Pappy Van Winkle's Family Reserve 23 Year from 2017 is the oldest bourbon in the Family Reserve line, aged for twenty-three years and bottled at 95.6 proof. It is dark, deep and dry, a whiskey for slow sipping.
About This Bourbon
This 2017 bottling carries at least twenty-three years of age, which puts its distillation in 1994 or earlier, well before Van Winkle production moved to Frankfort. It is bottled at 95.6 proof (47.8% ABV). At this age the oak leads, and the whiskey leans towards dark chocolate, dried fruit and leather rather than bright sweetness. The wheated recipe keeps the texture soft despite all that wood.
Tasting Profile
- Nose: Dark chocolate, prune, old leather, sandalwood and burnt sugar.
- Palate: Dense and dry, with espresso, dried cherry, liquorice and polished oak.
- Finish: Very long and tannic, with cocoa, clove and lingering toffee.
Serving & Food
No ice and no water here. Use a small copita or Glencairn at room temperature, and keep the pour modest, as a little goes a long way. Serve with a square of 85% dark chocolate, well-aged Parmigiano Reggiano, or simply a strong espresso alongside.
How to Enjoy
The final glass of a long vertical tasting, or a once-in-a-decade celebration.
Product Details
Producer: Old Rip Van Winkle
Expression: Pappy Van Winkle's Family Reserve 23 Year
Style: Kentucky straight bourbon whiskey
Mash Bill: Wheated (corn, wheat, malted barley)
Age: 23 years old
ABV: 95.6 proof / 47.8% ABV
Release Year: 2017
Volume: 750mL
Region: Kentucky, USA
Origin: USA
About the Distillery
Pappy liked to say that his place was a distillery, not a whiskey factory, and the family still works in that spirit. For the 23 Year, barrels are drawn from the heart of the warehouse and given three more years beyond the 20 Year before they are bottled.
The family's advice on this one is plain: drink it neat, because ice or water only thins out what the years have built. The first 23 Year appeared in 1998 in light green glass with a wax-dipped top, a look the brand has since replaced with clear glass and a foil capsule.