Van Winkle Special Reserve 12 Year Lot B 2008 Review

I have a love/hate relationship with Van Winkle bourbons. On one hand I think the hysteria around it is ruining bourbon. Sure there were other factors at play but I think the crazy train hype machine around their whiskey is one of the major reasons acquiring any sort of special release bourbon now requires an almost stupid amount of effort. On the other hand, I actually happen to like some of their products - particularly the 107 varieties. All debates aside, here tonight is a review of a bottle I purchased off the shelf a long time ago well before the current bourbon boom went batshit crazy.

45.2% ABV; Aged 12 years; 2008 laser code; $60

The nose is wonderfully soft with a lot of sweet notes like butterscotch, caramel, and honey. After all the sweet it follows through with a nice balance of oak. The palate is a little thin on flavor for my tastes but has a beautiful silky and creamy mouthfeel. It's suffering a bit from a lowish proof but there are still loads of typical wheated bourbon flavors: butterscotch pudding, caramel, slight cinnamon spice, and even some hints of citrus. At the back end there are some more complicated flavors like tobacco and leather. The finish is nice with a light sweetness and less oak than I expected but is kind of short. Again that's the proof being under my wheelhouse of 100 - 115 but it's very, very enjoyable.

Thoughts: I did a side by side of this with Weller 12 and the results were very surprising. I didn't expect much difference but it's much better than the Weller. The nose is sweeter and less harsh, mouthfeel isn't even close, palate is sweeter with way more range, and the finish has less bitter oak. That's saying a lot from someone who really likes Weller 12. Overall, this is a delicious and craveable whiskey. The creamy texture and soft sweet flavors are its real standout qualities. The only fault I can give it is that it lacks a lot of punch but that also means it's incredibly easy to drink.

Rating: A-

Note: Per various sources like this one, bottlings of Lot B prior to 2012 were are blend of wheated bourbon from both Bernheim and Buffalo Trace. A logical assumption would be that the further back you go the higher the proportion of Bernheim. I've had newer bottlings of Lot B that are strictly Buffalo Trace and they are only a little better than Weller 12 which is to say not nearly as good as this.