The Old Fitzgerald Decanter series might be one of the most ubiquitous and sought-after modern bourbon brands. In fact, if you asked multiple bourbon enthusiasts what the best-looking bottle is, Old Fitzgerald would certainly be a frontrunner. Whether the whiskey inside reflects the quality of these ornate vessels is up to interpretation, particularly from release to release, but the aforementioned reality still stands. And while Heaven Hill certainly isn’t lacking for lavish LTOs, the Bardstown distilling giant is also no stranger to budget-friendly shelf staples. This is where Old Fitzgerald 7-Year enters the picture.

Introduced in June 2025, Old Fitzgerald 7-Year is Heaven Hill’s attempt to offer a shelf staple version of their popular wheated bourbon brand. To that end, these bottles aren’t nearly as decorative as the Decanter series bottles, but are still attractive. One detail I was curious to discover is how Heaven Hill would delineate the Spring/Fall releases of this new purported shelfer. Where the Decanter series bottles denote Spring/Fall with green/black labels, respectively, the 7-Year denotes with green/gold neck labels. Beyond that, this should fundamentally be a similar product to the Decanter series releases, just younger and presumably blended from less “special” barrels. MSRP is $59.99 with secondary gradually calming down to about $70.

Nose: Creamed Corn, Diet Ginger Ale, White Pepper, Almond Butter

Muted, Mellow, Floral

Palate: Almond Butter, Roasted Corn, Faint Caramel, Coriander

Medium, Creamy, Minerality

Finish: White Pepper, Mild Allspice, Light Brown Sugar, Mild Oak

Warm, Short, Salinity

I’ve never been the biggest fan of Heaven Hill’s wheated products, be it Larceny, Old Fitzgerald, or Bernheim. As a result, I had low expectations for Old Fitzgerald 7-Year, but still wanted to procure a sample to find out for myself (and have an excuse for a review). Those expectations were effectively met or exceeded ever so slightly, if only for the mouthfeel—which I think is the best aspect of this whiskey.

Even after sitting for a few minutes, the nose never really broke out of its closed off shell beyond the somewhat distinct diet ginger ale note. Both the palate and finish continued this trend, each barely showcasing more as time went on. All this is to say that I think Old Fitzgerald 7-Year feels balanced and fine-tuned to a lackadaisical fault. The aforementioned creamy, moderate mouthfeel does this whiskey a couple favors, namely making the finish feel more impressive than it actually is. I also got a surprising presence of salinity and minerality throughout, but not nearly to the same distracting degree as some Larceny bottles.

Overall, Old Fitzgerald 7-Year strikes a fair balance between slightly sweet and slightly savory without veering far into one direction or the other. This will make it an easy hit for some, particularly the non-critical crowd who just want a solid, enjoyable bourbon. However, for those who want a striking personality or strong value proposition, this falls short, even at its intended price point.