Към настоящия момент Old Fitzgerald се произвежда от Heaven Hill в Луисвил, Кентъки. Преди това марката е била собственост на Diageo. В края на 19-ти век, около 1870г., бърбънът се е произвеждал в малки партиди за нуждите на частни клубове и железопътната компания. В началото на 20-ти век започнала и поетапна експанзия към Европа. По времето на Сухия режим бърбънът се произвеждал с благословията на правителството като вид медикамент, предписван по лекарско предписание. Малко по-късно марката била закупена от Pappy Van Winkle /с това име дестилерията на Buffalo Trace предлага един от най-редките и скъпи бърбъни/. Новите собственици заменили ръжта като спомагателен компонент в уискито с пшеница, с идеята то да стане по-меко. Тази тенденция при производството му продължила и в идните години. В Америка течността не е кой знае колко скъпа /около 15-20$/, докато тук ще трябва да отделите около 90 лв. /ако го откриете/.
Бях чувал някои неща за него и преди ревюто и реших да проверя дали е толкова специален. Макар и без означение на възрастта прочетох в интернет, че тя е около 6 години / надписът „bottled in bond“ подсказва, че е отлежавало минимум 4 години, както и че целият процес, в това число и бутилирането, е извършен в самата дестилерия/. Отделно от това, съзряването е протекло в специален федерален склад, което се явява следствие на по-тежкия режим, на който се подчиняват американските напитки, означени като „bottled in bond“.
Оценка: 81/100. Цена: неизвестна
Old Fitzgerald Kentucky straight bourbon
I decided to rarefy the series of articles dedicated to malt whiskies with a review of bourbon. I haven’t been drinking bourbon for a long time, and I missed its taste. So, I opened the cupboard and took the sample of Old Fitzgerald bourbon, which I have filled in Bar Caldo some time ago. You can probably guess what follows. That’s right – introduction with a few words about the whiskey and the brand, which I already mentioned in the reviews of Evan Williams, Elijah Craig 12 and Mellow corn whiskey. Then, I’ll share with you my thoughts, brought by the dark liquid in the Glencairn.
Currently, Old Fitzgerald is produced by Heaven Hill in Louisville, Kentucky. Previously, the brand was owned by Diageo. At the end of the 19th century, around 1870, the bourbon was produced in small batches for the needs of private clubs and the rail lines. In the early 20th century began the phased expansion to Europe. During Prohibition, the bourbon was produced with the blessing of the government as a type of medication, given by medical prescription. A little later, the brand was purchased by Pappy Van Winkle /under this name, the Buffalo Trace Distillery offers one of the rarest and most expensive bourbons/. The new owners replaced the rye, as an auxiliary component in the whiskey, with wheat, aiming softer profile. This trend in its production continued in the following years. In America, the liquid is not so expensive /about 15-20$/, while here you’ll have to spend about 90 lv. I had heard some things about it before the review, so I decided to check whether it is so special. Although there is no indication for the age, I read in internet that it is about 6 years /the inscription „bottled in bond“ suggests that it is aged for at least four years, and that the entire process, including the bottling, is made in the distillery itself/.
Aroma – strong, woody, a remembrance of cupboard, mint, peppery and very spicy, cinnamon. Perceptible sweetness, light orange scent, caramel, walnut jam. The addition of water in this case is understandable. The drops were plenty. After them, the fragrance became sweeter, more caramel and appeared pine nuts. Taste – woody, strongly spicy and bitter /apparently resulting from the used oak/. I also caught vanilla and grassy notes. The strange thing is that, the whiskey is supposed to be softer and less spicy, if the tradition for replacement of rye with wheat still continues. To me, however, it seemed quite raw and spicy. The addition of water unlocked the mentioned pine nuts, light butter and sweetness. Finish – a powerful influx of bitterness and spiciness, nutmeg. Oily, woody with detectable sweetness. I caught and nuts. The water strengthened the sweetness. Also appeared slight raisin taste and butter layer taste, as the bitterness and the piquancy didn’t fade away. Assessment: 81/100
If I have to describe it in a few words, they would be: strong, spicy, woody and bitter whiskey, which did not fully satisfy me.