Very Olde St. Nick Unicorn Cask

Very Olde St. Nick Unicorn Cask

The Basics: 

Preservation Distillery - Stitzel Weller Distillate from 1981/1982 (vatted in 1999)

108 proof

17 Year Age Statement 

$600 MSRP (375ml)

Nose:

Plum, fig and raisin pudding, dark raspberry jam, star anise, grape soda, molasses, oak, leather, and vanilla. 

Palate: 

Oak, prunes, apricot, plum pudding, Medjool dates, cocoa, and leather.

Raisin bread pudding  

Finish:

Initial bomb of plum and raspberry fades into drying leather, oak, and black licorice.   

Final Thoughts:

The chance to try Stitzel Weller distillate is something that all bourbon fans dream of, especially when it is at cask strength, and non-chill filtered! As soon as you look at the bottle, it is evident that you are in for a treat with possibly the darkest non-finished whiskey I’ve even seen. On the nose, which you can smell from a mile away, there are dark notes of plum, molasses, and grape soda. These flavors continue onto the palate, and are enhanced by the charred oak and rich raisin. The bourbon finishes with a hefty amount of raspberry before transforming into more oak and black licorice. This is obviously something very special given the history of Stitzel Weller, and the bourbon does not disappoint. The Unicorn Cask is a very complex and rich whiskey that allows you to pick up a new note each time you go back for a sip, however, I wish the palate had a bit more oily/creaminess to truly round out all of the flavors. At $600 for a 375ml, this is not a whiskey most people will ever seek out, but it was certainly an incredible opportunity to try a piece of history.