Old Rip Van Winkle 10 Year Old - Review

Jun 27

Pappy Van Winkle Bourbon stands as one of the most revered names in American whiskey, its legacy intertwined with the history of Kentucky bourbon itself. The story begins with Julian “Pappy” Van Winkle Sr., who, in 1893 at just 18 years old, started as a traveling salesman for W.L. Weller & Sons, a Louisville liquor wholesaler. Over the years, Pappy and his business partner, Alex Farnsley, acquired both W.L. Weller & Sons and the A. Ph. Stitzel Distillery, the latter being the main supplier of whiskey for Weller’s brands. In 1935, following the end of Prohibition, they merged these companies to form the Stitzel-Weller Distillery, with Pappy at the helm. The distillery quickly became renowned for its wheated bourbon recipe, which replaced the traditional rye with wheat, resulting in a softer, smoother spirit(1)(2)(3).

Throughout the mid-20th century, Stitzel-Weller produced now-iconic brands such as W.L. Weller, Old Fitzgerald, Rebel Yell, and Cabin Still. After Pappy’s death in 1965, his son, Julian Van Winkle Jr., took over, but by 1972, the family was compelled to sell the distillery and most of its brands, retaining only the rights to the Old Rip Van Winkle name(4)(5). Julian Van Winkle III revived the Old Rip Van Winkle brand in the 1980s, initially bottling whiskey sourced from remaining Stitzel-Weller stocks. As bourbon’s popularity surged in the 1990s and 2000s, the Van Winkle name became synonymous with quality and rarity, especially after partnering with Buffalo Trace Distillery in 2002 to continue production using the family’s original wheated bourbon recipe(2)(6).

The Old Rip Van Winkle 10 Year Old Bourbon is a cornerstone of the Van Winkle lineup. First introduced in the 1980s by Julian Van Winkle III, it carries a 10-year age statement and is bottled at 107 proof, a nod to historical barrel proof traditions(7)(8). Today, Old Rip Van Winkle 10 Year is distilled and aged at Buffalo Trace, using the same wheated mashbill that defines the Van Winkle style. Released annually in limited quantities, it remains highly sought after by collectors and enthusiasts, representing both the enduring legacy and ongoing innovation of the Van Winkle family in American whiskey(9)(10).

Review:

Nose: Very punchy floral notes with a sweetened citrusy bite. Brown sugar and then some white pepper spice comes through on the back end. On the second nose, I get more honey suckle, vanilla beans, and graham crackers. There is a bit of ethanol mixed in as well to make sure you know that this is 107 proof and the youngest of the bunch. Absolutely the most youthful Van Winkle entry and it is noticeable by its nose. It is still a lovely complex spirt by nose, just not any true oakiness here or any brunt sugars or butterscotch that you’d find on older age stated bourbons.

Palate: Not very oily on the palate and I would consider it medium bodied on the mouth feel. Cinnamon, vegetal aromas, and holy Vanilla. That is the predominant note I get on that palate. On the second sip I get more of the almond extract which is a common profile I find in bourbons of 8 - 10 years of age. This tastes like a toffee almond butter cookie with powdered sugar and then immediately after, a sip of strong espresso to mimic the heat that this puts off.

Finish: The finish ends with a more bitter vegetal note that I found similarly to the 2023 George T. Stagg. Interestingly… While I know it is a completely different mash bill, that plant-like note came through at the end. You finally get a little bit of caramel and oak once it sits with you for about 20 - 30 seconds. This definitely has a longer lasting finish and is a pleasant one to round it all out. Really a lovely pour.

Overall: (88). This was the first bottle from the Van Winkle Family that I won in a lottery. This bottle I tasted was the 2022 release. It is a very nice bottle that does a lot of things right and I found to be refined. It did not push the envelope in any way and was just good, decently complex pour with a nice finish. Is it worth the price tag of $500-$550 it commands on the secondary market? Not even a little. How about $400? Nope. $300?? Warmer. $200? Sure.

Value: 40/100; (-2 on the overall). I paid $159.99 for this back in December of 2022 for this bottle. Would I buy it again at this price, yes. Are there better bottles at that price point and even cheaper. I would argue yes and I think I would win that case. The story behind the bottle and the brand is incredible. The lore (as the kids call it nowadays) is extensive and it’s the “designer” brand of bourbon. I would buy another one of these bottles to share with friends and allow them to try a really solid bottle, and not go to their chic restaurant down the street that asks $50 for a 1 oz pour of it. It’s a bottle that defines the younger side of aged bourbon. It is everything you would want a 10 year bourbon to be. It may have been worth it to pay a little extra back 10 - 15 years ago. Now with the competitive market that bourbon has, there are many other distillers that are putting out some incredible aged bourbons that are starting to give this bottling a run for it’s money.

Availability: Unicorn. Know somebody or get your number pulled at year end. Or if you are a trust fund baby (and it’s fine if you are) just go blow a bag and make up a story about how you for sure didn’t spend $600 on this.

Citations:

Brayden Bennell

Old Rip Van Winkle 10 Year Old - Review

Blanton’s Gold Bourbon - Review

The Book of Bourbon