The last Very Olde St. Nick rye in this series is the 18 Year Ancient Rye. This one would have been my favorite of the night if it had not been edged out by the Very Olde St. Nick 17. Like the 17, it tastes like it might have come from a different distillery than the others we tried that night. Either that or after 16 years the reaction between the distillate and the wood kicked into overdrive and started pulling in all kinds of new and lovely elements into the whiskey.
In addition to being the oldest in the line up we tasted, it was also the highest proof. I loved the progression of both age and proof as we went through the tasting. The 17 & 18 felt like the big explosive grand finale at a fireworks show. Being able to taste all of these rarities side by side was a lot of fun and if you ever get the chance to try any of them I highly recommend you do!
Very Olde St. Nick – 18 yr Ancient Rye Review
ABV: 52.3%
Age: 18 years
Price: NA – Prices vary due to rarity (Japan export)
Bottler: The Kulsveens
EYE
Dark Caramel with some red facets
NOSE
Here we go rye spice here we go! Rye and wood kicks things off and again caramel and butterscotch come in right behind. The dark fruit here is a bit deeper and notes of vanilla come on stronger, but so do the notes of cinnamon, citrus, dill and toasted sugar. Very pleasant.
PALATE
Things mix up just a bit here but rye still leads followed by butterscotch, wood, caramel, vanilla, toasted nuts, dark fruit and mint. Some light hints of dill aimlessly float around, but are in no way aggressive. It’s nice, but not quite as complex as the 17.
BALANCE, BODY & FEEL
Good balance with a rich thick body and scary easy to drink at full 104.6 proof with only a slight bite. A splash of water smoothes it out completely without loosing any balance or body.
FINISH
Long and dominated by wood with some hints of rye spice, caramel, cinnamon and mint.
OVERALL
I really really enjoyed this one, but to me it didn’t have quite the complexity that the 17 did, but it’s not a massive difference in complexity. More like the difference in a 2,000 piece jig saw puzzle vs a 2,100 piece jig saw puzzle. I love the mixing and mashing of the spicy, savory and sweet notes and how they move from nose to palate to finish in a shifting but seamless manner with the oak staying consistent through out. A very nice oak and rye driven whiskey indeed.
SCORE: 88-92/100 (range given due to having it at a tasting and not in a controlled environment at home)