Old Fitzgerald Bottled-in-Bond Bourbon Stitzel-Weller Made in Spring 1964 Bottled in Fall 1970

Old Fitzgerald Bottled-in-Bond Bourbon distilled at Stitzel-Weller in Spring 1964 and bottled in Fall 1970 represents one of the most historically significant windows in American bourbon history. Spring 1964 was the final distilling season under the direct oversight of Julian "Pappy" Van Winkle, who retired that same year and passed away in 1965. Pappy famously refused to bottle Old Fitzgerald below 100 proof during his tenure, believing it wasteful to ship water across the country — a conviction that made every Bottled-in-Bond release from this era a true expression of his philosophy.

Stitzel-Weller's wheated mashbill (approximately 75% corn, 20% wheat, 5% malted barley) produced a distinctly soft, mellow bourbon with pronounced butterscotch, baking spice, and gentle oak — a profile that collectors have chased for decades as the foundation of the Van Winkle legend. Bottled in Fall 1970 at the legally required 100 proof under the Bottled-in-Bond Act, this bottle spent 6 years in new charred oak at the Louisville distillery before bottling.