Brian Haara
Bourbon. Law. Author.
Sipp’n Corn Tasting Notes: Old Fitzgerald Bottled in Bond Decanter, Spring 2020 (and Fall 2020 teaser)
Some days the mail is just better than others. One thing that is guaranteed to brighten my day is a chance to taste one of the most recognizable Bottled-in-Bond bourbons—Old Fitzgerald—which happens to be one of my favorite expressions. Heaven Hill is really firing on all cylinders with its Old Fitzgerald decanter series, barrel proof Elijah Craig and Larceny, Pikesville Rye, and too many other to name here in a short review.
The Spring 2020 Old Fitzgerald has a nine-year age statement coming on the heels of a surprisingly high age statement on Fall 2019. I remember the first nine-year from a couple years ago as being one of my favorites, so I have high hopes for this edition. Also, just today Heaven Hill issued a press release for the Fall 2020 edition, which is a 14-year age stated Bottled-in-Bond Bourbon pulled from different rickhouses, different floors, and different production dates. While I can’t wait for that release, Spring 2020 comes first:
Old Fitzgerald Bottled-in-Bond Decanter Tasting Notes
| Bourbon: | Old Fitzgerald Bottled-in-Bond Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey |
| Distillery: | Heaven Hill, Bardstown, Kentucky (distilled in Louisville and aged in Bardstown) |
| Age: | 9 years |
| ABV: | 50% (100 proof) |
| Cost: | $89.99 |
Appearance:
Worn copper penny.
Nose:
Pleasant sweetness of honey, brown sugar, and candy caramel with slight peppery notes.
Taste:
Caramel with bold oak, which then mellows out into more sweetness and a little bit of cinnamon candy and dry nuttiness. It didn’t do very well on an ice sphere, so drink this one neat.
Finish:
Great, mostly dry, finish that goes and goes with lingering spice.
Bottom Line
This is a strong buy if you’re lucky enough to see it at retail. Heaven Hill was already the leading distillery for Bottled-in-Bond whiskies and this Old Fitzgerald helps prove why. Bottled-in-Bond is difficult to do right since all of the barrels must come from the same distilling season, and Old Fitzgerald is a testament to the skill involved in selecting the right barrels at the right time. It’s a fantastically balanced bourbon and worthy of the hunt.
Disclaimer: The brand managers kindly
sent me samples for this review,
without any strings attached.
Thank you.
Sipp’n Corn Tasting Notes: Elijah Craig Toasted Barrel
I’m a big fan of the classic, affordable, readily-available, always-solid Elijah Craig Small Batch. Now, in addition to other recent brand extensions, in September Heaven Hill is releasing Elijah Craig Toasted Barrel Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey. Heaven Hill collaborated with Independent Stave Company to develop custom toasted barrels—after air-drying the new American White Oak staves for 18 months, the exclusive barrels are first toasted with increasing temperature as time passes, which releases the dark sugar flavors in the wood, and then the barrels receive a level one flash char.
Mature Elijah Craig (78% corn, 12 malted barley, and 10% rye aged in barrels with a #3 char level) is then re-barreled into the custom toasted barrels for an undisclosed period of additional aging.
Some people think that use of this “finishing barrel” restricts the use of the legal term “Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey,” but because it’s a first-use charred oak container, it’s still 100% “Straight” and “Bourbon.”
Elijah Craig Toasted Barrel Tasting Notes
| Bourbon: | Elijah Craig Toasted Barrel Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey |
| Distillery: | Heaven Hill, Bardstown, Kentucky (distilled in Louisville and aged in Bardstown) |
| Age: | Unstated |
| ABV: | 47% (94 proof) |
| Cost: | $49.99 |
Appearance:
Darker than Elijah Craig Small Batch (as expected), but not tremendously darker, and with a slight glint of red.
Nose:
The aromas are phenomenal and robust. Caramel, brown sugar, s’mores, oak, and leather.
Taste:
Not sugary sweet like a s’more, but it has those components—graham cracker, chocolate, and browned campfire marshmallow. The sweetness is balanced with black pepper, oak, and leather.
Finish:
The finish has a bit more spice but it melts into warming sweetness.
Bottom Line
I tasted Elijah Craig Toasted Barrel side-by-side with Elijah Craig Small Batch and a 10-year old Elijah Craig private selection aged in Deatsville; what a fantastic, affordable lineup! The comparison shows how the Elijah Craig Toasted Barrel uses the second barrel to create a new experience with a familiar, sturdy backbone. It’s sweeter—but rich sweetness—less oaky, and definitely more complex. Elijah Craig Small Batch is one of my go-to bourbons, and now I’ll also always have a bottle of Elijah Craig Toasted Barrel open as well. It’s a strong buy.
Disclaimer: The brand managers kindly
sent me samples for this review,
without any strings attached.
Thank you.
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The Ice Sphere Cometh.
Many whiskey enthusiasts are ice enthusiasts, too. They’re are on a quest for the perfect clear ice sphere whether it’s because of slower melting (due to shape and density) or just because they look fantastic. But grandiose plans aren’t fulfilled because clumsy DIY ways to create ice spheres are bulky and hit-or-miss. And all sorts of tips to create clear ice through directional freezing, filtering and boiling your water first, and adjusting temperatures so you don’t freeze too quickly, never achieve perfection.
There are plenty of commercially-available directional freezing kits. I supported a startup that actually makes extremely clear ice spheres, but it’s nearly impossible to remove the mold and the two-piece mold itself doesn’t create a tight enough seal, so the spheres sometimes have a seam around their equators.
About five years ago, I reviewed Tudor Ice, which sold purified distilled water after removing virtually all dissolved oxygen, packaged in large cube molds ready for at-home freezing. The cubes were truly clear, but the company didn’t get enough support and their dreams melted away.
Enter GE Appliances and its FirstBuild appliance incubator in Louisville. I was invited to FirstBuild last year for a personal tour and it’s nothing short of amazing. The microfactory had just produced a run of ventless open-hearth pizza ovens and other appliances in various stages of design were making their way toward being production ready.
FirstBuild has a digital space and physical space with the tools that startups could never acquire on their own. Innovation and inspiration where everywhere, and you if have an idea, this is the place to collaborate. This is where the Forge Clear Ice System was born.
Forge launched the funding phase last year for what it calls the world’s first heated ice press combined with a countertop ice maker. Step one is the ice maker, which takes only about four hours to create large, perfectly clear blocks of ice, with none of the waste of directional freezing kits. Eight of the blocks can be stored at a time. Step two takes just about one minute—without any preheating or recovery time—as the ice press transforms the block into a flawless sphere.
But like O’Neill’s tragedy, despair returns. With an MSRP of $1,499.00 for the base level Forge Clear Ice System, without the optional ice monogram feature, it’s cost-prohibitive for most home bars. This must be a stretch even for the highest-end whiskey bars too, especially now.
The silver lining for me was learning about FirstBuild. GE Appliances has been such an important part of Louisville and FirstBuild further proves its commitment to the city.
Check out FirstBuild here and the Forge Clear Ice System here.
Sipp’n Corn Tasting Notes: Four Gate Batch 6—The Kelvin Collaboration II.
Four Gate is back at it, leading the way with the most creative barrel finishes of any brand. For Batch 6, Four Gate used 12-year old high-rye (18% rye grain) Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey and finished some of it in Cognac barrels and some of it in dark rum barrels.
Batch 6—The Kelvin Collaboration II
Bourbon: Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey finished in Cognac and Dark Rum Casks
Distillery: Undisclosed
Age: 12 years
ABV: 63.2% ABV (126.4 Proof)
Cost: $199.99
Appearance:
Deep amber-brown.
Nose:
There’s a lot going on here—the spice and dark fruits mingle together with a slight hint of barrel finishing and plenty of intensity.
Taste:
I’m not sure that I’m finding the Cognac influence, but the rum casks are there with sweetness and tropical fruit. It’s far more than that though; beyond additional sweetness as expected from caramel and vanilla, there are soft, warm, dark flavors of maple syrup and dark fruit, followed by baking spice as its creaminess coats the palate. There’s some heat here, but resist the temptation to add a few drops of water.
Finish:
Warmth that lasts with sweet creamy caramel chocolates and dries as it fades.
Bottom Line
Distribution is limited like Four Gate’s other releases (2,500 bottles just for Kentucky, Tennessee, and Seelbachs.com), so you’ll need to do a little work to find a bottle of The Kelvin Collaboration II. But like first five releases, it’s worth the extra effort.
Disclaimer: The brand managers kindly
sent me a sample for this review,
without any strings attached.
Thank you.
Brian Haara 