This is the eighth installment in a series on Bourbon by Zach Pearson. Read them all: Bourbon, Bourbon After the Act, Bourbon: What it is ... and isn't, Making Bourbon, Who Makes My Bourbon, Producer Capsules., Finding the Good Stuff, Tasting the Good Stuff, Neat, Mashbills, Geeky Information and Resources.
Old Fitzgerald Bonded Bourbon
(100 proof) DSP #1 – Bernheim, bottled DSP 31 – Heaven Hill, bottled 2013? $16
Golden amber color. Candy floss, honey and golden citrus on the nose, not sharp. Typical cream of wheat/plaster of Paris sweetness as well. Oily and slightly viscous, with alcohol burn fading into maple and corn sweetness at first, then more citrus and dusty-wheaty notes. The empty glass smells like bananas. Incredible value, if you like wheat Bourbons and can find it.
Very Old Fitzgerald 12 Year Bourbon
(90 proof), bottled 2009? $30
Moderate amber in color. Creamy nose, vanilla and marzipan, old furniture finish. The decrease is alcohol is evident, but there’s a drag of wood tannins across the front of the palate that takes a moment to turn from furniture shop (e.g. good wood aromatized by hot metal) to the cream of wheat sweetness. There’s some ornamentation of green spicy notes that must be from the wood, and this just feels heavier and more contemplative.
Old Weller Antique Bourbon
(107 proof) $26.50
Curated to remove broken Chowhound link.
This is our most sold drink on the list.
Is there a specific reason for shaking this rather than stirring?
Tried as original, subbed out agave for orgeat. Muddled a slice of blood orange and like it better this way.
Curated to include Ehrmann's Elixir de Poivre cordial in the notes. I made the cordial using twice as much szechuan peppercorn as called for. It worked very well in this drink, and if anything I might increase the szechuan pepper again to try to capture some of its numbing essence (which was not apparent in the cocktail.) The cocktail was very good and my wife soon requested another. She is not usually a fan of mezcal drinks, so this was high praise.