The original VOSN line was an NDP brand that basically pioneered cashing in old ties to bourbon history in that speculative way that would make even Kentucky Owl lose plumage.  The LORE THO. Those original bottles were Stitzel-Weller and therefore they will remain unopened forever or priced at Michelin star spots for dudes in tech who read Conde Nast and know nothing about bourbon.

This is from Preservation/Rare Perfection. Last time I reviewed RP and everyone balked “NEVER REVIEW THE NECK POUR” like a bunch of corn shucking Armands. So this time I drank almost the entire bottle.

Marci Palatella is a super passionate and nice person who apparently used to source whiskey from Van Winkle, HH, Willett etc. So the connections with the past is there, but what about the juice itself? Again, this is Canadian kernelwater, but the old bottles were NDP so why is everyone pissed? I think people see what happened with Kentucky Owl and have PTS[toil]D, however, this is age stated, and it’s actually pretty tasty.

Pepper your angus for that $174.99 retail price, but this is the way of age stated allocated product these days. Thanks a lot middle management profiteers, but no go ahead tell me about your BUNKER, which package of the new Ford Bronco are you going to preorder. Oh no way those Cargo pants zip off into shorts? Wow its been a minute since I hit up a Kohl’s. 

Color has great saturation, dark caramel/Riesin candy on the nose with a hint of lacquer. The waft smells well into the double digits. Nice rye presence with the holiday gingerbread nose, aniline leather and nutmeg.

The taste has an untamed heat for 110 pf, light astringency akin to “spicy” spearmint gum, but I oddly enjoy that. The drag is long and dry, none of the Frosted flake milk of young casks, it goes into peanut brittle and canvas on the swallow. Its enjoyable.

If you want this to be cheap SW that doesn’t cash in on a pre-existing pedigree, then I suggest you exit bourbon because you have a misconception about that hobby. There’s cheaper things that are better, but don’t provide the same experience. If you have the money, then go for it, dudes are paying $200 for rawdog coconut stouts who cares.