Pappy Van Winkle’s Family Reserve 23 Years Old 2012 100% Stitzel-Weller

Pappy Van Winkle Family Reserve 23 Year Kentucky Straight Bourbon WhiskeyThis very rare, limited edition bourbon takes generations of distilling know-how to produce. Only the most careful and expensive distilling method can be used to create a whiskey as special as this one. Each barrel ages for 23 years and is carefully selected from the heart of the warehouse. This whiskey should be enjoyed neat.Pappy Van Winkle Reserve 23 Year bourbon has early aromas of caramel and cream with soft notes of oak, nuts and leather. This American bourbon features a sweet taste composed of vanilla, maple and honey joined by complimentary flavors of citrus and spice. as a long-lasting oaky finish, along with many of the early flavors.Van Winkle Bourbons pay homage to one of the whiskey industry’s founding fathers. This bottling is a real treat for any rye whiskey lover and a truly monumental American whiskey experience. Distilled in the heart of Kentucky, at the Buffalo Trace Distillery.The family of Julian Van Winkle III owned and operated the Stitzel-Weller Distillery. The grandfather, ‘Pappy’, began working in the distilling business in 1870s. They sold the Stitzel-Weller Distillery in 1972, which was when they created the Old Rip Van Winkle brand. Stitzel-Weller continued to make whiskies for Julian until the distillery closed in 1992. This bottle is from 2014 and is the last year for 100% Stitzel-Weller wheated bourbon.Pappy began working at W.L. Weller & Sons first as a traveling whiskey salesman and eventually as the President of Stitzel-Weller Distillery. He helped shape the industry during and after Prohibition. Through his endeavors in the warehouse, the boardroom and on the road, he built a reputation in the bourbon industry that was second to none. Fine bourbon was his mission, and he accepted nothing less.Pappy’s son, Julian Jr., operated the distillery from 1964 until the family sold it in 1972. After, not one to be defeated, he got himself an office and a secretary and formed a company called J.P. Van Winkle and Son. He got into marketing bourbon through many types of commemorative decanters, some of the more popular being for universities. But he never stopped bottling on the side. He created the Old Rip Van Winkle label as a side venture in case his son, Julian III, wanted to come into the business.Julian III took over the business in 1981 after his father passed away. He was 32 years old with a wife and four young children. The premium bourbon business was in a lull, but 90 years ago, Pappy started from the ground up, too. So, with this same, innate passion, Julian purchased the Old Hoffman Distillery in Lawrenceburg, Kentucky, for barrel storage and bottling purposes. He couldn’t afford much advertising, but the quality of Old Rip Van Winkle sold itself. Julian III and his impeccable palate created quite a stir.When first approached by Buffalo Trace, Julian III was honored, but not immediately interested. He had ample bourbon aging, but the concern was for future reserves, since by this time, bourbon was increasing in popularity. Buffalo Trace bought the W.L. Weller label in 1999 and had been making the bourbon with nearly the same recipe as Pappy’s. The transition was easy. As of May 2002, Buffalo Trace has produced the Van Winkle bourbons, using Pappy’s exact recipe. This change allows Old Rip Van Winkle to maintain their strict quality standards while producing more barrels for future enjoyment.