Very Olde St. Nick 23 Year is a very old Kentucky bourbon bottled at just 81.2 proof, part of the gold-wax "Ancient Rare Whiskey" series made for Japan. It is a gentle whiskey for its age, as the low strength suggests.
About This Bourbon
The 23 Year belongs to the gold-wax "Ancient Rare Whiskey" group, listed at 81.2 proof (40.6% ABV) next to 24 and 25 Year versions at the same strength. That the proof matches across three ages suggests they came from closely related barrels, though the source distillery was never disclosed. Its lower strength makes this a whiskey to judge on flavour and texture.
Tasting Profile
- Nose: Soft caramel, polished oak, vanilla, dried orchard fruit and a trace of pipe tobacco.
- Palate: Light-bodied and gentle, with mellow toffee, baked apple, seasoned wood and restrained spice.
- Finish: Smooth and drying, with fading oak and caramel.
Serving & Food
Pour neat at cellar-cool room temperature into a small snifter. Do not add water or ice, as they would thin a whiskey this delicate. Serve it with almond biscuits, a mild blue cheese or roasted chestnuts.
How to Enjoy
Quiet sipping for anyone curious about very old bourbon without high proof, and for side-by-side comparisons with the 22 and 25 Year.
Product Details
Producer: Very Olde St. Nick
Series: Ancient Rare Whiskey (gold wax)
Style: Kentucky bourbon whiskey
Age: 23 years old
Proof: 81.2
ABV: 40.6%
Market: Japanese export bottling
Volume: 750mL
Origin: USA
Region: Kentucky
About the Distillery
Very Olde St. Nick's older bourbons have a pattern that surprises newcomers: the older the whiskey, the lower the proof. The 17 and 18 Year sit around 116 proof at barrel strength, while the 22, 23, 24 and 25 Year are all around 81.2. The usual explanation is that these barrels aged low in the rickhouse, where cooler, damper air lets alcohol escape faster than water and the whiskey matures slowly.
The brand was designed for customers in Japan who valued age above almost everything else, and its bourbon range ran from 8 all the way to 25 years old. Very few of these bottles were sold in the United States at the time.
To install this Web App in your iPhone/iPad press
and then Add to Home Screen.
