Old Man Winter Bourbon Review (2024)
By Randall H. Borkus
Rating B+
The latest vintage release from Preservation Distillery and Farm, Old Man Winter, has been particularly elusive stateside and a rarely seen bourbon generally. Old Man Winter is a boutique bourbon brand, sporadically, with the counterparts to Old Man Winter including the likes of Very Olde Saint Nick, Wattie Boone, and Rare Perfection.
The brand has been around for decades, but due to a lack of extensive distribution, most bourbon lovers have never heard of it. Earlier releases featured a notable double digit age statement; however, this current release has non-age statement (NAS).
The back label has a handwritten note that the whiskey is from Kentucky and Indiana sources. The bottle’s tagline “Bourbon from the Black Hill” is interesting and, in my opinion, adds to the mystic of the labeling. Yet I doubt the whiskey ever really came from the Dakotas. One only needs to sip some of Dakota’s very own to know that it’s best to leave the bourbon whiskey making to Indiana and Kentucky (or at least outside the Plains).
On a recent trip to Bardstown, Kentucky, I visited Kyle Lloyd, Preservation Distillery and Farm manager of operations. Lloyd shared with me that Preservation Distillery “has a great pipeline of whiskey to maintain their current products like Old Man Winter and Very Olde St. Nick. However, over time more of their casks will be combined into their unique blends provided they maintain the flavor profile and consistent quality Preservation Distillery is known for. Preservation Distillery distills wheated Bourbon, traditional rye bourbon, four grain bourbon and multiple rye mash bills using their pot still.”
Llyod explained, “[This] Old Man Winter is a blend of 8 year, almost 9 year-old, Indiana Bourbon with mash bill of Corn/Rye/Malt.” Llyod further shared that “this Indiana Bourbon sports a high corn content lending to the overall sweetness. (My best guess is 75% corn/21% rye/4% malted barley). This is blended in equal parts with Preservation Distillery’s 6 year old Kentucky Pot Still wheated bourbon. I might add that the Preservation Distillery’s 6 year old Kentucky Pot Still wheated bourbon is also delicious.
The Bourbon
I was fortunate to be one of the first to sample the multiple new releases, so I purchased two bottles for my home bar. The 2024 Old Man Winter is bottled at 109.8 proof (54.9 ABV).
The bourbon’s color is dark golden honey amber. The nose has a full aroma of Caramel weaved into a honied sample of sweet fruits like apricots and ripe plums. The front and mid-palate remind me of fresh grape sugars, and garden-fresh melons drizzled with Caramel and a touch of toffee. This flavor collaboration really makes for a complex taste experience and is quite enjoyable. The finish maintains the sweet fruit and explodes with rye spice, pepper and a lengthy oak dryness.
This is damn good bourbon whiskey. Old Man Winter is absolutely one of my favorite bourbon whiskies so far this year.
The Price
Like most Preservation Distillery expressions, the price tag is steep but the whiskey puts a big smile on your face! The Old Man Winter retail price at the distillery was $169.00 for a 750ml bottle.
