Bourbon Whiskey·More from Very Old Saint Nick

Very Olde St. Nick Believe 20 Year Old Bourbon Whiskey

Very Olde St. Nick Believe, 118.2–118.4 Proof, is an ultra-mature Kentucky straight bourbon curated by Marci Palatella and bottled at Preservation Distillery (Bardstown, KY). Distilled in the early 2000s, this 20-year-old expression is sourced from legendary Kentucky heritage stocks, with technical analysis suggesting a high-rye mash bill typical of vintage Bernheim or Heaven Hill distillates. The spirit is bottled at a formidable cask strength following two decades of intense interaction with new charred American white oak in the Kentucky climate. This extended maturation has produced a shockingly viscous, nearly "motor oil" texture. The high concentration of wood sugars and dissolved solids delivers a brooding structural profile characterized by grittiness and depth, defined by notes of antique leather, toasted nuts, and dense dark chocolate that resist the heavy oak tannins developed over twenty years of expansion and contraction in the wood.