This Old Fitzgerald Medicinal Pint is incredibly interesting for several reasons.
- It was distilled by Arthur Ph. Stitzel and pre-dates the famed Stitzel-Weller distillery.
- Arthur Ph. Stitzel was one of the few “medicinal whiskey” distillers during prohibition.
- The label doesn’t mention S.C. Herbst who started the Old Fitzgerald brand before prohibition so it was completely post acquisition.
- The actual Stitzel-Weller distillery didn’t open until 1935 so any Old Fitz from before 1939 was distilled at A. Ph. Stitzel. – even if it carries the Stitzel-Weller name.
Whiskey like this is always interesting to try because it’s a glimpse into history, a taste of the past and a notion of what was happening in America around this time. This is the legal stuff people were drinking to calm their nerves and get to sleep at night after a long day working or looking for work. So sit back, relax, and lets dive into this Old Fitzgerald Medicinal Pint review and see what it was like to drink in the 1930s.
Old Fitzgerald Medicinal Pint Info
Region: Kentucky, USA
Distiller: A. PH Stitzel
Mashbill: At least 51% corn
Cask: New-Charred Oak
Age: 17 years (1916 – 1933)
ABV: 50%
Price: NA – Auction, private seller or specialty store
Old Fitzgerald Medicinal Pint Review
EYE
Caramel
NOSE
Stale candy, musty room, over-ripe citrus, astringent wood and stale spice. A wonderful aroma this is not.
PALATE
Astringent oak, burnt caramel, cardboard, stale spice and citric acid. Yeah this sucks. It’s just out and out not good.
FINISH
Short drop of char, stale spice, stale candy and cardboard.
BALANCE, BODY & FEEL
Not balanced, medium body and a heavy feel.
OVERALL
Miserable. This 1933 Old Fitzgerald Medicinal Pint is absolutely miserable. It’s seriously among some of the worst bourbon I’ve ever had, but when beggars can’t be choosers this is what they would drink. I don’t know if this is what all Old Fitz Med Pints tasted like back then, but there are some reasons why this whiskey is so bad.
There was a cardboard note in there that often comes from corked liquids so that’s a potential, but remote, possibility. The leaching from the glass could have been excessive. Or it could just be that it’s bad and is what all Old Fitzgerald Medicinal Pints tasted like. It’s hard to say but one thing is for sure, it’s not an experience I want to repeat again any time soon.
SCORE: 70-72/100 (C-, not consumed at home)
And just in-case you’ve never seen a bonded tax-strip like this up close before, here’s a photo of that.
