint myself with the current bottling and provide more current tasting notes, I actually went to a store last week to buy a bottle. I reckon I should have called first. They were sold out.   So I guess what little I had to say back in 2011 still stands.

 

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. 

 

Cheers! Joe

 

 

 

 

[PaulO]

I've been having pour from a bottle marked 09 on the bottom.  I'm not the greatest on tasting notes.  If I had to rank it; I'd put it somewhere in between regular Maker's Mark and Weller Antique.  That made it a crazy good value.  I say made it because the supply seemed to dry up around here.  I only have what I have because of advice another generous SBer gave me (and a little day trip slightly out of my comfort zone).  A store still had some older inventory.

[Paddy]

I was going to tell you guys how much I enjoy Old Fitz BIB.  Then I realized that it's now only distributed in Kentucky.

 

I hate Old Fitz BIB!

 

[Gerry M]

I would love to try it but in MA I've NEVER seen a bottle, I doubt it's even distributed here.

[CardsandBourbon]

Mostly available in handles around here but you can find a fifth.  Literally and figuratively a bottom shelf bourbon in KY.  I think I paid $15.99 for my fifth.  I'm a wheater fan and OldFitz, who I assume will post the longest review ever very soon talked me into picking one up.  NAS and to me you can tell as it has a little harsher finish to me than most other wheated bourbons.  I get the normal wheat sweetness followed by oak but where MM, WSR, OWA finish more smoothly there is more alcohol burn than I expected at the end.

 

If you like inexpensive, wheated BIB bourbons you'll probably like it.  I place it somewhere in the bottom third of my favorites.  It wins points on price and the sweetness you expect of wheated bourbons but loses them on the finish with me.

Edited April 5, 2017 by CardsandBourbon

[BDanner]

12 hours ago, CardsandBourbon said:

........... NAS and to me you can tell as it has a little harsher finish to me than most other wheated bourbons.  I get the normal wheat sweetness followed by oak but where MM, WSR, OWA finish more smoothly there is more alcohol burn than I expected at the end.........

I've never seen the Old Fitz, but am I correct in remembering that it is a Heaven Hill Product? If so, I find that both their wheated bourbons that I've tried (Larceny and RY10) drink hotter than their proof suggests they should.

[CardsandBourbon]

1 hour ago, BDanner said:

I've never seen the Old Fitz, but am I correct in remembering that it is a Heaven Hill Product? If so, I find that both their wheated bourbons that I've tried (Larceny and RY10) drink hotter than their proof suggests they should.

 

You're correct, Old Fitzgerald BIB is a Heaven Hill product.  Larceny drinks a little bit tamer, but it's also 92 proof, as compared to 100 for Old Fitz BIB.

[PaulO]

I recall that Larceny is supposed to be a mingling with a little older whiskey added to the batch.  The bonded is all the same age; probably not much older than 4 years.

[M1marksman]

15 hours ago, Paddy said:

I was going to tell you guys how much I enjoy Old Fitz BIB.  Then I realized that it's now only distributed in Kentucky.

 

I hate Old Fitz BIB!

 

I've seen it in Illinois. Haven't bought any.

[fishnbowljoe]

3 hours ago, M1marksman said:

I've seen it in Illinois. Haven't bought any.

 

I've seen it at a couple of places in Illinois too. Referring to my original post here, I went to a store to get a bottle last week, but they were sold out. 

 

Never fear though. My good buddy Vosgar came to my rescue. He stopped by my house today and dropped off a 200 ml of the current stuff for me to try.   Thanks Bag.   Looks like a sbs tasting will soon be in order. 

 

Cheers! Joe

[fishnbowljoe]

I got all my chores and running around done early today, so I thought I'd reward myself with a pour. Or two.  It's time for an Old Fitz BIB sbs. 

 

I'll use #1 for the current bottling of Old Fitz, and #2 for the older SW version.

 

Color: #1. A medium light amber/orange.

          #2. Just a wee bit darker than #1. More orange/reddish than amber.

 

Legs: #1. Medium, evenly spaced and they don't linger too long on the glass.

         #2. Evenly spaced, but much thicker than #1. They take their sweet time coming down the glass like a slow curtain.

 

Nose: #1. Earthy and nutty. The nuttiness is more like peanut shells. This is something akin to the nose I get from Dant BIB.

         #2. Great nose here. Nougat and nuts up front. The nuttiness here is more pecan. There's also an earthy, musty smell in the background, not unlike the smell of a rick house. FWIW, this is a smell that I think

               is wonderful.

 

Taste: #1. A nice combination of oak, smoke and nuts on entry. There is a slow warming on the mid palate. There's also another flavor that appears here. I can't quite put my finger on exactly what it is, but it is                        

               slightly tannic to me. There's continued warming on a finish that lingers for a fairly decent amount of time.

         #2. Sweet caramel/butterscotch/pecan on entry. The flavors are still there mid palate as it warms up nicely. The finish is amazingly different. It's doesn't continue warming quite as much as #1, but the over all  

               flavors are still noticeable, and it sticks with you for quite a while. It seems to just coat the back of your throat with a goodness that leaves you wanting more.                                                             

               

 

Overall impressions: The current bottling is good, and I wouldn't hesitate to buy a bottle if I could find one. The older SW version is hands down better. Befitting of a (SW) dusty, it's viscous, rich, goodness in a bottle.    

 

And another thing..... I'd like to thank Vosgar again for giving me a sample of the current Old Fitz so I could do this sbs. FWIW, we had a pour from my older bottle of Old Fitz yesterday. We've both had it before, and we both know it's good. Still, I gotta smile. I think Gary has a pretty darned good palate. I know something has to be good when Gary takes a sip and goes "Ooooh". I always get a kick out of it, and it makes me take notice of what he's having. IIRC, he did that yesterday. 

 

Cheers! Joe

[Limegoldconvertible68]

Darn you Illinois posters who have seen this in the state.  It's one I actively look for but still haven't seen. 

[Hop]

I've been a fan of Old Fitz since I can remember. Family members worked for Pappy back in the day and retired from there, been drinking it since my early teen years, and it still holds a special place in my heart/mind. Not as good today as in the old days but what is... it was my first pour today and a little off for me but I'll never say it's bad, just different.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[CardsandBourbon]

I agree with Hop that it's not bad.  My guess is that since it's seen, literally & figuratively as a bottom shelf brand that the best bottles aren't going into the bottle.

[Limegoldconvertible68]

How does regular Old Fitzgerald compare to the BIB version?  Since I still haven't found the BIB I'm wondering if it's worth it to try the regular bottle.  Is it just bottle shelf or is it special for the price?

[Paddy]

The OFitz 80 proof 'prime' is what it is... bottom shelf, young, wheated bourbon.  Back in the day, it was a very good bourbon IMO.  Today, Stitzel-Weller is no more and Old Fitz Prime is nothing special.  Comparing it to the BIB is like comparing Rittenhouse Rye to Pikesville IMO, as the bit of added age and proof ramps the experience up from a kiddie ride to thrill ride level for me. 

 

Given that you don't have access to the BIB, I'd give it a go, as there aren't too many other wheated options out there (and the price point is not going to hurt you for the experience).  Then you'll know whether it's a one off, or not.   

Edited April 20, 2017 by Paddy
P. S. If you don't like it, it makes a GREAT MIXER!

[CardsandBourbon]

I've not had the gold label (regular Old Fitzgerald) but it's bottled at 80 proof so some of the burn you get with the BIB is probably not going to be there.  Based on my experience with the Old Fitz BIB I probably wont be trying the regular, unless someone has a bottle and I can bum a pour from them.  There are basically too many other bottles that I would rather spend my money on.

[mosugoji64]

Do yourselves a favor and skip Old Fitz Prime. I'm a fan of the BIB, but Prime is just not good. 

[Rounderegg]

How does the fullness compare to HH6 bib? HH6 is awesome for the price but has a thinness too it. Is this similar in that aspect?

Edited April 22, 2017 by Rounderegg

[Richnimrod]

1 hour ago, Rounderegg said:

How does the fullness compare to HH6 bib? HH6 is awesome for the price but has a thinness too it. Is this similar in that aspect?

To my taste buddies at least; it's even "thinner".    Everybody experiences their Bourbon in their own way, of course; but my perception of the Old Fitz BIB is that it's pretty one-dimensional.    When I want sweet, cinnamon, a bit of vanilla, and a fairly short finish, I pour it.     It's best (to me) straight, or with just a bit of water, as it seems to get lost when mixed with anything. 

I'm not saying it isn't worth drinking, only that it's a pretty un-challenging pour for me.    You may find it worthy, however.

[Rounderegg]

Good to know

27 minutes ago, Richnimrod said:

To my taste buddies at least; it's even "thinner".    Everybody experiences their Bourbon in their own way, of course; but my perception of the Old Fitz BIB is that it's pretty one-dimensional.    When I want sweet, cinnamon, a bit of vanilla, and a fairly short finish, I pour it.     It's best (to me) straight, or with just a bit of water, as it seems to get lost when mixed with anything. 

I'm not saying it isn't worth drinking, only that it's a pretty un-challenging pour for me.    You may find it worthy, however.

Appreciate it! Thanks. 

[jvd99]

I'm not a tasting notes kinda guy, but for under 20 bucks for a 750, there's not much to nitpick here.  The BIB is a pretty solid bottom shelfer.  Never had the SW version so I can't compare.  As others noted, this is available in Illinois with a little effort, mostly handles. Plus it has a great old-timer label that I love.  

[Jazz Nut]

Having just gotten back from Kentucky and finally purchasing some BIB, this is a great BOTM!  I opened my 1.75 liter on Tuesday, and enjoyed a pour.  I really like the proof, it's sweet, a bit doughy/yeasty (a similar trait to other Heaven Hill BIB's IMHO).  It doesn't taste overly young, and a short finish.  For a bottom shelf bourbon, I would keep it regularly stocked in my bar if they distributed to Minnesota!

 

[Kepler]

So does anybody know where to find a list of which few states this is actually distributed in currently?  Sounds like it's only KY, IL, what else?  I guess I could email HH but its not worth the trouble.

Edited May 6, 2017 by Kepler

[smokinjoe]

21 minutes ago, Kepler said:

So does anybody know where to find a list of which few states this is actually distributed in currently?  Sounds like it's only KY, IL, what else?  I guess I could email HH but its not worth the trouble.

Why not worth the trouble?