Pappy Van Winkle's Family Reserve 20 Year Old Bourbon Whiskey (750ml) - 2013 Bottling
Note: Product has come from a private collection and as such has some minor scuffing/scratches/handling marks. Actual product pictured. Complete with its red faux suede/felt pouch.
Rumoured to be of a vintage that contains a portion of the Stitzel-Weller stocks, the dates certainly line up to have been distilled just after the closure of the Shively, Louisville site in 1992. A rare opportunity indeed. The laser code on this bottle is: B1302114:48M indicating B - Buffalo Trace, 13 - 2013, 021 - 21st day of the year, 14:48 - 2.48 pm and bottle line M.
"...beautifully constructed and remains one of my favorite bourbons ever." - breakingbourbon.com
In a blind taste test of whiskey labels from around the world, the Beverage Tasting Institute in Chicago gave the 20-year old Pappy Van Winkle's Family Reserve a 99 out of 100 rating... the highest mark ever awarded. It began as a rye-heavy style but it's now a wheated bourbon, making the whiskey softer, sweeter, mellower and more rounded. It remains the most-awarded of the Pappys, and is sometimes compared with top shelf cognac, helped by its slightly younger age and slightly lower proof.
Other reviews....
An ancient Bourbon, so should be a flavour powerhouse. But this is all about understatement and complexity. 95 points - Jim Murray's Whisky Bible 2020
...Amber mahogany. Rich, mature aromas of vanilla, cinnamon, leather, tea berry, coconut, and dark fruit-very complex indeed. Big, coating, soothing texture. Flavors are very mature, rounded and nicely balanced, with notes of molasses, dried fruit, cinnamon, and teaberry. It finishes long, with a very soothing demeanor.... An exemplary example of the style. 92 points - whiskyadvocate, 3rd Quarter 2001 Issue-Vol. 10#3
...This has always been my favorite Van Winkle bourbon and after this recent tasting, it remains that way. It has aspects of all of the other Van Winkle bourbons in a single package. It’s nose is by far the best out of the bunch. It proves how important a bourbon’s nose really is to the entire tasting experience. The palate features the rich fruit flavors of the 12 Year, the cinnamon of the 15 Year, and a touch less oak than the 23 Year. It’s beautifully constructed and remains one of my favorite bourbons ever. - breakingbourbon.com
...Nose: Deep, powerful and concentrated. This has moved into almost rancio territory: eucalypt/laurel, spice, burnt orange peel, apple, pear, biscuity wood. Palate: Soft and surprisingly delicate given the age. A charred note adds to the complexity. Gentle and elegant: cigar box, prune, molasses, soot. Finish: Long. In fact it’s very, very long and complex. Comment: A subtle sipper to be taken neat and definitely without ice! 90 points David Broom - whiskymag.com