Old Fitzgerald 7 Year Bib Bourbon

Old Fitzgerald 7 Year Bottled-in-Bond is a Kentucky straight bourbon bottled at 100 proof (50% ABV). The "Bottled-in-Bond" label is a legal designation, not a marketing term. Under the Bottled-in-Bond Act of 1897, the whiskey must come from a single distillery and a single distillation season. It must be aged at least four years in a federally bonded warehouse and bottled at exactly 100 proof. This bottle carries a seven-year age statement, so it sits well past the minimum. The 50% strength also means the proof stays steady when you add ice or water. Bonded bourbons at this strength and age usually show a clear structure. Expect a sweet corn and caramel core with vanilla and toasted oak from the charred barrel. Bourbons built on a wheated mash bill, a recipe long associated with the Old Fitzgerald name, tend to come across softer and rounder than rye-heavy ones, with less peppery bite and more bread-crust and honey. The 100 proof usually adds a warm, lingering finish with some baking spice. Treat these as what the style leads you to expect, not a measured profile of this bottling. Pour a small measure neat first, in a Glencairn glass if you have one. The tapered bowl gathers the vanilla, oak and caramel aromas, and a few minutes in the glass lets the alcohol edge settle. At 50% it takes water well. One teaspoon, or a single large cube in a rocks glass, loosens the spice and sweetness without thinning the body. In a rocks glass, one large cube melts slowly and keeps the dilution gentle. The proof makes this a good cocktail bourbon, because it holds up against sugar, bitters and citrus. An Old Fashioned is the natural fit: a sugar cube or a bar spoon of rich syrup, two dashes of Angostura and an orange peel let the oak and caramel carry the drink. In a Manhattan, 2 ounces of bourbon with an ounce of sweet vermouth and bitters gives a rounder, softer result than a rye version. A Whiskey Sour, with lemon, simple syrup and optionally egg white, stays full-bodied rather than going watery. For a long drink, a bourbon highball with soda water and a lemon twist shows off the grain and vanilla. For food, it pairs well with smoked brisket, aged cheddar, pecan pie or dark chocolate.