Old Fitzgerald 12yo (45.0%): Another recommendation from Joe Howell of Federal Wine and Spirits... Old Fitzgerald is a sour mash bourbon distilled by Heaven Hill Distilleries in Louisville Kentucky since 1992. But the brand's history goes back all the way to 1870 and to Frankfort. It survived the prohibition era operating under government license and got bought later by legendary Pappy Van Winkle who changed the formula to its trademark recipe "whisper of wheat" replacing the original high rye mash bill. Famous Stitzel-Weller Distillery used to distill Old Fitzgerald until Heaven Hill purchased the brand in 1992 and moved the entire operation to their own facility in Louisville. Long story short here is their 12 yo expression. Color: Dark clover honey color with a deep reddish copper hue. Nose: Banana cream pie, imitation vanilla extract and egg custard. Beautiful... Sweet, crisp and clean. This will sound pretty weird but actually it resembles a clean wiped formica counter of a roadside diner... Ok, back to the facts: clementine peels, grapefruit and cinnamon. Palate: Gingerbread cookies, creme caramel and sticky toffee pudding with custard sauce. Cinnamon and nutmeg dust. Adding water makes it even creamier and softer. Not thick but satiny. Finish: I wish it lasted a little longer. More like a nice but fast fade out of everything we had on the palate. Toasted oak and christmas cake spices lingering shortly. Overall: Absolutely loved it... For $35 this dram is a rock star! It will change the way you organize your top shelf. But I would like to mention something here: Don't you think that this brand deserves a much better URL than "heavenhill.com/brand/21" after 142 years of distilling... Really, "brand 21"? What was Heaven Hill thinking? I don't even mention the content on that page because there is hardly any...
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