Pappy Van Winkle's Family Reserve 20 Year Old is one of the most acclaimed and sought-after bourbons in the world, crafted at Buffalo Trace Distillery in Frankfort, Kentucky, and bottled at 45.2% ABV (90.4 proof) in a 750ml bottle. Made using the Van Winkle family's distinctive wheated mash bill — substituting wheat for rye as the secondary grain — it's aged a full 20 years, a remarkably long maturation period few bourbons can survive due to Kentucky's harsh "angel's share" evaporation. Rated 99 out of 100 by the Beverage Testing Institute's World Spirits Championship, the highest score the institute had given at the time, it's widely credited with transforming Pappy Van Winkle from a family label into a cult phenomenon, and remains one of the most difficult bottles in the world to find at retail.

Old Rip Van Winkle 20 Year Old Tasting Notes.

Nose: Deep amber with a dark orange cast, showing oiled leather, smoke, minerals, coffee and cigar box notes.
Palate: Intense and tantalising, smooth with citrus zest, layered with sherry notes, dried fruits and vanilla.
Finish: Long and elegant, with lingering caramelised sweetness and gentle warmth.

Why Add Old Rip Van Winkle 20 Year Old to Your Collection?

This bourbon carries genuine family history — Julian "Pappy" Van Winkle Sr. began his career in 1893 as a travelling whiskey salesman for W.L. Weller & Sons, eventually rising to president of the legendary Stitzel-Weller Distillery, where he built his reputation on a wheated bourbon recipe unlike almost anything else being made at the time. After the family sold the original distillery in 1972, Pappy's grandson Julian Van Winkle III revived the family name, and it was a high rating from the Chicago Beverage Testing Institute in the early 1990s that first sparked the word-of-mouth reputation that's since made this one of the most searched-for bourbons on earth. Critic F. Paul Pacult described it as "sophisticated and full of character, this is a very special whiskey with a wonderfully smooth, rich taste," and Wine Enthusiast has separately scored it 97 points. At 20 years old, this expression sits at the peak of the Van Winkle range's complexity — old enough to develop remarkable depth and integration, yet still bottled at a lower proof than the 15 Year specifically so that hard-won complexity can shine without excess heat. Every bottle carries a digital laser code on the glass, recording the exact date and time of bottling — a genuine anti-counterfeiting measure worth knowing given how frequently this bottle is faked or resold above suggested retail. A true centrepiece for any serious bourbon collection, and one of the most difficult bottles in the world to source through normal retail channels.

Old Rip Van Winkle

Produced at Buffalo Trace in Kentucky, the Van Winkle range represents the pinnacle of wheated bourbon. Overseen by the Van Winkle family, these small-batch releases have achieved legendary status among collectors and enthusiasts. The rarity of each annual release, combined with exceptional quality and careful barrel selection, has made Van Winkle bourbons among the most coveted whiskies in the world.