John E Fitzgerald Very Special Reserve is a Heaven Hill special release that’s made from 12 barrels of Stitzel Weller distilled whiskey HH acquired when they bought the Old Fitzgerald brand back in 1999. These particular barrels were filled in 1992, resided in the SW warehouses for the first 7 years of their life and then transferred to the Heaven Hill warehouses after the acquisition where they sat till 2013 when they were dumped into steel tanks to keep them from maturing any further. For more info on the background of this whiskey we turn to the packaging:
“The legend goes that Treasury Agent John E. Fitzgerald was allowed free access to the bonded bourbon warehouses, and helped himself from only barrels containing the finest bourbon. The agent’s selections became known around the distillery as “Fitzgerald barrels” and were used to create a softly wheated bourbon known as “Old Fitzgerald.” The agent’s larcenous behavior was kept secret until the unveiling of the Larceny line, which revealed his story in full. John E. Fitzgerald Very Special Reserve honors both the superb taste of this lawless gauger and the legacy of the Old Fitzgerald line of distillers, who have exceeded the agent’s already high standards.”
That’s the background and now on to the John E. Fitzgerald Very Special Reserve review!
John E. Fitzgerald Very Special Reserve Info
Region: Kentucky, USA
Distiller: Stitzel Weller
Bottler: Heaven Hill
Mashbill: Wheated (ratios unknown)
Cask: New charred oak
Age: 20 years
ABV: 45%
Non-Chill Filtered | Natural Color
Price: $300 (375ml)
John E. Fitzgerald Very Special Reserve Review
EYE
Chestnut
NOSE
Cherry heavy dark fruit, wood and spice flow from the glass like aromatic velvet. Complex notes of dark sweets, candied citrus and a touch of something lightly herbaceous. The nose is incredible.
PALATE
Almost a complete 180 from the nose, the palate is weak and unsatisfying. Light ethereal notes of cherry heavy dark fruit, spice and wood paired with odd notes of tart green fruit and minerals.
FINISH
Medium and light in its delivery of dark fruit, grain and wet wood.
BALANCE, BODY & FEEL
Unbalanced with a medium body and watery feel despite being non-chill filtered.
OVERALL
John E. Fitzgerald Very Special Reserve has an aroma that floors and a palate that bores. To put it into perspective, if the palate mirrored the nose it would be an A- grade whiskey, but If the nose mirrored the palate it would be a C+ grade at best and that’s why it landed in the B- range. The nose is rich, powerful and intoxicating while the palate is weak and watery. The finish hangs out for a bit of time and then falls off a cliff, never to be seen again. No gentle fade here.
It’s not a direct comparison, but when tasting this we pulled out a 12 year VVOF export bottle from 57-69 (46%) that folks had thought similarly of in the past and it was discovered that the VVOF, while slightly better, was remarkably similar. I hadn’t had this particular VVOF, but it was an important lesson in whiskey. Just because it’s old and comes from a famous distillery doesn’t automatically mean it’s good. Have I had amazing Old Fitz in the past? Yup. Have I had amazing VVOF in the past? Good hell yes. Were either of those amazing that night? Nope.
SCORE: 82/100
