APBB (All Points Bourbon Bulletin) - 2011 Pappy Van Winkle in Stores!

Yes, bourbon fans, it's true.  The 2011 batch of Pappy Van Winkle bourbon hit the shelves towards the latter half of last week and yours truly made sure to get some before it was gonzo.

Making my usual rounds last week for dinner, I noticed that the Van Winkle Rye had made its way to some bar shelves and wondered if the bourbon would be coming soon after.  Rumor had it that the release was to be later in the month.  I called Total Wine to see if they had their allocation in yet and a woman there informed me that they indeed did and that they were already sold out of the 20 year.  Time was of the essence - to the Bourbonmobile!

You see, each year there is a very limited amount of the Pappy Van Winkle brand released.  Why?  Because that's all there is!  Think about it - these bourbons have been aging in barrels for 12 to 23 years.  That means that the distillery has paid for the production and then has to wait 12 to 23 years before they can recoup their expenses and hopefully make a profit.  Julian "Pappy" Van Winkle would not compromise on his product.  His famous quote: "We make fine bourbon.  At a profit if we can, at a loss if we must.  But always fine bourbon."  That mantra has been carried out by the Van Winkle family, whose family involvement in the bourbon industry has now hit its fourth generation.

Pappy started as a salesman for spirits wholesaler W.L. Weller & Sons before eventually purchasing the business and then the A. Ph Stitzel distillery, combining the two to form Stitzel-Weller.  During Prohibition, Stitzel-Weller was licensed by the US Government to produce whiskey for medicinal purposes.  The distillery would survive Prohibition and thrive afterwards, culminating with shareholders forcing its sale and the sale of its brands, with the exception of the brand that carried the family name - Old Rip Van Winkle.  Pappy's son, Julian Jr, resurrected the Old Rip Brand before he passed away in 1981, handing the reigns over to his son, Julian Van Winkle III.  Julian III brought the Pappy Van Winkle brand to market in the mid-90's, creating a demand for aged bourbons using his family's wheated recipe, rather than the traditional and less costly rye, the wheat imparting a smoothness to the flavor while retaining the bourbon's character flavors.  It's history in a bottle and it's fantastic juice.  Today it's distilled, aged, and bottled by the Buffalo Trace Distillery in Frankfort, Kentucky, a place I visited a few years ago.

I picked up the 15 year old bourbon as that is my favorite for the money.  I actually like the 20 year the best but at $120 a bottle down here, it's $50 more than the 15 year.  Total Wine also was out of the 20 year after a woman came in and bought all 12 bottles (yeah, that's about $1500 after tax!) on the first day they got the shipment in.  The 23 year is going for $299 at Total Wine but that is out of my league given all the bourbon I could drink for $30 or less.  If I were to spend that much on PVW bourbon, I'd go for 4 of the 15 year ($70) or two of the 20 year for that price and wouldn't really miss out on too much.  The 12 year Van Winkle Special Reserve also sits on my bar and it's another good buy at $60 though if given the opportunity I'd spend the extra sawbuck for the 15 year every time.

As for the bourbon itself...  The alcohol is there but not strong on the nose, giving scents of leather, vanilla, and caramel, without being overly woody.  It's got an average viscosity that coats the tongue nicely before giving way to a nice sweetness with hints of vanilla, caramel, apple, milk chocolate and a hint of dried cherry.  The finish is smooth as ever with the vanilla flavor really holding throughout.  That is also the predominant scent that was left in the empty glass after I left out overnight.  A truly fantastic bourbon to sip neat.

If you are into bourbon and haven't tried a Pappy Van Winkle yet, there are many spots in Miami to give it try before you make the decision to buy.  Zuma, Bourbon Steak, Michael's Genuine, Sustain, Yardbird, and new spot The Dutch all have it on the shelves.  Total Wine is the only spot I know that's carrying it and their stock on the 15 year was extremely limited in the North Miami store.  Don't take too long to make your decision.  It'll be gone before you know it!