Old Fitzgerald 9-Year
Overall Score: 7.25/10
Overall Value: 3/5
Distillery: Heaven Hill
Classification: Straight Bourbon
Company: Heaven Hill
Release Date: Spring 2025
Proof: 100
Age: 9 Years
Color: Honey
MSRP: $130 (2025)
Mashbill: 68% Corn, 20% Wheat, 12% Malted Barley
The Barrel Bros’ Review
The nose of this 9-Year Fitz opens with a mix of sweet and nostalgic notes—Pay Day candy bar, vanilla frosting, and even a touch of Hubba Bubba bubblegum. There’s also a fruity layer of orange, pear, and sparkling grape juice that adds brightness, but sadly a bit of oak and a subtle funk underneath.
The mouthfeel of the palate is viscous but light, with the initial sip showing rich sweetness—think cappuccino foam, honey, and graham cracker—before darker oak and light peanut notes emerge. A hint of orange zest and leather keeps things interesting, though the alcohol heat shows up more than expected for a Bottled-in-Bond pour.
The finish lingers with warm oak, faint red fruit, and a touch of nuttiness. It’s long, pleasant, and leans into the darker side of the profile without turning dry or bitter.
This Old Fitzgerald 9-Year BIB whiskey sits at an MSRP that feels fair for the age and presentation, especially given its elegant decanter. It’s a solid pour that offers classic wheated sweetness with a mature oak presence, though it’s not as balanced as the 7-Year release. If you find it on sale, it’s worth picking up—but for regular sipping, other wheated bourbons may give you more depth for the price.
If you’re looking for specific notes from our Barrel Bros, read their individual reviews below!
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Individual Reviews
The Rye Guy Says
Score: 7.5/10
Value: 3.5/5
THE NOSE:
Pay Day and Hubba Bubba bubblegum. Those two flavors stuck out immediately to me.
Bubblegum is a flavor I’ve gotten with other wheated whiskeys, so it may just be a me thing.
I also got a bit of Sparkling Grape Juice notes. There is a bit of funk on this one too.
THE TASTE:
The mouthfeel is viscous but light. The flavor is very pronounced, mostly sweet, and a bit like a frothed cappuccino.
On the second half I get some fruitiness that was giving orange flavors.
Despite these flavors the sip itself does come across quite dark and rich with a good amount of oak.
THE FINISH:
The finish remains pleasantly sweet, rich, and lingers for quite some time.
The overall flavor is more oak and actually a bit of peanut.
BUY OR PASS?
I do think this sipped better after I concluded my review, so perhaps its best not under direct scrutiny. The finish is probably the best part of the pour, which does make you come back.
It’s bold, flavorful, rich, and dark but there is a bit of a bite to the palate.
The Hunter Says
Score: 7/10
Value: 2.5/5
THE NOSE:
The nose on this one is light and bright, full of fruity notes like orange and pear.
There’s some vanilla frosting sweetness and a touch of graham cracker and honey too.
It’s definitely sweeter than the 7-Year, and I even get a little white grape note that reminds me of white wine.
THE TASTE:
The palate starts off sweet, but the wheated grain flavor quickly takes over.
There’s a hint of the darker notes I usually enjoy—like a bit of dark chocolate—but it’s mostly masked by an unexpected amount of alcohol flavor.
Every now and then, I catch a little leather too.
THE FINISH:
The finish brings some simple red fruit sweetness before fading into light oak.
It’s cleaner than the 7-Year, but that also means it’s not as interesting.
BUY OR PASS?
Overall, this one’s tough to rate because it comes in such a beautiful decanter and has a big name behind it. But the profile just isn’t for me. I probably wouldn’t buy it again at it’s $130 MSRP and much more in secondary.
If wheated bourbons are your thing, the 7-Year will give you a similar experience and is much easier to find. And honestly, if you spot a Weller 107, grab that instead.
