The jump from the Lot 15 to this, the Very Olde St. Nick 19 year Rare Bourbon Whiskey, was incredible. After this one was poured a silence fell over the room and I knew everyone else was having the same “holy shit this is good” moment I was having. I’m going to spoil the rest of this series for you right now by telling you this was by far my favorite of the night and when we voted (by simple raise of hands) at the end of the night, it was damn near unanimous that this was winner.
This monumental jump in quality and overall style from the first two which were both, presumably, younger than this one is what made a couple of us wonder if all the whiskey did in fact all come from Stitzel-Weller. All we had to go off of is what we were told, but still, this kind of explosive difference definitely raised a few eye-brows.
Very Olde St. Nick – 19 yr Rare Bourbon Whiskey Review
ABV: 47%
Age: 19 years
Price: NA – Prices vary due to rarity (Japan export)
Distiller: Stitzel-Weller
Bottler: The Kulsveens (Willett / KBD)
EYE
Dark caramel with some red
NOSE
A deep rich well of pleasant notes. Butterscotch, toffee, caramel, spice, vanilla, cinnamon, dark fruit and even a bit of cocoa and leather. It was like walking past a sweets shop that had a bakery right next to it. This is the knd of complex aroma I could sit and sniff for hours.
PALATE
Here the dark fruit moves up with heavier notes of dark cherries and dried strawberries. The caramel is rich and brings along notes of oak, candy corn, baking spices, angel food cake, butterscotch and just a touch of astringency. A complex and multi-faceted flavor.
FINISH
Long and filled with caramel, brittle, grains, butterscotch, wood and spice.
BALANCE, BODY & FEEL
Perfectly balanced with a rich full body and a heavy chewy texture.
OVERALL
Without a doubt I want a bottle of this one. It’s simply incredible with a deep rich nose and fascinatingly complex palate that I just want to sit and explore for hours. After everyone had received their pours there was about an ounce to an ounce and a half left in the bottle and a part of me wanted to rush over, grab the bottle and run laughing out of the building with the remainder, but I restrained myself because I wanted to see what goodies the rest of the bottles had in store.
SCORE: 93-97/100 (range given due to having it at a tasting and not in a controlled environment)
