Pappy Van Winkle's Family Reserve

Pappy Van Winkle Bourbon whiskey

Pappy Van Winkle
Type	Bourbon whiskey
Manufacturer	Sazerac Company
Country of origin	Kentucky, United States
Introduced	1893
Alcohol by volume	45.20%
Proof	90.4
Related products	Buffalo Trace

Pappy Van Winkle's Family Reserve is the flagship brand of bourbon whiskey owned by the “Old Rip Van Winkle Distillery” company (which does not actually own or operate a distillery), and is distilled and bottled by the Sazerac Company at its Buffalo Trace Distillery in Frankfort, Kentucky.^[1]

History

Julian "Pappy" Van Winkle, Sr. began in 1893 at the age of 18 as a salesman for the liquor wholesaler, W.L. Weller & Sons. In 1908 he and another Weller salesman bought the firm. In 1910 they acquired the A. Ph. Stitzel Distillery in Louisville, Kentucky which began operation as a sour mash whiskey distillery 1872.^[2]

The Stitzel Distillery supplied much of the whiskey sold by the Weller wholesale firm. The consolidation coincided with prohibition during which time the Stitzel-Weller firm was licensed by the government to produce whiskey for medicinal purposes. One of their labels that was introduced on the market just before prohibition was Old Rip Van Winkle.^[1] After prohibition, the brand was not reintroduced until after 1972 when the Stitzel-Weller distillery and its current brand names (including W.L. Weller, Old Fitzgerald, Rebel Yell, and Cabin Still) were sold to other companies.^[1] The only brand name to which the Van Winkle family kept the rights was the pre-prohibition brand Old Rip Van Winkle.^[1]

The Stitzel-Weller plant was opened on the day of the Kentucky Derby in 1935, just outside Louisville in Shively, Kentucky. At the time of his death in 1965 at the age of 89, Pappy Van Winkle was the oldest active distiller in the nation. A photo of him graces the bottle's label.^[3]

Sometime after the Stitzel-Weller distillery was sold in 1972, Julian Van Winkle, Jr. resurrected the pre-prohibition Old Rip Van Winkle brand and initially used old whiskey stocks from the distillery for its bottlings.^[1] Julian Jr. died in 1981 and Julian Van Winkle, III (Pappy's grandson)^[4] took over the Old Rip Van Winkle Distillery company.

After the initial sale in 1972, the Stitzel-Weller distillery was eventually closed completely in 1991.^[5]

Since 2002, the Van Winkle brands have been distilled and bottled by the Sazerac Company at the Buffalo Trace Distillery as a joint venture with the Old Rip Van Winkle Distillery company.^[1]

Style

Pappy Van Winkle's Family Reserve was formerly made from corn, rye, and barley malt, but now uses wheat in place of rye, and is aged in charred oak barrels. It is aged for 15, 20 or 23 years, which is considerably longer than the aging period for most bourbons. The 20 and 23 year ages are bottled at 45.2 apy (90.4 proof). The 15 year is bottled at 107 proof.

Awards

Pappy Van Winkle's Family Reserve has won various awards.^[1]

Pappy Van Winkle's Family Reserve 23 Year Old Bourbon was named “Spirit of the Year” for 2010 by Wine and Spirits magazine in its annual buying guide issue.^[6]

Winner of the 2006-2007 Golden Icon Award for "Best Whiskey"; the awards are presented annually by Travolta Family Entertainment.^{[citation needed]}

The offering has performed well at spirit ratings competition. The 12 Year Old Special Reserve was recognized with the "Trophy for Worldwide Whisky" and a Best-In-Class Gold Medallion in the International Wine and Spirit Competition for 2008.^[7] It received a score of 99 ("superlative") from the Beverage Testing Institute in the same year.^[7]

References

1. ^ ^{a b c d e f g} Old Rip Van Winkle
2. ^ American Whiskey: Commonwealth Distillery - Where Old Rip Van Winkle Sleeps
3. ^ . http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_zd4169/is_200205/ai_n9517431. ^{[dead link]}
4. ^ Van Winkle Family Heritage
5. ^ Ellen Jaye, American Whiskey – Ghosts of the Past: Old Fitzgerald – The Stitzel-Weller Distillery – September 14, 2000.
6. ^ Pappy Van Winkle 23 Year Old Bourbon Named “Spirit of the Year”
7. ^ ^{a b} http://www.proof66.com/single_display.asp?id=569