For reference, the label Old St. Nick has existed for a while (possibly decades) in California and was keen on sourcing Kentucky whiskey of all kinds and selling it in the Japanese market where it thrived. When the bourbon and whiskey boom hit the US, Preservation saw a very lucrative opportunity to make their inroads back to the US market. The only issue was that they needed to source a lot of whiskey fast and for cheap so they could help fund their distillery and start up costs. Our neighbors to the North were an obvious choice as most all of the mature barrels in Kentucky, Indiana and Tennessee were drying up, so rye whisky and strange Canadian whisky that kind of resembled bourbons were snatched up and bottled. So how did their sourcing turn out? I sat down with this bottle and my trusty Glencairn to find out. Tasting Notes Nose: Classic Canadian rye traits of pine needles, fresh cut hay, and other herbal notes remind me of various Barrell and Whistlepig ryes, but were all very faint. If there is any sweetness at all on the nose, it's reminiscent of butterscotch pudding. Palate: As expected, the palate is extremely soft with no proof sting. There is a nice caramel sweetness and oddly viscous mouthfeel considering it's so watered down, but the highlights end there. As for rye spice or any kind of spice, there is virtually none. There's a tiny hint of cherry juice, but the palate is very one dimensional with no tannic notes at all. Finish: With a proof this low, the finish is almost nil. There are leftover flavors like bananas and cinnamon powder but it's washed away soon after the sip is complete. Spearmint gum remains about the only dominant taste that lingers around, but that's it.

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