Very Old Fitzgerald distilled in 1950 and bottled in 1958 at eight years old, at Stitzel-Weller in Louisville. It is wheated bourbon from the distillery's own era under Pappy Van Winkle, bottled in bond.
About This Bourbon
Very Old Fitzgerald was the older, premium version of Old Fitzgerald. Eight years was as old as a bottled-in-bond whiskey could be at the time, because the bonding period was capped at eight years; the Forand Act, passed in September 1958, later extended it to twenty. A bonded bourbon sold in the US had to be 100 proof, the product of one distillery and one distilling season, and bottled under government supervision, which is why these bottles carry a tax strip across the cap. Bottles from this period are 4/5 quart, just over 750mL. Condition, fill level and the state of the tax strip matter with a bottle of this age.
Tasting Profile
- Nose: Old caramel, vanilla, dried cherry, dusty oak, leather and pipe tobacco.
- Palate: Soft and round, with toffee, bready wheat sweetness, dried fruit and gentle spice.
- Finish: Medium-long, with caramel and old oak.
Serving & Food
Stand the bottle upright for a day before opening, and open it carefully, since old corks can crumble. Pour a small measure at room temperature and give it time to shake off any bottle mustiness. Serve it on its own, or with plain shortbread or a few walnuts.
How to Enjoy
A study of pre-1960s Stitzel-Weller bourbon, or a milestone bottle for a serious American whiskey collection.
Product Details
Brand: Very Old Fitzgerald
Distillery: Stitzel-Weller, Shively, Louisville
Style: Bottled-in-bond Kentucky straight bourbon, wheated
Vintage/distillation: 1950
Age: 8 years old
Bottled: 1958
Proof: 100 (bottled in bond)
Volume: 750mL
Origin: USA
Region: Kentucky
About the Distillery
Stitzel-Weller opened on Derby Day 1935 in Shively, on the edge of Louisville, formed from the W.L. Weller & Sons wholesale firm and the A. Ph. Stitzel Distillery. Julian 'Pappy' Van Winkle Sr. was president, alongside Alex Farnsley and Arthur Phillip Stitzel.
The distillery used wheat instead of rye as the flavouring grain, which gives a softer bourbon, and it often aged whiskey longer than was usual at the time. Old Fitzgerald was its main brand, so the plant was widely known as the Old Fitzgerald Distillery.