Tastes

The Sauternes barrel is really showing up on the nose for me. Caramel dipped peach and honeydew melon with some honey and white flowers. There's a good amount of oak and pine resin here too. A nicely aromatic nose showing the influence of Sauternes. Apple and pear on the initial palate followed by sweet oak, peach cobbler, black pepper, and vanilla frosting. It is quite sweet and has a nice viscosity but is nothing special. Finish is dominated by peach and brown sugar with some oak lingering at the tail end. Nice length too. Maybe the most impressive thing about this finished bourbon. Loved the finish on this! Sauternes plays quite well with bourbon flavors. Well balanced and delicious.

Lots of caramel, brown sugar, and rich, toasted oak jump out of the glass upon first scent. Luxardo cherries have joined the party now as well. Some sweet tobacco, candy corn, and minty milk chocolate wrap up a very moreish nose. Could the palate possibly stand up to the deliciousness that is the nose? A promising start as the initial palate is nicely rich and round in the mouth. Coats everything quite well. Brown sugar, cinnamon, orange peel, cherries, sweet oak, and some chalky minerality evolve on the palate. All in all, the flavors do not quite live up to the nose, but it is still quite nice. Maybe a bit higher proof would have let the flavors sing a bit more. The finish is oak dominated but it isn't too dry. Still some fruitiness lingers as well with the same orange/cherry note I got on the initial palate. Overall, a very enjoyable whiskey and a reasonable price to boot. Many who drank American Whiskey years ago would laugh at some of the prices of well-aged whiskey nowadays. I am, unfortunately, used to paying about $10 for every 1 year in the barrel so it is refreshing to see a 13 year for at or around $50

One of the most aromatic noses for a 90 proof bourbon I’ve ever smelled. Oozes caramel, vanilla, baked apples, mint, and brown sugar. Some dry oak keeps the sweetness in check. Smells like pretty classic bourbon to me Quite smooth, with a densely layered, flavor packed palate. Bananas Foster and vanilla ice cream jump out right away. Caramel, sweet cherries, orange peel, sweet tobacco, and toasted oak follow on to the lengthy finish. I see why this is highly regarded. Glad I could finally get a bottle for state minimum.

Aromas jump out of the glass, very potent vapors without much ethanol. Oak plays the backbone for everything that is happening in this nose. It dominates, but it lets other flavors come out to play too. Tobacco, dark chocolate, black cherry, cinnamon and star anise, musty old bookstore, and shoe polish play off the heavy oak presence quite well. But there is nothing light about this bourbon. The heavy char is very prominent and brooding. Reminds me of bottles with much more age to them like the Rhetoric series. Super rich, sweeter than expected right away with vanilla, sweet tobacco, and some root beer with cola like spices in the background. The drying oak isn't overpowering but plays a nice contrast to the sweeter initial flavor profile. Finish is dry with toasty oak and cinnamon hard candies. Warming and oh so smooth. Surprising lack of burn on the way down either. Delicious These releases never really disappoint. This is simply delicious for oak lovers. Once you get past the heavy char there is a surprising amount of sweet flavors there too that strikes such a good balance. Beautiful stuff

Nose of dill pickle, caramel, milk chocolate, charred oak, and a little iodine. Not enough to be off putting, but it’s there at the end. Nice richness on the palate with caramel, black pepper, lemon, dill pickle, and oak char. Some more baking spice lingers on the finish along with charred oak and black tea. It ends sweeter than expected. So good. Classic rye flavors with just the right amount of sweetness and a smooth palate and perfect proof.

Many good things happening in this newest Old Fitz release...although it took some patience. After having snagged bottles of the OF15 and the OF8, I can use this 11 year old to see how the middle ground fares. I loved both bottles and thought they each showed tremendous character and flavor. Excited to see what 11 years has in store. Nose is quite spicy and caramel forward upon first pour and the palate is the same with the finish showing the most potential. I knew something more was in there. After fighting through the first sip, giving it some time to calm down, get some air, relax in the glass, I placed the Glencairn back to my nose. It was like a brand new bourbon. The bakeshop sweetness is so much more apparent now with M&M blondies, vanilla frosting, and caramel apple cake dancing around my nose. But it also has spices like cinnamon and clove, fruit like red grape juice and brambly berry compote, and oaky notes of leather, char, and sweet tobacco. This nose really has so much symmetry after the initial disappointment. Such a great age for bourbon. This shows it all Viscous, mouth-coating deliciousness upon second sip. Soft chew caramels, cinnamon toast crunch, apricots, vanilla frosting, charred oak, sweet tobacco, and some leather with more sweet toasted oak, leather, and vanilla frosting on the very long finish. Give this one some time if you snag a bottle. I'm actually very excited to try this again in a few weeks to see if it continues to change in the right direction. Old Fitz really hit 2021 releases out of the park if you ask me. Both the 8 and this 11 are fantastic.

Not good. Watered down, very green tasting. Didn't even like it for cocktails. Kept the bottle though, very cool bottle

It’s deep and dark. Smells of dark chocolate, sweet cherry, toasted marshmallow, mint, and leathery oak. The cherry is pretty bold. It has an intensity that reminds me of cherry icee/cherry bubblegum. Sweet. Black cherry cream soda, honey butter biscuits, toasty oak, a little leather, and caramel corn. Very rich and coats well too. It’s super sweet but I like it. Lacks a bit of a contrast and doesn’t have much that would make me think blindly this is 15 years old. It reminds me of the 1792 FP I have which makes sense. That is a super sweet bourbon too. Won’t buy another bottle because of the 130 I paid for it but I do really enjoy this for a sweeter, more decadent bourbon.

Cherry and raspberry compote, cinnamon, allspice, honey roasted peanuts, and caramel on the nose. After a few minutes the fruit had changed to more of a grape jelly instead of the cooked fruit notes I got at the onset. A bit of ethanol lingers but it doesn’t hold it back. Lots of pretty red fruit from the start with tannic red grape, raspberry, and tart cherry. It doesn’t get too tannic or tart though because caramel, molasses, vanilla, and allspice keep the sweetness high. This is not heavy but I love the mouthfeel and finish. It’s minty with both honey and chocolate Teddy Grahams. Loved it Really enjoyed this. The finish really worked for me as well as the 7 and 15 year blend. Amarone as a wine has more characteristics of dried fruit instead of the jelly like notes picked up here. That’s a beautiful job of blending by Yellowstone and the Beams. Price is a deterrent, but I don’t regret the purchase. I would not buy another bottle however.