For many whiskey enthusiasts today, seeing a bottle of Pappy on a retail shelf is like seeing a unicorn. Named for Julian P. “Pappy” Van Winkle Sr. (1874-1965) the Van Winkle Collection are the most in-demand American whiskeys on the planet. Each of the bourbon bottlings are wheated bourbons and as of 2002, they have been made at Buffalo Trace Distillery.
Today, Julian III and his son Preston run operations for the Van Winkle Collection. The whiskeys are released annually and begin to appear at retailers and bars in late October and early November. Your best bet for a bottle is to do one or all of the following: first, be a good, returning customer and hope your patronage will win you good favor; second, enter your name in a lottery and get lucky; and third, be ready to drop some serious cash.
Happy hunting and may the odds be ever in your favor.
Old Rip Van Winkle 10 Year
The bottle features a fictitious Rip Van Winkle, a farmer who wandered into the mountains and drank liquor offered to him by a group of dwarves. He then slept for 20 years and awoke with a long grey beard.
What to Know:
The bourbon is bottled near barrel proof at 107 proof.
What Our Experts Think It Tastes Like:
Maple sugar, butterscotch, and Red Hots along with dried fruits and sweet caramel.
Avg US Price: $1,067
ABV: 53.5%
Old Rip Van Winkle 10 Year
Van Winkle Special Reserve 12 Year
Like the Old Rip Van Winkle bottling, this is “technically” not considered a “Pappy” bourbon, but it’s still made with the same wheated bourbon recipe as the rest of the Van Winkle Collection.
What to Know:
It’s aged 12 years and is bottled at 90 proof.
What Our Experts Think It Tastes Like:
Pitted fruits, citrus rind, vanilla beans and maple candy. Stops just short of a crème brûlée.
Avg US Price: $1,266
ABV: 45.2%
Van Winkle Special Reserve 12 Year
Pappy Van Winkle 15 Year
Julian P. “Pappy” Van Winkle Sr. is featured on the label of this bourbon as well as the 20 and 23-year bottlings.
What to Know:
This 15-year bottling was first released in 2004. It’s bottled at 107 proof, the highest of all three “Pappy” bourbons.
What Our Experts Think It Tastes Like:
A melted Heath bar, vanilla saltwater taffy, and a bowl of cinnamon-toasted cereal.
Avg US Price: $2,956
ABV: 53.5%
Pappy Van Winkle 15 Year
Pappy Van Winkle 20 Year
This was the world’s first 20-year-old bourbon when it was released back in 1994. When it received an unheard of 99 out of 100 score by the Chicago’s Beverage Testing Institute in 1997, the buzz for Pappy bourbon began. It has yet to stop.
What to Know:
After 20 years of aging, it’s bottled at 90.4 proof.
What Our Experts Think It Tastes Like:
Baked apple pie drizzled with vanilla-laced honey.
Avg US Price: $4,645
ABV: 45.2%
Pappy Van Winkle 20 Year
Pappy Van Winkle 23 Year
At 23 years of age, this is the oldest Pappy bourbon in the Van Winkle collection. (Note: there was a limited-edition Old Rip Van Winkle 25 Year that was released in 2017.)
What to Know:
It was first introduced in 1998. After 23 years of aging, it’s bottled at 96 proof.
What Our Experts Think It Tastes Like:
Full of oak, spice, leather and tobacco.
Avg US Price: $6,439
ABV: 48%
Pappy Van Winkle 23 Year
More from the Van Winkle Collection
Van Winkle 13 Year Rye
While this is a bourbon breakdown series, we would be remiss if we didn’t mention the other whiskey in the Van Winkle Collection. This 13-year-old rye is the only rye for the brand. While we don’t know the exact mash bill recipe for this rye, it isn’t a high-rye rye. In fact, it drinks more like a high-rye bourbon. At any rate, it is still one of the older rye whiskeys on the market and naturally, as it is a Van Winkle, it too is near-impossible to buy. Average US Price: $2,223
Ready to do your own Van Winkle Collection comparisons?
With Distiller, you’ll always know what’s in the bottle before you spend a cent. Rate, Review, and Discover spirits. Head on over to Distiller, or download the app for iOS and Android today!
Want to enjoy Distiller ad-free? Join Distiller Pro today to support the Distiller platform and keep ads off of your screen.
