March 17, 2024
By Rebecca Herman McBrayer
Wayne and I were married March 17, 2020. Yesterday, Wayne surprised me with an early anniversary gift. It was an unopened bicentennial decanter of Old Fitzgerald. It had remained in a clear plastic carton and the bottle is pristine!
He shared that he spotted this bootle during our visit to Northern Kentucky and the Revival Vintage Bottle Shop in late January. He later contacted Brad Bonds and made the purchase.
About the Bottle: 1976 Old Fitzgerald American Sons of St. Patrick Bicentennial
The 1976 Old Fitzgerald American Sons of St. Patrick Bicentennial is a ceramic decanter that celebrates the 1976 American Sons of St. Patrick Bicentennial. The decanter is made of genuine porcelain by Fitzgerald Distillery, Inc. and is about 9 1/8 inches tall. The decanter is part of the Old Fitzgerald Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey Bicentennial bottling series and contains whiskey distilled at Stitzel-Weller.
Images on the decanter include: Com. John Barry, “Father of the Navy;” Maj. General John Sullivan; General Andrew Lewis, “Idol of the Army;” Andrew Jackson, First Irish President; Gustavus Conyngham, “The Dunkirk Pirate;” Col. John P. Fitzgerald, Finest Horseman in the Revolution; Tim Murphy, Hero of Bemis Heights 1777; Richard Montgomery, Hero at Quebec 1775; and Margaret Corbin at Ft. Washington, Nov 15, 1776.
Opening a Vintage Bottle
Opening a vintage bottle always requires care; however, even with the utmost care, corks can be brittle and break. This happened with this bottle on first touch of the ceramic lid.
Following what we had observed previously, I carefully placed toothpicks around the edge of the cork and carefully used a knife to loosen it. Unfortunately, I should have stuck the toothpicks in further as the cork broke off.
From this point, the main option was to allow the cork to fall into the bottle. We then strained it into a large glass a bit at a time to ensure removal of cork. An additional strain into a decanter was the final step.
The bourbon was clear, cork-free, and ready to drink!
Please be sure to read our approach to Tasting Whiskey if you haven’t already.
Tasting Notes: Old Fitzgerald American Sons of St. Patrick Decanter
Mashbill – The researched mashbill for Old Fitzgerald Prime in the early 1970s was 70% Corn, 20% Wheat, and 10% Malted Barley.
Age – According to bourbon historian, Michael Veach, Old Fitz Prime was typically a blend of 4-8 year-old-whiskey with mostly 6-year-old.
Distilled – If this whiskey was bottled around 1976, and the dominate age was 6 years, it was likely distilled and barreled around 1970.
Proof – 86
Color – Deep golden to light amber.
Aroma – Caramel, apples, brown sugar, and vanilla.
Tasted Neat – Like a cinnamon candy apple that you get at the fair with a hint of leather and a very long and pleasant finish.
Tasted with dried cranberry – Leather, tobacco, and a hint of apple.
Tasted with a pecan – Apple, chocolate, baking spices, and tobacco.
Tasted with dark chocolate – Baking spices, apple, with light pepper on the finish.
Additional note – About an hour after we finished the tasting, our empty glasses remained in front of us. The aroma from the glass carried a strong nose of tobacco and nothing else. It was fascinating.
Discussion and Final Notes
Tasting from a dusty bottle is always a unique experience. You quickly learn that what was made then may not taste like it does today. We have never owned a bottle of Old Fitzgerald but have had the opportunity to taste it. As wonderful as it is today, there is something about tasting history that brings it to a new level.
If you have the opportunity to taste Old Fitzgerald from this era, we highly recommend it. And if you do, let us know what you thought.
A huge thank you to our friend and bourbon historian, Michael Veach, who identified the bourbon as Old Fitzgerald Prime and the historical age of this bourbon at time of bottling.
If you are ever in the Northern Kentucky or Cincinnati area, please make plans to stop by and visit Revival Vintage Bottle Shop. It is an experience like none other.
When you first enter, you aren’t sure where to looks because you are surrounded by amazing dusty bottles that represent the history of spirits. They have great specials each day to taste these amazing dusty bottles.
If you decide you would like to take one home, Brad Bonds will guide you toward a great decision!
Cheers,
Rebecca & Wayne
Photos by Rebecca Herman McBrayer
Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey Spirt Requirements
This bottle contains Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey. Such whiskeys have all the requirements of bourbon: Made in the U.S, distilled at <= 160 proof, barreled at <= 125 proof, aged in new, charred oak containers, bottled at >= 80 proof. Straight bourbon means it is aged at least 2 years (and must have an age statement if less than 4). In addition, to be Kentucky Straight Bourbon, it has the additional requirement that it must be produced and aged at least 1 year in the state of Kentucky. For additional information, read Bourbon Whiskey, part of the Sunday Spirit Notes.
NOTE: The bourbon in this review was purchased by us. We were not compensated by the spirit producer for this review. This is simply our opinion based on what we tasted on this day. Please drink responsibly.
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