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Pappy Van Winkle Special Reserve 12 Year Old
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Pappy Van Winkle Special Reserve 12 Year Old

Old Rip Van Winkle Special Reserve 12 Year Old

$1,499.00

$1,299.00
Overview

Old Rip Van Winkle Special Reserve 12 Year Old is one of the most sought-after pours in bourbon, and for good reason. Made at Buffalo Trace Distillery using the Van Winkle family's wheated recipe, it's spent 12 years in the barrel, finding the sweet spot between age and proof. It's the kind of bottle bourbon drinkers talk about long after the glass is empty.

Product Details
Attribute Detail
Brand Old Rip Van Winkle / Van Winkle Special Reserve
Producer Buffalo Trace Distillery
Country / Region USA, Frankfort, Kentucky
Style Wheated Kentucky Straight Bourbon
Mash Bill Wheated (wheat in place of rye)
Age Statement 12 Years
ABV 45.2% (90.4 Proof)
Cask Type New charred American oak
Bottle Size 750ml
Release Type Limited annual release
Tasting Notes
  • Nose: Dried mango, cocoa and spiced peach
  • Palate: Honey, oak and tobacco
  • Finish: Balanced and dry, with a lingering tingle
What sets this bottle apart
  • Built on the Van Winkle family's wheated recipe, swapping rye for wheat
  • 12 years in the barrel, landing right in the sweet spot of age and proof
  • Made at Buffalo Trace, one of the most decorated distilleries in the country
  • One of the most talked about and hardest to find bottles in bourbon
  • Carries the Van Winkle name, a family with over a century in the trade
Distillery Information

The Van Winkle story starts with Julian "Pappy" Van Winkle, who began selling bourbon by horse and buggy for W.L. Weller & Sons back in 1893. After Prohibition, he took over the combined Weller and Stitzel operations and opened Stitzel-Weller Distillery in 1935, where he introduced a wheated mash bill that swapped out rye for wheat, giving the bourbon a softer, smoother edge. That recipe became the Van Winkle signature. The family kept the tradition alive through Julian Jr. and Julian III, and since 2002 the whiskey has been produced in partnership with Buffalo Trace Distillery, keeping the original recipe and family involvement intact.

Awards & Recognition

  • 98 Points, Paul Pacult
  • Overall Winner, World Whiskies Awards 2016
  • Best Bourbon, New York World Wine & Spirits Competition 2018
  • Gold Medal, San Francisco World Spirits Competition 2019
  • Silver, International Wine & Spirits Competition 2019

Who this bottle is for
  • Bourbon drinkers chasing one of the most sought-after names in the game
  • Fans of wheated bourbon looking for something softer and rounder
  • Collectors who know what the Van Winkle name means
  • Anyone after a proper after-dinner sipper
How to enjoy

  • Best enjoyed neat
  • Give it time in the glass to open up the fruit and spice
  • A great one to save for the end of the night

Why we curate it

Old Rip Van Winkle Special Reserve 12 Year is bourbon royalty. The wheated recipe, the family history, the 12 years in the barrel: it all adds up to a bottle that earns the hype. Hard to find and easy to love, it's exactly the kind of pour we want on our shelf.