Rating 93
Style
American Whiskey
Whiskey
Produced In United States
ABV 54.6%
Availability Limited
Price $210.00 
Reviewed By
Reviewed 2026-10-06

Preservation Distillery Very Olde St. Nick Ancient Cask Rye Whiskey: Faith + Conviction Review

Very Olde St. Nick probably deserves a quick thumbnail history: originally created in 1986 by Marci Palatella as luxury releases of sourced, well-aged whiskey for the Japanese marketplace, by the 2010s the brand had gone dormant. In 2020, Palatella would revive the label with a series of limited edition, small batch special releases that have become cult favorites among the American whiskey intelligentsia. This eight year old Indiana rye (from undisclosed distilleries) is oddly not labeled “straight,” and the lofty nomenclature doesn’t exactly have a story to match. “What is an ‘ancient cask’?” “Why is it ‘Faith + Conviction?” Who cares? This is quite good and unique in profile. The nose is packed with berries and dark fruits while the palate leans more towards dried fruits — raisins, prunes, apricots — and just a hint of baking spices. There’s a strong Nutella note in the mid-palate with this robust whiskey moving toward a leathery, woody finish.

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93
POINTS
Preservation Distillery Very Olde St. Nick Ancient Cask Rye Whiskey: Faith + Conviction
Very Olde St. Nick probably deserves a quick thumbnail history: originally created in 1986 by Marci Palatella as luxury releases of sourced, well-aged whiskey for the Japanese marketplace, by the 2010s the brand had gone dormant. In 2020, Palatella would revive the label with a series of limited edition, small batch special releases that have become cult favorites among the American whiskey intelligentsia. This eight year old Indiana rye (from undisclosed distilleries) is oddly not labeled “straight,” and the lofty nomenclature doesn’t exactly have a story to match. “What is an ‘ancient cask’?” “Why is it ‘Faith + Conviction?” Who cares? This is quite good and unique in profile. The nose is packed with berries and dark fruits while the palate leans more towards dried fruits — raisins, prunes, apricots — and just a hint of baking spices. There’s a strong Nutella note in the mid-palate with this robust whiskey moving toward a leathery, woody finish.

Reviewed On: 10-06-2026
93
POINTS
Preservation Distillery Very Olde St. Nick Ancient Cask Rye Whiskey: Faith + Conviction
Very Olde St. Nick probably deserves a quick thumbnail history: originally created in 1986 by Marci Palatella as luxury releases of sourced, well-aged whiskey for the Japanese marketplace, by the 2010s the brand had gone dormant. In 2020, Palatella would revive the label with a series of limited edition, small batch special releases that have become cult favorites among the American whiskey intelligentsia. This eight year old Indiana rye (from undisclosed distilleries) is oddly not labeled “straight,” and the lofty nomenclature doesn’t exactly have a story to match. “What is an ‘ancient cask’?” “Why is it ‘Faith + Conviction?” Who cares? This is quite good and unique in profile. The nose is packed with berries and dark fruits while the palate leans more towards dried fruits — raisins, prunes, apricots — and just a hint of baking spices. There’s a strong Nutella note in the mid-palate with this robust whiskey moving toward a leathery, woody finish.

Reviewed On: 10-06-2026