High-Powered Wheater Wednesday
You know what? I’ve tasted almost 600 different whiskies and spirits as of this writing and I’ve never had a Van Winkle product. None. Zero. So, I decided to mix it up a bit. I found a few other high-class wheaters - Old Fitzgerald 13-, 14-, and 15-year-old - from the last few years to semi-blind a great wheater flight. Was it great? YES.
I’ll say this - only one scored below a 7.4, and I was pleasantly surprised at how the Van Winkles lived up to my expectations (not on price of course but certainly on flavor). The Old Fitzgeralds continue to be a great quality product, if a bit inconsistent. It seems Jimmy Russell is right: 8-13 years is the sweet spot for Kentucky bourbons. Let’s see how these five tasted blind:
Picture taken from Bourbon Concierge
Van winkle Special Reserve Lot B 2019
KY Wheated Bourbon, Buffalo Trace
45.2% ABV/90.4 Proof
12 YO
Eye: Manuka honey, thin to medium rims and droplets all over the glass.
Nose: Fresh fruit galore! Juicy Fruit gum with none of the artificial notes. No hint of proof, perhaps a touch of oak but not much. Werther’s caramels. Orange bitters and zest. Bourbon and maple candy grow with air, adding to the sweetness.
Palate: Incredibly fruity, almost rum-level fruitiness. Tropical guava and papaya, Bubble Tape, Twizzlers, and fruit cocktail in syrup. There’s oak dryness behind the fruit, but just a bit. Cinnamon sticks, milk/semisweet chocolate roll in afterwards. Mouthfeel is light and subtle at first, gets a little spicier and dryer as I chew. Chew also releases more corn and caramel.
Finish: Long, drying, but gentle with tons of the tropical fruit cocktail and mild cocoa notes.
Overall: Delicious, if a tad one-note. There’s so much fruitiness this could be put into a rum blind as a kicker. Lots of air - I’m talking over an hour - added an interesting cigar smoke note that I’m not sure I like. A pleasant sipper and even a great one if you like tropical fruit in your bourbon.
Rating: 7.4
Old Fitzgerald 13 YO Bottled in Bond
Spring 2019 Release
Heaven Hill Wheated Mashbill
50% ABV/100 Proof
13 Years Old
Eye: Dark amber. Thin rims, syrupy droplet legs.
Nose: Bready - brioche crusts. Wheat fields and unsweetened cornbread. Dried red fruits in the background. Nice oaky spice ump front with nutty caramel and almond brittle.
Palate: Honey roasted peanuts, vanilla-scented cinnamon custard. Unctuous dried red fruits studded with clove and allspice. Beautiful nuttiness throughout. Mouthfeel is velvety - smooth with a little friction. Carries dark chocolate peanut M&Ms and Raisinettes. Slightly drying, clings to the corners of my mouth.
Finish: Medium-to-long, the peanuts mellow out to mesh with the fruits more delicately.
Overall: The mouthfeel starts out well and doesn’t quite hold up, but this is still a great whiskey. The more I drink it and the more air it gets the better. Definitely let this one sit for 20-30 minutes - it’s worth the wait.
Rating: 7.8
Photo Courtesy of Heaven Hill Distillery
Photo Courtesy of Heaven Hill Distillery
Old Fitzgerald 14 YO Bottled in Bond
Fall 2020 Release
Heaven Hill Wheated Mashbill
50% ABV/100 Proof
14 Years Old
Eye: Dark honey. Barest rims, no legs.
Nose: Smells less sweet than a typical wheater. Nose kind of tight at first, with almond skins eking out with hints of oak. There is a dark fruitiness way in the back, hard to detect but it’s there. Very suddenly, roasted mixed nuts open up with dark chocolate that keeps getting stronger with air.
Palate: Toffee, cotton candy, a panoply of fairground sweets. Butterscotch, a good heat tingle from the proof. Caramel/honey roasted peanuts and almonds. The oak is stronger here and more drying, but also gives the pour a great body. Mouthfeel is medium-bodied and warming, slightly astringent. The astringency grows a bit but never distracts. Raisins and nut trail mix, sugar-dusted dried red fruits build with air.
Finish: Nutty all the way, with dried fruits and some dark chocolate chunks emerging at the very end.
Overall: This grows on me quickly and greatly - the nose, initially tight, suddenly bursts open, and the palate keeps developing after that in waves. The mouthfeel is coating and way above proof.
Rating: 8.3
Pappy Van Winkle 15YO (2016)
Buffalo Trace Wheated Mashbill
53.5% ABV/107 Proof
Eye: Pure amber.
Nose: Beautiful, rich bourbon candy. Proof heat is controlled but presents well. Dried fruits studded with whole cloves and cinnamon bark. Blackberry preserves.
Palate: Ooh - that’s a delicious first sip. Lots of fresh orchard and red fruits mixed with dried dark fruit and some cocoa powder. Great oak astringency amplifies the flavors with each sip. Some orange zest and Nerds candies develop. Complex and constantly developing. Mouthfeel is coating, velvety, a bit drying, and introduces a subtle nuttiness.
Finish: Hot, but velvety and coating just like the mouthfeel. Medium length, stays fairly fruity.
Overall: This had the best nose of the four wheaters tried, but while the palate and finish were good they didn’t measure up to the others. Better than the Lot B but not as good as the three Old Fitzes.
Rating: 7.6
Photo courtesy of Reddit User Dirty_Dale
Photo Courtesy of Heaven Hill Distillery
Old Fitzgerald 15 YO Fall 2019 Release
Heaven Hill
50% ABV/100 Proof, Bottled-in-Bond
15 YO (2014-2019)
Wheated Mashbill
Eye: Orange-hued amber. Thick rims and thick syrupy legs.
Nose: Baked vanilla and baked goods (brioche especially). Orange zest, toast, and a touch of heat. Proof builds on the nose with some oak spice. Air reveals sweet cornbread and tons of cinnamon.
Palate: Lots of caramel here, warming spices. Tingle from the heat warms my mouth. A slight bitterness and oaky wood at the end. Mouthfeel is medium-bodied and coating.
Finish: Long and sweet, with the heat evaporating almost instantly.
Overall: This is good, but I don’t think it’s excellent. The flavor is pleasant, as is the heat, but there’s an oaky bitterness at the end. I get the orange note I expect from wheaters, but I get the feeling this one aged just a bit too long for its own good.
Rating: 6.2
After trying all of these, Old Fitzgerald 14YO Bottled-in-Bond came out with the highest rating. It was the overall most balanced bourbon, wasn’t over-oaked or under-proofed, and had fantastic nutty flavors alongside the classic wheater profile. This wasn’t a true side-by-side face-off, so it’s not really the “winner”, but it was fascinating to see this and the 13 YO come out above the two Van Winkle bourbons.
Equally surprising was having the 15 YO come out on the “bottom” with a 6.2. There are a few “older” bourbons available, and some are great to excellent, but to be honest this falls in the bucket with the vast majority where 15 starts to get too old and too oaky for its own good.
The Van Winkles, for what it’s worth, held their own, and this being the first time I’ve had them I would be happy to own a bottle at MSRP. Given the ferocity with which the Van Winkle family has pushed back against the secondary market, I’ve got to agree withJulian - this is good whiskey, even great whiskey, but its a $99 - $150 bourbon, not hundreds and hundreds of dollars. Now that the Stitzel-Weller distillate is gone, people need to CTFD about this stuff, buy it at or near SRP, and drink it for God’s sake…don’t let it sit on the shelf.
