The 2022 bottling of Pappy Van Winkle's Family Reserve 20 Year is a wheated Kentucky straight bourbon aged at least twenty years and bottled at 90.4 proof. It is supple and mature, and its sweetness holds up well against two decades of oak.
About This Bourbon
This 2022 release is bottled at 90.4 proof (45.2% ABV) after at least twenty years in new charred American oak. Two decades take a heavy toll on each cask through evaporation, leaving a darker, more concentrated whiskey. The lower bottling strength is a deliberate choice, keeping the oak tannin and spice in balance with the caramel sweetness. The colour is a deep, burnished amber.
Tasting Profile
- Nose: Vanilla pod, crème caramel, cherry stone and cedar shavings.
- Palate: Silky, with brown butter, dark plum, nutmeg and a touch of mint.
- Finish: Long and clean, with sweet oak, cinnamon and light tobacco.
Serving & Food
Serve at 18 to 20°C in a Glencairn and let the glass sit for a couple of minutes after pouring. Pairs well with Peking duck pancakes, bread and butter pudding, or a cheese board with aged Cheddar.
How to Enjoy
A special-occasion bottle for a wedding, promotion or big birthday, opened with people who will notice what twenty years brings.
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: 2022
Volume: 750mL
Region: Kentucky, USA
Origin: USA
About the Distillery
The arrangement behind today's Van Winkle bottlings dates from 2002. Buffalo Trace had bought the W.L. Weller label, another wheated brand with Stitzel-Weller roots, in 1999, and three years later the Van Winkles entered a joint venture with the Frankfort distillery.
For the family the deal offered what it had long lacked: a dependable supply of whiskey for the future. From May 2002 Buffalo Trace began producing Van Winkle bourbon to Pappy's wheated mash bill, following the family's guidelines, and the barrels filled under that agreement are what the family now draws on as they come of age.