While the history of the wheated bourbon mashbill dates back to William Larue Weller’s original recipe from the 1840s, the style was not truly popularized until after Prohibition. During that era at the famed Stitzel-Weller distillery, Julian Van Winkle acquired another notable brand known for producing wheated bourbon, one named after former U.S. Treasury bond agent John E. Fitzgerald. Together, Weller and Old Fitzgerald came to define the wheated bourbon style, at least until Maker’s Mark entered the picture in the 1950s. Today, with Heaven Hill owning the Fitzgerald line and Sazerac controlling the Weller and Pappy labels, a friendly rivalry persists over what constitutes the “real” wheated bourbon. In my opinion, it simply does not matter. What does matter is that Old Fitzgerald, along with its little brother Larceny, tends to fly under the hype radar that surrounds the others. This Larceny private barrel can easily go head-to-head with a Weller Full Proof. It comes in one proof point hotter at 126, is seven years old, and delivers a profile that is just as sweet and bold, if not more so. The nose offers dry cedar, pineapple frond, dusty vanilla, Bing cherries, and butter croissants. On the palate, rich butterscotch and caramel lead, joined by peanut brittle, a touch of sea salt, and a layer of nectarine sweetness. The finish evokes fresh sourdough bread in an old barn, with rich wood and grain settling together in perfect harmony. This is a beautiful and accessible wheated bourbon, and a legend in the making.