A 25-year-old Kentucky bourbon from Very Olde St. Nick, bottled at 86.4 proof under gold wax for the Japanese market. A quarter-century in wood is a long time for bourbon, and this one was bottled at a moderate strength that suits the age.
About This Bourbon
Bottled at 86.4 proof (43.2% ABV) and sealed in gold wax, this 25 Year sometimes still carries its original neck tag, as auction examples show. The label does not name the distillery, so it is best described as a very old Kentucky bourbon from the Japanese-market period. Another 25 Year was bottled at 81.2 proof, so the proof on the label identifies which one you have.
Tasting Profile
- Nose: Old oak, caramel, dried citrus peel, cedar and a little baking spice.
- Palate: Mature and silky, with vanilla, leather, toasted wood, dried fig and concentrated spice.
- Finish: Long and dry, with lingering caramel and old wood.
Serving & Food
Open it at a relaxed pace and pour neat into a tulip glass at about 18°C. It needs no water. Serve with a plain butter shortbread, dates stuffed with walnuts, or a slice of aged Parmigiano.
How to Enjoy
A milestone bottle to open with other bourbon drinkers, or a reference point for anyone who wants to know how bourbon tastes at 25 years.
Product Details
Brand: Very Olde St. Nick
Country: USA
Region: Kentucky
Style: Kentucky bourbon whiskey
Age: 25 years
ABV: 43.2%
Proof: 86.4
Closure: Gold wax seal
Market: Japanese export bottling
Volume: 750mL
About the Distillery
Much of the oldest whiskey in Very Olde St. Nick came from United Distillers, the company later folded into Diageo. Julian Van Winkle III introduced founder Marci Palatella to its people. As owner of the Stitzel-Weller plant in Louisville, United Distillers held old bourbon stocks made in the Van Winkle years, and it wanted to sell them.
Palatella's family bought a large amount at a time, she later wrote, when hardly anyone else wanted old bourbon or rye. She credits contacts and luck for the deal. Those barrels went into Very Olde St. Nick over many years, which is why collectors pay close attention to the long-aged bottlings from this label.
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