Review: Old Fitzgerald Bottled-in-Bond 11 Years Old Fall 2021 Edition
Old Fitzgerald bonded release #2 for 2021 has arrived, dropping as an 11 year old expression this time out. Distilled in spring 2010, it was bottled earlier this year and has been sitting idle as it awaits release this month. Fans of the series may wish to compare it to the Spring 2018 release (we didn’t review it), which was also an 11 year old expression.
Instantly this whiskey shows itself as one of the most unusual expressions of Old Fitzgerald in the series to date. A nose of heavily toasted oak, layered with mushroom and leather saddle notes, coalesces into a somewhat funky, lightly sweaty aromatic profile. There’s no fruit to be found here; on the nose it’s a purely savory experience that remains closed off throughout the experience.
There’s more to like on the tongue, with a gunpowder note slowly fading as it makes its way to more exciting notes of dark chocolate and dark roast coffee, but the overall experience remains heavily dialed toward savory qualities throughout the experience. Some sweeter milk chocolate notes and even a hint of mint emerge on the finish, but these elements are kept in check by an aggressive beefy character and ample, lingering char.
I can’t guess exactly what went sideways with this bottling, but I do know you’ll find some much more interesting expressions if you look further back in the lineup’s history.
100 proof.
B / $85
Old Fitzgerald Bottled-in-Bond 11 Years Old Fall 2021 Edition
$85
