Van Winkle Family Reserve Rye (2015) Review

Like most of the whiskey enthusiasts out there, I’m beyond tired of hearing about “Pappy” Van Winkle. The hysteria around it and prices that people are paying are beyond ridiculous. Sure, the bourbon is good stuff but it’s really overhyped and far from the best bourbon ever. Having said that, the Family Reserve Rye is a product in the Van Winkle lineup that doesn’t get nearly as much attention which is crazy to me because personally I think it’s the best product they offer.

What makes The Family Reserve Rye special is that it’s supposedly much older than stated on the bottle and it’s from the same provenance of 1980’s rye whiskeys that have become a thing of legend in the whiskey world in other bottlings. Per Julian Van Winkle, their rye is a 19 year old blend of Cream of Kentucky rye and Charles Medley rye whiskeys that were vatted and placed in a stainless steel tanker back in 2002. Every year since then, they’ve been releasing just a little at a time from those tanks, sometimes as little as 300 (three pack) cases per year. Though the information from Julian is pretty old by now, in a more recent interview from 2012, his son Preston Van Winkle confirmed that the rye was still coming from the same tanked source and would be for a few more years until their new source of Buffalo Trace rye comes of age.

Of course, there’s no official word on whether the information above is still true - what’s being released in 2015 could very well be 13 year old Buffalo Trace rye. I knew that going into this purchase there would be some risk involved and it could taste completely different from previous versions. Given the rarity of this bottle it was a chance I was willing to take.

Aged stated at 13 years (though reported 19 years by Julian Van Winkle); No. F3447; 47.8% ABV; $100

Nose: The nose is deeply rich and layered - maple syrup, dark fruits, leather, tobacco, old wood, and a musty funkiness. On the spice side there are some rye bread and menthol notes. Very complex and enjoyable.

Taste: The rye spice starts off right away but is very restrained. The spice intensifies at little as the palate progresses but it’s never overpowering. Towards the mid palate and into the finish, the same weird sweet funkiness from the nose comes in. The finish is an amalgamation of sweet, funky, spice, and lots of wood. It’s a strange combination and far from a typical middle aged rye whiskey but somehow it all works and feels well balanced together.

Thoughts: Outstanding stuff, up there with my favorite rye whiskeys of all time. I’m only going from memory here but this is every bit as good as the 2010 and 2014 versions I have tasted. It has that same old spicy sweet funk to it which to me is calling card of those 1980s ryes though I can’t be sure it is as intense as those previous vintages. I will say this is not for everyone and it is certainly an acquired taste. The first time I tried an older version of this I actually found the woodiness and musty funk notes offputting. At this point though I find them very unique and highly memorable which makes this craveability of this whiskey off the charts for me.

Rating: A / A-

Value: As always, I don’t factor cost into my ratings. At $100 retail this bottle is absolutely worth it but good luck finding it at that price due to rarity. I believe the current secondary for this is around $800 which I would never pay.

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.