Very Very Old Fitzgerald 12 yo 1956 Tasting Notes and Ratings.

Very Very Old Fitzgerald 12 yo 1956

Added on Friday, Nov 1, 2013 at 03:47 PM

Bottler:

Stitzel-Weller

Age:	12 yrs	Type:	American
Vintage:	1956	Subtype:	Bourbon
ABV:	50.00 %	Region:	Kentucky
Price:	N/A	Availability:	Collectors Only

Bottled 1968

Member Ratings and Notes

Adam

Nose is inviting and sweet, rather bright (especially in comparison to the 1964-bottled VVOF sampled with this). Vanilla, caramel, varnish. Palate is not as complex as the nose advertised, but still, wow. Really tasty stuff. As it opens up, the complexities really show themselves and evolve... a full 1/2 hour in the glass and now it's sweeter, better by my palate, with more mild spice replacing some of the tannins.

Interestingly, this one tastes better to me after drinking a lot of bourbon compared to when tasting earlier in the session. A/A-

Sku

The nose has caramel and a perfumy quality, though not an offensive one. The palate is sweet and rich with a more concentrated perfumy note, coffee and brandy. The brandy continues into the finish and then it gets spicy and has some tobacco notes.

This is a nearly flawless bourbon.

Fuji

N: Refined bourbon nose. Very spicy with dark bitter green vegetation and cherry cough syrup. Kind of farm yard-y with a mixture of dry hay, wet grass and freshly cut grass. Candy sweetness by way of marshmallow.

P: Butterscotch, vanilla and exotic woods. Gets astringent mid palate with dry oak.

F: Lemon water and dark fruit candy

Dan

Deep red amber (similar to the 1964 bottling) color. The nose on this was very much like a rustic Armagnac with grass and other field elements. Yeah, there was some caramel/vanilla too. Not overly exciting to me on the nose, but what I really liked was the body. It was rich and (although I hate the word) smooth. It had just the right balance between sweet and bitter oak/spice. I guess in an ideal world, I would take the 1964 nose and pair it with this body. The finish too may have been my favorite of the night. [10/18/13]

Mike

N: Mmmmm. I don't think I ever nosed a whiskey and got chocolate chip pancakes smothered in butter and maple syrup - until now! Plums, aromatic potpourri soap.

P: Compared to the other VVOFs I think this one had a slightly heavier body and mouth feel. Still refined and silky, with dried fruits. Over time, spiciness developed on the palate.

F: Slow crescendo of spice and oiliness fading into a lingering spice burn. Wow. This one really develops over time.

Not as sweet as some of the others. Starts there, but definietely has a spicy quality that is mouth coating. A very, very close second to the '64 in my opinion (best bourbon I ever had). No less amazing, just different qualities.

TAP

The nose is a bit more subtle than the 1952/12 yr (1964) VVOF tasted just before. Sweetness is not as intense, but I'm getting caramel chews in the best sense. Imagine the point at which the caramel starts to melt when throwing chews in a pan to make caramel apples. Of course, obligatory vanilla and a bit more left in the nostrils after you pull away, almost like the subtle sweetness lasts longer than the in your face sweetness of the 1964.

The palate gives me an edge that the 1964 missed on. No menthol or mint, but lingering syrupy sweetness, though not cloyingly so. A complexity that seemed to change on each revisit, spiced cloves then white chocolate caramel and over to almond rocha which all extends into the finish, which lasted well into the next sip.

My favorite of the night, and a conservative A (94).

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