Van Winkle Special Reserve 12 Year, the 2016 bottling of Lot B. A wheated Kentucky straight bourbon at 90.4 proof, it is the gentler, lower-strength member of the family line and a sound introduction to the house style.
About This Bourbon
Lot B is the 12-year step in the range: two years older than Old Rip Van Winkle 10 but bottled much lower, at 90.4 proof rather than 107. The mash is corn with wheat and malted barley, aged in new charred oak. Since 2007 Van Winkle bottles have carried a laser code showing the date and time of bottling, which is how a 2016 release like this one is identified.
Tasting Profile
- Nose: Brown sugar and caramel, with orange zest and a buttery, biscuit-like sweetness.
- Palate: Honey and vanilla up front, then cherry, candied fruit and a light touch of oak.
- Finish: Moderate and clean, fading on brown sugar and soft spice.
Serving & Food
Pour at around 18 to 20°C into a tulip-shaped whisky glass and drink it neat. Rest the glass for a short while before the first sip. It sits nicely beside roast duck with a plum glaze, bread-and-butter pudding or a board of candied walnuts and hard cheese.
How to Enjoy
A calm after-dinner pour, and a considered gift for someone who likes softer, sweeter bourbon.
Product Details
Producer: Old Rip Van Winkle Distillery (made at Buffalo Trace Distillery)
Expression: Van Winkle Special Reserve Lot "B"
Country: USA
Region: Kentucky
Category: Kentucky straight bourbon whiskey
Mash Bill: Wheated (corn, wheat, malted barley)
Age: 12 years
Proof: 90.4
ABV: 45.2%
Volume: 750mL
Release Year: 2016
About the Distillery
Once Prohibition ended, Pappy Van Winkle, Alex Farnsley and Arthur Stitzel merged their businesses and built a new distillery in Shively, just outside Louisville. Stitzel-Weller opened on Kentucky Derby Day in May 1935, with Pappy, then 61, as president. It made wheated bourbon only, and its brands included Old Fitzgerald, W.L. Weller and Rebel Yell. Pappy ran it until his death in 1965, and his line about making fine bourbon at a profit if possible and at a loss if necessary still sums up the family's approach.