Old Fitzgerald 14 Year Bottled in Bond Bourbon (Fall 2020)

I recently tried the OF13 sample, so now it's time for OF14. I'm confident this is excellent spirit; while I haven't tasted it, I've heard such positive feedback from acquaintances that I expect it to be magnificent. If this falls short, I'll hold the samples responsible. Aroma: Floral, herbaceous, reminiscent of Four Roses, with cinnamon, cotton candy, a bit of oak, leather, cherry, caramel, and cola. Taste: Mmm, that's tasty. Initial sweetness, followed by peppery spice and black licorice. Finish: Slightly drying on the finish, with cola, tannins, brown sugar, and nutty notes. Oak becomes more prominent towards the end. Score: 75/100. I'll pass. The aroma is fantastic. However, the taste seems somewhat brief and simple, and the finish is rather short, which aligns with my previous experiences with Old Fitz. I'm not detecting the banana, bread, or vanilla I anticipated. I have an unopened bottle of this, but after this tasting, I won't be opening it. I might ask a friend who is pleased with his to share a glass, as this did not meet my expectations at all, and I'm quite disappointed. Considering the rarity and secondary market pricing (or even the MSRP after this experience), I'll pass and opt for something else.

Really sweet vanilin coming in on the smell, some toasted almond, seems just a bit dusty as of very old oak. Amazingly pure and free of any ethanol notes for a 100 proof. The early front really springs the toasted oat/almond in a bursting sensation, following come middle sweet notes with a flash of sweet corn bread then burnt butter toast. This ménage à trois of notes hangs on for the duration, you can get up walk out for a smoke and you will still have it as a reminder when you come back in. The sugars are a bit sparse comprised mostly of vanilla and faint caramel. I would be remiss not to mention the almost Bartons level of old oak mustiness trailing at the finish that reminds us this is indeed a well aged oak barrel product. All of that and an incredible smooth ending and the burnt almond butter cracker that lasts forever. Hard to get but well worth it.

Nose presents baked dough, caramel, oak, and a whisper of caramel and vanilla. Medium body. The palate delivers significant oak, ripe fruit, aged banana, caramel, and vanilla. The finish is medium to long, featuring a pleasant, aged smoky banana coated in vanilla. It's genuinely good. Update 2/2/22: After acquiring a bottle and opening it, my appreciation grew slightly. The aroma remained a classic mix of caramel, oak, and vanilla, with the addition of peanuts this time. The body is still medium. The palate is as previously noted, but a late smoke emerges, leading to a satisfyingly long, smoky conclusion that I truly enjoy. I'm revising the finish to long and smokier than initially recalled. Rating: 4/5.

Rich, spicy, and complex with hints of cloves, root beer, peaches, caramel, cola, butterscotch, apricots, vanilla, and maple syrup. Nose: Vanilla, Raspberries, Luxardo Cherries, White Chocolate, Peanuts, Apricots, Peaches and Cream, Marshmallows, Maple Syrup, Butterscotch, Cloves, Cherry Cola, Root Beer, Anise Palate: Maple Syrup, Cloves, Brown Sugar, Peaches, Pecan Pie, Walnuts, Caramel, Butterscotch, Apricots, Papayas, Root Beer Finish: Peaches, Pineapples, Vanilla, Cloves, Cola, Root Beer, Licorice, Tobacco, Leather, Caramel

Truly incredible. I jotted down my thoughts here prior to checking the website's rating and flavor description. I'm shocked they list this as having less vanilla. For me, it was overwhelmingly vanilla. Vanilla, mint, and other botanical flavors with a superb finish. Richly creamy vanilla essence. The deeper I got into the glass, the more I liked it. Definitely seek this out!

This is one of the more mature bourbons I've sampled. It has an oily texture with hints of caramel and vanilla. It's full of flavor, featuring some upfront spice and an exceptionally lengthy finish. Excellent, but nowhere near justifying the absurd secondary market price of $600.