An 18-year-old Kentucky bourbon from Very Olde St. Nick, bottled at barrel strength of 115.3 proof. It dates from the years when the label was made for Japan, where it first found its audience, and it pairs real age with plenty of strength.
About This Bourbon
Collector listings of the Japanese-market range record an 18 Year "Rare Antique" at barrel strength, 115.3 proof (57.65% ABV), sealed in wax and identified by a hand-written lot number on the neck tag. Barrel strength means no water was added after the whiskey left the cask. Only the age, proof and the fact that it was made for export are certain here. The distillery that made the spirit was never printed on the label.
Tasting Profile
- Nose: Dark caramel, polished old oak, dried cherry, leather and a little clove.
- Palate: Dense and forceful, with toffee, brown sugar, cocoa and baking spice carried by the high strength.
- Finish: Long and oak-driven, with lingering caramel, pepper and old-leather dryness.
Serving & Food
Pour a small measure into a Glencairn at room temperature and let the glass rest before nosing. At over 115 proof, a few drops of cool water soften the alcohol and bring out the fruit. It suits pecan tart, aged Gouda or bitter chocolate with sea salt.
How to Enjoy
A slow after-dinner pour for someone who likes old bourbon at full strength, or a centrepiece at a tasting of export-era American whiskey.
Product Details
Producer: Very Olde St. Nick
Style: Kentucky bourbon whiskey, barrel strength
Age: 18 years old
Proof: 115.3
ABV: 57.65%
Market: Japanese export bottling
Volume: 750mL
Origin: USA
Region: Kentucky
About the Distillery
Very Olde St. Nick was the idea of Marci Palatella, a Californian in the wine and spirits trade. In the mid-1980s she noticed that Japanese drinkers wanted long-aged American whiskey at a time when most American drinkers had lost interest in it, and old barrels in Kentucky warehouses were easy to buy. The bottles carry an "Est. 1986" date on their labels.
For roughly the next two decades the brand was sold almost entirely abroad, in Japan and parts of Europe, and was barely seen on American shelves. Today Palatella runs Preservation Distillery in Bardstown, Kentucky, where Very Olde St. Nick is now bottled.
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