Old Fitzgerald Bourbon 19 Year 750ml

On the nose, the 19-year-old Old Fitzgerald Fall 2022 batch is redolent in deep, old oak tones, slightly musty and earthy, while also having no shortage of sweeter elements, especially hinting at nut-infused toffee. I’m getting vanilla, nutty cocoa nibs and hints of coconut, along with assertive wood and slightly resinous characteristics. One definitely gets a sense of all those years in the wood here, though they’re nicely tempered on the nose by sweeter impressions.

On the palate, though, the oak really starts to make itself felt in earnest. The central components here are big, spicy oak flavors and lots of baking spice, along with a more tart and puckering component also derived from the wood. There’s also sweetness of toffee and vanilla, suggesting pecan praline, but I find myself drawn back toward the slightly sour, oaky tang. There’s tannic dryness, but that’s not really what overtakes this Old Fitzgerald—it’s more the acidity of the wood itself. Granted, I do quite like the baking spice component, which has expressive notes of cinnamon, ginger and cardamom, twisted with chile pepper. But a minute after taking the sip, what I’m still largely tasting is tart oak on the tongue. No big surprise, at 19 years old, but it’s a note that the drinker will need to appreciate if they’re going to seek this one out.