It’s that most wonderful time of the year again. No, not that one, we’re talking about the annual unveiling of the new Pappy Van Winkle whiskey collection. And no, you’re not hallucinating when you read the suggested retail prices of these coveted unicorn bottles.
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It’s true, we’re helping to feed the hype machine here, but the people love their Pappy. This wheated bourbon brand, which has been produced at the Buffalo Trace Distillery since 2002, commands thousands of dollars per bottle on the secondary market. Which makes the prices listed by Buffalo Trace seem like a joke—starting at $69.99 for the 10-year-old, and topping off at $299.99 for the 23-year-old. Adorable, right? The reality is that a quick search online shows the youngest Old Rip Van Winkle being sold for a minimum of $1,000. People drive the market, the market drives the people, and so on and so forth in a circular pattern that means one thing: Pappy shows no sign of getting any cheaper.
So for those who are interested in starting their annual PVW hunt this year, here are some key details and official tasting notes for the 2022 collection, which marks the 20th year of partnership between the Van Winkle family and Buffalo Trace: Old Rip Van Winkle Handmade Bourbon 10-Year-Old ($69.99) is bottled at 107 proof, and has notes of dried fruits, nuts and toasted barrel flavors. Van Winkle Special Reserve Bourbon 12-Year-Old ($79.99) is bottled at 90.4 proof, with notes of butterscotch, toffee and praline on the palate. Van Winkle Family Reserve Rye 13-Year-Old ($119.99) is bottled at 95.6 proof, with notes of toffee, caraway, leather and dried cherry. Pappy Van Winkle’s Family Reserve Bourbon 15-Year-Old ($119.99) is bottled at 107 proof, and has notes of molasses, holiday spice cookies and caramel. Pappy Van Winkle’s Family Reserve Bourbon 20-Year-Old ($199.99) is bottled at 90.4 proof and has notes of warm tobacco, treacle, espresso and charred oak. Finally, Pappy Van Winkle’s Family Reserve Bourbon 23-Year-Old ($299.99) is bottled at 95.6 proof with notes of oak, apple, leather and walnuts.
Obviously, the distillery and the Van Winkles are aware that people are going to have a chuckle when they read the pricing, so president of Old Rip Van Winkle Distillery Julian Van Winkle III had this to say in a statement: “Although we would prefer for retailers to charge our suggested retail pricing, unfortunately we cannot legally force them to do so.The best chance to find our products at a fair price is through lotteries offered by many retailers, where fans have a chance to buy our bourbon at MSRP. Many of these lotteries benefit charities, so it’s a win-win for everyone.”
There have been counterfeit bottles of Pappy sold on the secondary market, which at best is a rip-off and at worst can be harmful to your health, depending on what was actually put into the bottle. This awful latter scenario has actually played out (not specifically with Pappy) in other countries. “We caution people to only buy from a licensed retailer,” said president and Buffalo Trace Distillery president and CEO Mark Brown in a statement. “Do not buy from a private seller, even if it’s someone you know, as you don’t know where they got the whiskey. The counterfeiters have gotten very sophisticated with their technology, so it pays to be safe.”
The entire Pappy collection will be available starting this month, and as usual supplies are extremely limited. So happy hunting to the diehards, and if you actually manage to find a bottle for these listed prices, definitely post about it on every social media channel to rub it in all of our faces.
Authors
Jonah Flicker
Flicker is currently Robb Report's whiskey critic, writing a weekly review of the most newsworthy releases around. He is a freelance writer covering the spirits industry whose work has appeared in…
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FAQs
How more than a century of bootstrap ingenuity and shrewd marketing built the iconic Pappy Van Winkle brand. A rare bottle of Pappy Van Winkle's 23-Year-Old Family Reserve bourbon recently sold at auction in New York for an astounding $52,500—eclipsing pre-sale projections and breaking the brand's previous record.
What is the most sought after Pappy Van Winkle? ›
How more than a century of bootstrap ingenuity and shrewd marketing built the iconic Pappy Van Winkle brand. A rare bottle of Pappy Van Winkle's 23-Year-Old Family Reserve bourbon recently sold at auction in New York for an astounding $52,500—eclipsing pre-sale projections and breaking the brand's previous record.
How much should you pay for Pappy Van Winkle? ›
Buffalo Trace recommends Van Winkle be sold for between $70 and $300, depending on the bottle's age, but they typically sell on the secondary market for thousands of dollars.
Does Costco get Pappy Van Winkle? ›
The Old Rip Van Winkle Distillery only releases bottles of Pappy once a year, typically in early October, and bottles usually become available at retailers between late mid-October and early December. However, scores of Pappy at Costco have occurred at different times throughout the year.
How many bottles of Pappy Van Winkle are released each year? ›
This makes it incredibly hard to find, and spirits enthusiasts may have to wait decades just to purchase an authentic bottle. The distillery releases approximately 7,000 cases per year, which is only 84,000 bottles.
Which bourbon tastes most like Pappy Van Winkle? ›
The W.L. Weller Special Reserve bourbon is the closest-tasting bourbon to Pappy Van Winkle, as it shares the same recipe as the premium bourbon. Both bourbons are produced by the Buffalo Trace Distillery, with variations in the production process. Pappy Van Winkle is stored in a different warehouse from W.L. Weller.
What is the poor man's Pappy Van Winkle? ›
“Poor Man's Pappy” is a 2:3 blend of Weller 12 yr + Old Weller Antique 107. For a ready to to drink blend of Poor Man's Pappy, pour 2 parts (40%) Weller 12 year and 3 parts (60%) Old Weller Antique 107 into a glass. Give it a swirl and let sit for 5-10 minutes.
How to get a bottle of Pappy at MSRP? ›
When it comes to getting a bottle of Pappy at suggested retail (MSRP), a state-run liquor store is your best bet. Though, the keyword here is “lottery.” Look at that image above. Last year there were over 58,000 entries for 4 — four! — bottles of Pappy 23 at ABC Virginia state-run stores.
How should you drink Pappy Van Winkle? ›
“It should be enjoyed neat, with maybe a drop or two of water to open it up.”
Why is it so hard to get Pappy Van Winkle? ›
The longer the bourbon sits in the barrel, the more rich and complex the flavor profile becomes. As the age statements climb, so does the price and the rarity. Less of each bottling is released the older they get. Pappy Van Winkle bottlings encompass a 15-year, 20-year and 23-year set of bottlings.
That's the case with the "John Wick" movie franchise and Blanton's bourbon from Kentucky. The titular character's drink of choice is bourbon, and the Blanton's brand can be spotted in more than one film in the series.
Does Buffalo Trace own Pappy Van Winkle? ›
Pappy Van Winkle's Family Reserve is the flagship brand of bourbon whiskey owned by the "Old Rip Van Winkle Distillery" company. It is distilled and bottled by the Sazerac Company at its Buffalo Trace Distillery in Frankfort, Kentucky.
Why is Pappy so expensive? ›
Pappy's long aging process leads to limited supply
However, Pappy Van Winkle is aged for at least 15 years, which not only increases production costs, but also results in less bourbon to bottle, also because some of the booze naturally evaporates during this process (this is known as the "angel's share").
What is the rare Pappy Van Winkle? ›
This very rare, limited edition bourbon takes generations of distilling know-how to produce. Only the most careful and expensive distilling method can be used to create a whiskey as special as this one. Each barrel ages for 23 years and is carefully selected from the heart of the warehouse.
Is Eagle Rare the same as Pappy Van Winkle? ›
Eagle Rare is another Buffalo Trace offering, and thus, you may not be able to find it on shelves. Fortunately, it's nowhere near as rare as Pappy and is for sale online at a reasonable price. I like Eagle Rare because it coats the tongue with flavor while remaining smooth.
What's the big deal with Pappy Van Winkle? ›
Pappy Van Winkle is a brand of bourbon renowned for its high quality and unique flavor profile. One of the reasons that Pappy Van Winkle is so remarkable is because of its age statement. Most bourbons are aged for at least four years, but Pappy Van Winkle is aged for a minimum of 10 years.
