Very Olde St. Nick Straight Outta Bardstown 11 Year Old Bourbon Whiskey
64.1% ABV (128.2 proof) | 11 years old | 750mL | Micro-batch cask strength — Very Olde St. Nick (V.O.S.N.) is one of bourbon's great cult labels: originally released in the 1980s as an export-only whiskey for the Japanese market, it entered the US in the mid-2010s and is now owned by Marci Palatella's Preservation Distillery in Bardstown, Kentucky — a female-owned and operated estate distillery opened in 2018. "Straight Outta Bardstown" is the proudly Bardstown-centric small-production line: top-warehouse Kentucky stock aged 9–11 years, released in micro-batches of 1–3 barrels — non-chill filtered, uncut, at cask strength. This batch: 11 years old, 128.2 proof. Double Gold, 2024 San Francisco World Spirits Competition. Available to order online at Del Mesa Liquor in San Diego, CA.
Nose: deep caramel, vanilla, toasted oak; dark mahogany, antique leather, pipe tobacco, dark cherry. Palate: viscous and full-bodied — brown sugar, dark chocolate, roasted pecan, seasoned oak tannin, leather, tobacco. Finish: exceptionally long and warming — baking spice, sweet leather, lingering oak. Proof varies batch to batch (126–132 range), so each release has its own character.
Tasting notes
Nose: deep caramel, vanilla, toasted oak, antique leather. Palate: brown sugar, dark chocolate, roasted pecan, seasoned oak. Finish: baking spice, sweet leather, lingering oak. (Per trade/retailer notes.)
Why buy it from Del Mesa Liquor
- 64.1% ABV (128.2 proof) — cask strength, uncut, non-chill filtered
- 11 years old — micro-batch of 1–3 barrels (not single barrel)
- Double Gold, 2024 San Francisco World Spirits Competition
- Cult label: 1980s Japan-export roots, Preservation Distillery Bardstown
- Available to order online at Del Mesa Liquor
How to serve it
Neat in a Glencairn; let it rest, then add a few drops of water to soften the heat and open vanilla and fruit. Makes an exceptional high-proof Old Fashioned or Manhattan. Pair with smoked brisket, aged cheddar, pecan pie, or dark chocolate.
Frequently asked questions
What is the "Straight Outta Bardstown" series?
Micro-batch, cask-strength 9–11-year Kentucky bourbon from Preservation Distillery's barrel program — each release its own character.
Why is Very Olde St. Nick so collectible?
A 40-year label history, Japan-export roots, micro-batch scarcity, age plus cask strength.
Is it single barrel or a batch?
A micro-batch of 1–3 barrels — not verifiably single barrel.
Why does the proof differ from what I see elsewhere?
Proof varies batch to batch (typically 126–132); this bottle's batch is 128.2 proof.