Editor’s Note: This whiskey was provided to us as a review sample by the party behind it. This in no way, per our editorial policies, influenced the final outcome of this review. It should also be noted that by clicking the buy link in this review our site receives a small referral payment which helps to support, but not influence, our editorial and other costs.
Preservation Distillery, in Bardstown Kentucky, boasts 40 acres of former tobacco farm which now pot stills whiskey alongside a herd of Bluegrass Longhorn cattle.
I have reviewed a whiskey from this group before. Previously I reviewed Rare Perfection 15-year, a ‘discovered’ Canadian whisky. Rare Perfection is a fun whisky and I enjoyed trying it. For me, it was proof positive that the people at Preservation do know how to manage older whiskeys. The Old St. Nick does not have an age statement, but in a press release it is stated to be a “base of 15 year old, non-chill filtered bourbon at cask strength between 115 and 120 proof.” However, it’s difficult to find out much more about this whiskey.
The press release for Immaculata states, “created in 1986, and under the same ownership for more than 25 years, Olde St. Nick is not an old brand “resurrected,” or a created story to make the new sound old, but exciting small releases from many years of methodically collecting vintage stocks, barrels that are now coming of age. Preservation has the luxury of owning its own Kentucky distillery producing in extremely small batches, and today, are in the position to produce and bottle slightly more of these gems with a focus on key distribution in our home market.”
I’ve said it before and I’m sure I’ll say it again, nothing wrong with sourced whiskey. Nothing wrong with a young whiskey. Let the liquid speak for itself and stand behind your product. However, let your product stand on its own merit and let us know what’s going on. I’m not in marketing, and maybe there is very good reason to keep things close to the vest. However, I feel like you should trust your audience, and let us know the makeup of the whiskey. Especially when the whiskey costs nearly $300 at SRP.
There are a lot of interesting comparisons with this whiskey, and all you need to do is Google it to find them. I am not going to list them here. I am generally excited to review this whiskey and see for myself what the mystique is all about. Preservation, to my understanding, is primarily distributed for the Kentucky region. They are a very small distillery and produce only 1-3 barrel runs at a time.
The problem with hype or comparisons is it will deteriorate your objective perception. I’ve heard about this whiskey, and I know there is quite a great deal of hype around it. However, it was worthwhile to level set this whiskey. It’s a 15-year base with parts and origins unknown. I know the component parts were matured and bottled in Bardstown, Kentucky, somewhere near where the Longhorn Cattle roam. With that we turn to the glass.
Tasting Notes: Very Olde St. Nick Immaculata
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Vital Stats: 118.1 proof; no age statement; SRP $259.
Appearance: Deep copper, almost a burned copper color.
Nose: We start off with a bouquet of berries, raspberry jam, tart cranberries, and even dark cherries. It evolves into some baking spices like cinnamon and walnuts. Very sweet and like a nice dessert. The high proof is unmistakable, and you find mature oak tucked away.
Taste: It evolves over the tongue and takes its time to do so. Starting slowly with light honey and brown sugar or caramel, you find hints of the berry nose, with raspberry pie or crumble, before the body of the whiskey really shows up. Out of the sweet forefront of the whiskey evolves cherry wood and oak, along with cocoa and lovely tabaco notes.
The finish is of a medium to long duration, but squarely with tobacco and baking spices. The sweetness is harder to find at the finish. The notes really melt together wonderfully.
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