Old Rip Van Winkle 10 Year, 2015
OOld Rip Van Winkle. I'm one of few my age that can still remember buying this on the shelf at MSRP. The world of bourbon certainly has changed which is why I honestly wasn’t planning on reviewing any Van Winkle bourbons, not because I dislike them, but simply because we don't need another review of an overhyped bourbon that nobody can acquire. Shrewd product placement, celebrity chef douchebaggery and hype to the point of inept insanity has done enough damage (or one could argue the opposite) to the Van Winkle line of whiskeys. A lot of bloggers I talk to won't even touch them in terms of reviewing and will scoff instantly even at the name; whiskey bloggers and veteran bourbon drinkers have become so fatigued when a novice brings up the desire to try a Van Winkle, its honestly hilarious to witness the facial expressions. Even worse is the “whiskey demographic” online, be it social media and even some bloggers, which has become so saturated with pic after pic and repost after repost of some dudes “collection”, consisting of these scarce wheaters that most people never will drink - and the few that do are either absurdly lucky at a Controlled States ABC lottery or are dropping 800% markup in a state like California and this doesn’t even include what some are paying for by the ounce in a bar - just because the name “Van Winkle” and/or the old dude with the cigar is emblazoned on the bottles front.. These are the hoarders, which one could strongly argue are greatly responsible for the state of bourbon today.
Now that that rant is out of the way (my apologies), a bourbon “Asleep Many Years In The Wood”...most everyone reading this knows what this is, the youngest of the Van Winkle brothers, the Old Rip Van Winkle 10 year. “10 summers old”, bottled at 107 proof and made from a wheated mash bill, with probably one of the coolest labels on the market next to equally eloquent Willett and the minimally modest BTAC. But ultimately it’s the juice inside that counts...
Old Rip Van Winkle 10 Year, 2015
ABV: 53.5% // 107 proof
Age: 10 years
Vintage: 2015
Mash Bill: Buffalo Trace’s Wheated Mash Bill (undisclosed)
Color: Rich Copper Amber
Nose: Rounded, rich and decadently nostalgic. Few wheaters can touch this nose - the sweet, confectionary notes just melt and simmer throughout the glass and overflow into your nose. Warm, moist brown sugars, bubble gum, ginger, cinnamon, and very buttery. You can literally smell the butter melting on top of the pancakes. Freshly buttered toast, melted milk chocolate, some orange spices, potpourri and a little cherry cough lozenge sitting on top of piles of big baking spices - all balanced by gorgeous notes of American oak and a squeeze of lemon.
The grape soda note I get from some of BT’s bourbon comes through, even more so than I find in a lot of bottles of Eagle Rare. I attribute this to BT’s corn strain specifically which may sound odd but it’s definitely here and works very well with the rest of the nose. You can’t not love this nose - even if you aren't a fan of wheated bourbons. This nose is the quintessential confectionary shop - it literally hits every note you’d imagine while standing in one. I’d be giving this a 100 if it were for the nose alone.....
Palate: Sluggish & disappointing - their is no other way of saying it. Nothing offensive and with nice qualities, but a huge letdown from the nose. Demerara sugars, bubblegum, raisin and some of the really nice baking spices from the nose, but not as intense. The wheat is stated beneath all the sweetness but isn't as rich as your average Weller 107. The mouthfeel is rounded, but never takes off and lacks any depth or substantial texture other than “sweet”. The palate overall is quite buttery, which one should expect from a wheater and the support of oak accompanies the sweeter notes above with just a hint of barrel char with a non-astringent wood polish note, but overall everything is a half hearted yelp compared to the harmonious melody being sung on the nose.
Finish: Medium in length. Honey & spices pop right from the start of the finish, painting a picture of every classic holiday spice you can muster from childhood memory: rich baking spices - cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, allspice, vanilla spices, moist brown sugars, more demerara sugars and some black pepper as well. Oak and sweet vanilla stride hand in hand next to the baking spices followed by a mere hint of smoke.
I’ve become so well acquainted with BT’s corn strain over the years that I could likely pick it blind out of any mystery flight. You find this in the finish along with nicely accentuated notes of golden wheat, reminding you exactly what kind of bourbon this is, and the continual baking spices remind you exactly who’s last name is on the front of the bottle. This is a Van Winkle every inch of the finish, although it does drink a little softer than 107 proof. Very spice dominant, turning slightly bitter right on the end but lip smackingly sweet, and just about everything you should expect in a finish from a Van Winkle.
Bourbon and House Rating: 83.5
The sole factor that kept this ‘Rip from being a solid A grade bourbon was the palate. It was just flat out boring. I even let this open up over a few months, but little changed.
The palate was so underwhelming and the finish shorter than anticipated, especially considering all the Weller 107 barrel picks out there at the same proof and mash bill (of course younger) yet which typically have a much longer finish. I judged this whiskey, like all whiskies, as objectively as possible - meaning having as little regard to the Van Winkle(VW) on the label, and all judgment towards the juice inside. The nose is to die for, with so much sweetness you could get a cavity just from the nosing. All that being said, with the VW name ornamented on the front, there comes a standard that one expects from a VW, one that the VW Family along with Buffalo Trace know needs to be met. I’ve had other vintages of Old Rip that displayed a much richer mouthfeel which would merit a solid A rating.