Distilled By: Old Fitzgerald Distillery
Location: Bardstown, KY
Parent Company: Heaven Hill
Class: Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
Proof: 92 (46% ABV)
Age: NAS
Mashbill: Undisclosed
According to Heaven Hill: “Larceny Kentucky straight bourbon whiskey has its origins in the long and colorful history of John E. Fitzgerald and the Old Fitzgerald brand. According to lore, John E. Fitzgerald built a distillery on the banks of the Kentucky River in the 1870s and sold his fine bourbon to the rail lines, steamships and private clubs. The Old Fitzgerald brand was first registered in the 1880s by S.C. Herbst, and was eventually sold to Julian P. “Pappy” Van Winkle during Prohibition. Pappy moved production of Old Fitz to his distillery where it became the first great wheated bourbon and eventually one of the most popular brands in the world.”
The truth behind the legend: “Revealed in a family biography of Pappy Van Winkle, John E. Fitzgerald was not actually the man he has always been portrayed as. He was in fact a bonded treasury agent, who at the time were the only people legally allowed to carry the keys to the barrel storage rickhouses. Mr. Fitzgerald apparently had a particularly discerning palate for fine bourbon, and would use his rickhouse keys to gain access to the best barrels, which eventually became known around the distillery as ‘Fitzgerald Barrels’. Herbst, and then Pappy, immortalized the man who had both the keys and the fine taste by naming the brand Old Fitzgerald. Now, Larceny Kentucky straight bourbon honors both the superb taste of this lawless treasury agent and the legacy of the Old Fitzgerald brand.”
BSG REVIEW:
Color: Copper
Nose: Oak, toffee, caramel, leather, overripe banana.
Palate: Oak, black pepper, tobacco.
Finish: Initial burn, but not hot on the way down. Long lasting deeper burn after it’s down for a while (a nice “Kentucky hug”).
You may be interested to know that the bottle shape is perfect for nesting right beside that of the Maker’s Mark classic bottle. I’m not sure if that was by coincidence or on purpose, but many people will say that this is the bourbon of choice for those that have a less than enthusiastic feeling toward Maker’s Mark.
BSG Score: 89/100
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