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Old Fitzgerald Bottled in Bond Revisit:  They Don’t Make Them Like They Used To.

Old Fitzgerald
Several months ago, Stephen Netherton landed upon a pretty dusty find here in Kansas.  Old Fitzgerald hasn’t been brought into the state in years, and finding the Bottled in Bond expression anywhere tends to be difficult.  That find led to a review, with some pretty tasty results.  Lucky for me, Stephen shared a pour with me shortly after his review.

Fast forward a few months.  While shopping online over my lunch hour, I stumbled upon a few 1.75 liter bottles of Old Fitzgerald Bottled in Bond located just outside of Chicago.  I’d been searching for months to no avail, but finally I had come upon it.  And only after working my way through the checkout process did I learn that they would not ship that particular item to Kansas.  After communicating this problem to fellow members, Jay Cary saved the day with a Chicago connection that was able to go into the score and buy a few for later export to Kansas.

Last week I twisted open that handle and had a pour.  I have to say I loved it.  It now stands as one of my favorite value pours.  At 100 proof, for me, it hits that mark where flavors are ideally concentrated without the overshadowing of proof.  However, this newer bottle certainly did not live up to my memory of the sample I tried from Stephen’s bottle.

Only a revisit of the older bottling next to the newer one would decide.  I shared a sample of the newer bottle with Stephen, and he shared a sample with me.

Continue reading “Old Fitzgerald Bottled in Bond Revisit:  They Don’t Make Them Like They Used To.”

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Buffalo Trace Mash Bill #1: Old Charter 8, Old Charter 8-Year, and Charter 101

Old Charter

Wow.

This one word summarizes my feelings of a relatively unheard of, and fairly difficult to find, bottom shelf bourbon.  Charter 101, a 101-proof Mash Bill #1 Straight Kentucky Bourbon from Buffalo Trace, is a winner in its class, and something you should pick up without question if you ever see it on a shelf.

[For our final conclusions and links to our other Buffalo Trace Mash Bill #1 reviews, click here.]

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Old Grand-Dad 114 – Should I Stay or Should I Go?

Old Grand-Dad 114

”Should I Stay or Should I Go” is a 1980’s punk rock hit by the British band, The Clash. If you are not familiar with it, the song and video can be heard and seen here. Although released in 1980 with reasonable success internationally, the song didn’t reach #1 hit status in its home country until its re-release a decade after its original release. Much attention was given to the song’s lyrics and whether the band was signifying a potential breakup, something that would in fact transpire beginning the year following its release. Accordingly to band members, the song wasn’t actually about a potential breakup. Instead, “It was just a good rockin’ song.”

If there was one song to describe Old Grand-Dad 114, it would be “Should I Stay or Should I Go.” Old Grand-Dad 114 was originally released in…1980. It too didn’t have immediate success, but later found a cult following as high-proof bourbons became more in fashion. And Old Grand-Dad 114 is “good rockin’” bourbon (my quote, but work with me here).

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March 2017 Monthly Tasting – Blanton’s and Bottling Proof Isolation

Blanton's

[Click here for a full list of our tasting events!] 

Numerous factors affect a whiskey’s final characteristics.  Those in the know will tell you that the mash bill, the yeast, the fermentation method and environment, the still, distillation rates and proof, the type and char of barrel, the barrel entry proof, the aging environment, and the time in the barrel are all factors that contribute to each specific product.

But one more nuanced variable also shapes the way a product is perceived – the bottling proof.  This month’s Flight Club will focus on just that – the bottling proof – and that factor’s impact on nose, taste, and finish.  We will be sampling the entire international lineup of Blanton’s, which includes otherwise identical single barrel bourbons* bottled at 80 proof, 93 proof, 103 proof and barrel proof.

Continue reading “March 2017 Monthly Tasting – Blanton’s and Bottling Proof Isolation”