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Old Fitzgerald 7-Year Bottled-in-Bond Review

Old Fitzgerald Bottled in Bond 7 Year marks Heaven Hill’s push to bring the decanter line to the masses. We review this bourbon to see if it delivers on tradition and accessibility.

OVERALL RATING

7
$59.99
  • Charles Steele is an attorney and whiskey enthusiast with a penchant for the peculiar.
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Tasting Notes

About:

The Old Fitzgerald label from Heaven Hill has gone through a bottom-shelf renaissance over the past decade or so. Mostly in part to the Old Fitzgerald Decanter series. A biannual release from Heaven Hill featuring bottled-in-bond expressions of varying ages. These bottles quickly became the envy of all bourbon enthusiasts with limited national releases and distillery exclusives. The elegant bottles are a throwback to the decanter bottles of the 70s and 80s.

Heaven Hill is now releasing a standard 7-year bottled-in-bond expression intended to defy the limited availability of their decanter bottles. Heaven Hill has marketed this release will come in two waves each year. This is consistent with the legal requirements of the Bottled In Bond Act, where a whiskey must be produced in the same distilling season, a Spring (January-June) and Fall (July-December). My understanding is that the goal is to make this much more accessible and a shelf-staple.

I am certainly a fan of aged statements returning to bourbon. Long gone are the days were a 12-year bourbon was commonplace. Is this release a sign that the tide is turning? Who’s to say? This release is incredibly popular with collectors and enthusiasts, and while it is difficult to find now, it is only going to be more and more available with each release.


Appearance:
Copper with some ruby elements.
Nose:
Slightly tannic with alcohol esters. Soon, notes of soft oak, new leather, and pine overtake the alcohol. Successive smells reveal semi-bitter chocolates and cherries.
Palate:
There is a decent pop across the palate with this. The alcohol is muted but ever present. The nose on this gives a good indicator of the palate, at least for me. Semi-bitter chocolates, oak, leather, and pipe tobacco. For lack of a better term it is sharp on the tongue through the mid-taste. Hint of cherries, pie crust, and light vanilla.
Finish:
This has a nice mouthfeel; it’s watery without becoming light. A nice mid-point, if you will. The finish emphasizes the oak and charcoal. While sweet elements are present, like vanilla, they are faint and difficult to focus on. The hold is of a medium length overall.
Comments:
This is a good whiskey, especially for fans of something with a light punch and oak notes. It’s fun, the bottle is pretty, the smell is iconic bourbon. It is worth exactly what MSRP is asking, and I would not pay much more for it than that. This is designed to be opened and drunk, its to be shared. It stands out on the shelf and it’ll be a whiskey your friends will ask for, please share it with them.

I believe this will become a whiskey you will eventually be able to pop into the store and buy at MSRP. Similar to Heaven Hill 7-year Bottled-in-Bond. It took a year or two of consistent releases before it was finally able to sit on the shelf. This is going to be that. So be patient if you haven’t tried it yet.

I would recommend this bourbon to people who want something a solid step up from their standard bourbons. Without breaking the bank, or feeling too protective you won’t ever drink it, this is a nice Bottled-in-Bond wheat whiskey which will satisfy. Mix with it, add some ice or water, drink it straight up. No wrong answers with this, just tasty bourbon.

Editor’s Note: This whiskey was either bought as a sample by The Whiskey Wash or provided to us as a review sample by the party behind it. Per our editorial policies, this in no way influenced the outcome of this review.

Charles Steele

Charles Steele, a Portland-based attorney, is a native of the Pacific Northwest. His legal background provides him with an analytical approach to understanding whiskey and other aged spirits. Primarily a legal writer, freelancing for The Whiskey Wash offers Charles a unique opportunity to showcase his versatility as a writer. Although his preference lies with whiskey and whiskey-based cocktails, he has a profound appreciation for all unique and unconventional liquors, from Malört to Ojen - if it's peculiar, he's intrigued.

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