Simply stated, Pappy Van Winkle's Family Reserve Fifteen year-old Bourbon is a dream bottle for every fan of American Spirits.
Some argue, but since the original distillery building on this site dates from 1775, most folks consider the Buffalo Trace Distillery to be the oldest continually operating distillery in the US. It sits on the banks of the Ohio River in Frankfort, Kentucky, on the same 150 acres — completing 245 years of continuous operation. It even used the "medicinal" loophole to operate during Prohibition. Now owned by Sazerac, its history includes a veritable Who’s-Who of historic Bourbon owners and Master Distillers who continue today to craft some of the finest and most popular Whiskey brands in America.
The line of Van Winkle Bourbons from the Buffalo Trace Distillery are legendary. Each release is over-subscribed. So much so that there is a thriving secondary market. And due to a higher level of evaporation, the 2020 release across the entire line will be a bit tighter than usual. But….
We have access to a few cases of Pappy Van Winkle's Family Reserve Bourbon 15 Year Old. If you are a Pappy fan, you know that the exact mash bill is a state secret. But it is a wheated dram that goes into the barrel soft (114 proof), has been aged in the "sweet spot" of the rickhouse for fifteen years, and is bottled at 53.5% ABV. This is a dream-bottle. First come, first served.
Smartass Corner: Julian "Pappy”" Van Winkle Sr. started his career at the age of eighteen as a wholesaler for W.L. Weller & Sones Distillery in 1893. Mergers, acquisitions, and Prohibition interrupted things here and there. But the name and reputation was revitalized by Pappy’s son, and now grandson — Julian Preston Van Winkle III.
*This bottle is a collector’s item; we will not be able to entertain any refunds or exchanges.
**Individual orders are limited to one item per person, as we wish to give everyone the opportunity to participate.
***Any kind of transit damage is insured and will be reimbursed.
What does Pappy Van Winkle's Family Reserve Bourbon 15 Year Old taste like?
The Flavor Spiral™ shows the most common flavors that you'll taste in Pappy Van Winkle's Family Reserve Bourbon 15 Year Old and gives you a chance to have a taste of it before actually tasting it.
We invented Flavor Spiral™ here at Flaviar to get all your senses involved in tasting drinks and, frankly, because we think that classic tasting notes are boring.
Dog Dogson's
Smartass Corner
Moonshine Whiskey is distilled from a varied mix of corn and sugar and is aged in Mason jars and jugs for the length of time it takes the customers to get home.
Nose / Aroma / Smell
The aroma is a delightful sniff of warm English toffee, allspice, apricot, and chipotle.
Flavor / Taste / Palate
The palate is downright decadent with a rich and thick mouth-feel basking the tongue with notes spice cake, more English toffee, stone fruits, and even a light hint of mint.
Finish
The finish is gloriously long and complex with a slow, meandering fade of toffee, spices, and heavy wood.
I found this gem while on a work training. Tremendous.
Todd,
Probably the best bourbon 🥃 I will ever enjoy. Gave it 9 stars plus -
Edwardo,
Worth trying a pour or two just to say you did. You can enjoy 15 to 30 different top notch varieties/bottles for the price of a single bottle of pappy.
Nicholas,
Slayed the Unicorn. This is a bold pour that can be harsh at first but mellows as you drink through. After a few sips the full flavor was present. Now to slay its older brother.
Theress,
Hard to find, but it is the Best drink I have ever had. Even my friends who hate whiskey love this one.
guest,
Delicious. Perfect balance of sweet and spice
Robert,
Good - I liked the 12 yr lot “B” better.
Michael,
So many others that are better, the money and the taste are no where close.
Brendan,
My favorite Pappy - smooth, sweet, complex.
TR,
Bucket list Bourbon for many and worth chasing!
Jon,
Absolutely fabulous! Well worthy of the cult status it has. Complex, smooth, and sweet. Perfect for sipping neat. Too bad I could only afford one bottle in my lifetime. But it was a good bottle shared with dear friends and family.
Joe,
Good strong bourbon with bit of a snarl. Is delicious when drop of water added. Probably as close to perfection that I will get!
Lucio,
Simply Awesome!!
Alan,
amazing - leaves everything else in its dust
Matt,
Wow.
Brendan,
Tried a Van Winkle flight at a bar and this one was my favorite. The higher ABV gives it a great mouthfeel and the 15 years is just the right amount of oak for me as the 20 and 23 years tasted too oak forward to me.
Christopher,
My favorite of the family
Stephen,
My absolute favorite
Gary,
The best!
Jim,
Overrated for the price
Sean,
Freaking awesome. A ten minute finish to this thing.
Jeff,
The King of them all! Very strong pepper back end.
ANDREW,
Absolute Heaven, although definitely not worth the secondary market pricing.
guest,
Sets the bar
Michael,
Smooth with little heat. Vanilla flavor.
Liz,
Smokier than I thought it would be and definitely more complex than most.
Lawrence,
Nutty. Toffee. Slight pepper. Buttery. Sweet. Caramel. Long finish.
Dave,
I was underwhelmed. The Van Winkle
10 is much better in my opinion and this is probably a bottle to skip if you plan to drink, because at this price, it’s just not that good in my opinion.
If you want one for your collection, then maybe worth having.
guest,
One of the best. Smooth and flavorful.
guest,
The best
Jeff,
Crazy enough, I like the 15 year more than the 23 year. Good luck finding and affording it.
guest,
It’s pretty good
GREG,
Very good bourbon, cost aside. Smooth and spicy, great finish.
Ron,
Very good taste and flavor, way overpriced
Frank,
Best of the collection with 12 close behind and very similar
Smooth spiced start great long finish
Lyle,
Very complex flavors. Deep and clean
MIchael,
Love it...
Thomas,
Good bourbon.
I dont understand the cost.
Not worth the expense for the name.
scott,
I prefer the 12 year old. These bourbons used to be easy to obtain reasonably, were priced and I fear have become vastly overrated.
Judy,
Buttery, oakey, very smooth.
Sammy,
When I tasted it, my buds melted.
Jarrett,
Amazing
Aaron,
This is my absolute favorite bourbon. Good luck finding one though.
Erin,
Absolutely a must try for every bourbon drinker. Incredibly smooth and full bodied.
David,
My favorite, spicy yet caramely with just enough heat.
Justin,
The best I’ve had. Well worth the effort to acquire.
guest,
Awesome!
Bianca,
It’s worth the hype and the money!
Niki,
The best of the Pappy Van Winkle
Joseph,
Best flavor for value in the Pappy family. Dark amber color. Caramel on the nose. Smoooooooth. Drink it neat. No bite. A little floral up front. Vanilla and tobacco on the tongue. Sweet cinnamon finish. Enjoy!
Robert,
This bourbon truly is set apart from the rest, smooth and amazing. The ice, as it should, releases the true flavor
George,
Amazing. Just one medium ice cube and then: Bliss...