Very Olde St. Nick Summer Rye
The Very Olde St. Nick (VOSN) line is, depending how you look at it, a fairly old line or a pretty new one capitalizing on the older name. I’ve already talked about how “old” means less than nothing in a whiskey name nowadays; except for the rare unicorn bottlings that VOSN puts out, I tend to think of this line as the latter, not the former.
Put out by Preservation Distillery in Kentucky, this rye was dumped before the summer months, hence “summer rye”. Preservation is a newer player on the block, despite some of their 20+-year-old releases (and, I must say, I can’t get over the FOMO for the 375ml 17YO unicorn bottles).
I’ll be honest, I don’t know exactly what to say about this one. The distillery itself is fairly open (evaluated based on website transparency), but once you get down to the individual brands like VOSN there’s a lot less information available. I want to know where things come from.
This particular bottle was from lot 532. No idea what that means, or where this comes from. It’s fine, but for the price? Bite me. Sorry, bite me. Even at MSRP - whatever that even is for this - “many” summers old? Come on. And to the people behind VOSN, I don’t know why this is bothering me so much about your product where I could easily go after others, but when you call something “Very Olde” and can’t put an age statement? Even to say 10+ years with the exact age up in the air?
I’m sorry. I’m sorry this one comes off as an attack on what could be a very good brand with other products that I might enjoy more. And, for the record, I’m open to trying them. BUT - until that time, this is what I’ve got to work with.
Very Olde St. Nick Summer Rye: Specs
Classification: Rye
Origin: Preservation Distillery
Mashbill: Unknown
Proof: 86 (43% ABV)
Age: NAS
Location: Kentucky
Very Old St. Nick Summer Rye Price: $750
Very Olde St. Nick Summer Rye Review: Tasting Notes
Eye: Brand new pennies. Medium rim and quick syrupy legs.
Nose: Well that’s a rye! Sweet herbs hit first with a backing of mild proof heat. Caramel and vanilla are there but I don’t think there’s much, if any corn in here. Some rye fermentation funk. Grapes and vine fruit ripening.
Palate: A little cigar smoke, and rye all the way. Gently warming tingle turns into a menthol cooling sensation, and those two keep battling. Just a little drying. Mouthfeel is lighter than I’d like, and it’s coating but doesn’t stick around. There’s also bazooka joe bubble gum that flirts with juicy fruit.
Finish: Medium length. I get barrel char, continuing mild rye spice and sweet herb.
Overall: Straightforward rye but the flavors battle rather than harmonize. I’m guessing either MGPs low rye blend or a Kentucky-style rye, 95-100 proof at 6 years, tasted blind.
Final Rating: 5.6
10 | Insurpassable | Nothing Else Comes Close (Blanton’s Straight from the Barrel)
9 | Incredible | Extraordinary (GTS, Elijah Craig Barrel Proof B518 and B520)
8 | Excellent | Exceptional (12+YO MGP Bourbon, Highland Park Single Barrels)
7 | Great | Well above average (Blanton’s Original, Old Weller Antique, Booker’s)
6 | Very Good | Better than average (Four Roses Small Batch Select, Knob Creek 14+ YO Picks)
5 | Good | Good, solid, ordinary (Elijah Craig Small Batch, Buffalo Trace, Old Grand-Dad Bottled-in-Bond)
4 | Sub-par | Many things I’d rather have (A.D. Laws Four Grain, Compass Box “Oak Cross”)
3 | Bad | Flawed (Iron Smoke Bourbon, Balcones)
2 | Poor | Forced myself to drink it (Buckshee Bourbon and Rye)
1 | Disgusting | Drain pour (Virginia Distilling Co. Cider Cask)
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