Pappy Van Winkle's Family Reserve 20 Year, 2017 bottling, is a twenty-year-old wheated Kentucky straight bourbon at 90.4 proof. It shows the oak-driven, leathery side of the Van Winkle style around a soft, sweet core.
About This Bourbon
A 20 Year bottled in 2017 was distilled no later than 1997. The family bottles it at 90.4 proof (45.2% ABV), below barrel strength, which lets the leather, coffee and cigar-box notes of long ageing show without alcohol getting in the way. Expect a dark amber colour and a texture that is supple rather than heavy, the wheat keeping the mid-palate soft.
Tasting Profile
- Nose: Cigar box, coffee grounds, dried apricot and beeswax.
- Palate: Smooth, with molasses toffee, cherry, oiled leather and gentle wheat sweetness.
- Finish: Long, with oak spice, dark chocolate and a hint of smoke.
Serving & Food
Pour two fingers into a rocks glass at room temperature, or a stemmed nosing glass if you want to follow the aromas closely. Water is optional and best kept to a single drop. Try it with char siu, a board of cured meats and walnuts, or bitter chocolate truffles.
How to Enjoy
A reference bottle for comparing Van Winkle release years side by side.
Product Details
Producer: Old Rip Van Winkle
Expression: Pappy Van Winkle's Family Reserve 20 Year
Style: Kentucky straight bourbon whiskey
Mash Bill: Wheated (corn, wheat, malted barley)
Age: 20 years old
ABV: 90.4 proof / 45.2% ABV
Release Year: 2017
Volume: 750mL
Region: Kentucky, USA
Origin: USA
About the Distillery
Van Winkle whiskey is now made at Buffalo Trace Distillery in Frankfort, on the Kentucky River, a site with more than two centuries of distilling behind it. The distillery has belonged to the Sazerac Company, a family-owned American firm, since 1992, and it was named a National Historic Landmark in 2013.
The site also houses Warehouse X, an experimental building given over to maturation research, which reflects how seriously the distillery treats time in the barrel. All Van Winkle production takes place there under guidelines set by the family, on the same grounds that produce Weller, Eagle Rare and Buffalo Trace itself.