Table Of Contents
The Details
| Rating | 92 |
| Style |
Bourbon American Whiskey Whiskey |
| Produced In |
Kentucky United States |
| ABV | 50% |
| Availability | Limited |
| Price | $109.99 |
| Reviewed By | |
| Review Updated | 2024-01-28 |
Old Fitzgerald 8 Year Old Bottled in Bond Decanter (2023) Review
Heaven Hill has been releasing the bottled-in-bond Old Fitzgerald line in a collectible decanter since 2018. In that time, age statements for the wheated bourbon have ranged from eight years all the way up to 19 years. Each release shares the same mash bill of 68 percent corn, 20 percent wheat, and 12 percent malted barley. They also share super premium packaging via an eye-catching glass decanter that’s almost impossible to miss on any shelf.
The Fall 2023 release ties the youngest-ever in the series with an eight year age statement, having been barreled in Fall 2015. When it comes to the Old Fitzgerald line, older doesn’t always mean better, and even some die-hard fans prefer younger releases to 15+ year versions.
Of course, there’s really only one way to find out if these younger bourbons can continue bucking the “older is better” trend. Let’s see how this eight-year, 100-proof bourbon stacks up.
Old Fitzgerald 8 Year Old Bottled in Bond Bourbon: Stats and Availability
This latest Old Fitzgerald carries a slightly lower MSRP than its older brethren at $109.99. However, because of the Decanter Series’ highly allocated nature and collectible reputation, don’t expect to find it on most shelves at that mark. (The fact that it’s in a fancy decanter certainly doesn’t help prices stay low.)
Indeed, it’s common to see new “Old Fitz” releases for 3-4 times retail markup both in person and online. Whether this whiskey should actually command that sort of markup is A) up to the consumer and B) will vary from batch to batch.
Old Fitzgerald 8 Year Old Bottled in Bond Bourbon Review
As with all of VinePair’s whiskey reviews, this was tasted in a Glencairn glass and rested for at least five minutes.
Nose
The nose kicks things off with fresh waffles, lightly drizzled with maple syrup, a sweet and bready beginning that feels appropriate for its 100 proof. It immediately reminds me of some of the best in the years-long Old Fitz Decanter Series, including some personal favorites as young as nine years up to 2022’s 19 year-old expression.
That initial sweetness gradually transitions to brown butter with a tiny bit of lingering spice toward the back of the nose. It’s not a grain-forward nose, per se, but the relatively light impact of the wood allows for some noticeable and bright corn influence, especially after additional minutes in the glass.
Oak is present on the nose, perhaps more than one might expect on an eight year-old release in this series; it lingers lightly below those bready, sweet, and borderline grainy notes, never veering near tannic or astringent.
Compared to other Decanter Series releases, this eight-year expression noses younger in a way that lends brightness where oak normally dominates.
Taste
The first sip pops with a kiss of saccharine sweetness that quickly fades and gives way to light baking spices: cinnamon, nutmeg, and — surprisingly — saffron. The midpalate builds with subsequent sips, culminating in gradually more intense baked green apple, which maintains some tartness.
At first, this Old Fitzgerald isn’t terribly complex on the palate, but the notes it carries stay true to form. But a few more sips bring additional lightness and unexpected flavors, specifically whipped cream and lime zest (which sounds fantastic on top of that baked green apple pie).
Again, it’s clear from the palate we’re sampling a bourbon on the youngest end of the Old Fitzgerald spectrum. The mouthfeel is medium to thin, and the oak influence isn’t particularly strong. Yet there’s a luster here that, for my money, is certainly more appealing than the 10-year Old Fitzgerald expression from earlier in 2023. Compared to that release, this eight-year version also shows more harmony between the nose and palate; what you smell and what you taste are simply more in sync.
Finish
Despite a mouthfeel on the thinner side, the finish is moderately long and carries both sugary sweetness and spice. That zested lime continues to shine, leading to a pleasant ending that couples citrus with sweet.
Old Fitzgerald 8 Year Old Bottled in Bond Bourbon Rating
92/100
Recap
Old Fitzgerald’s latest 8 Year Bottled in Bond offering is a testament to the idea that older doesn’t always mean better, especially in bourbon. It’s a noticeable step up in almost every way compared to 2023’s earlier, 10-year release.
A borderline thin mouthfeel holds this version back from the pantheon of greats in the Decanter Series. But don’t let that distract from its place on the shelf as a refreshing pour almost everyone will enjoy. Happy hunting!
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