Pappy Van Winkle Family Reserve 23 year Bourbon
When first approached by Buffalo Trace, Julian III was honored, but not immediately interested. He had ample bourbon aging, but the concern was for future reserves, since by this time, bourbon was increasing in popularity. Buffalo Trace bought the W.L. Weller label in 1999 and had been making the bourbon with nearly the same recipe as Pappy's. The transition was easy. As of May 2002, Buffalo Trace has produced the Van Winkle bourbons, using Pappy's exact recipe. This change allows Old Rip Van Winkle to maintain their strict quality standards while producing more barrels for future enjoyment.
It’s no longer home to the family business, but Pappy Van Winkle’s original 1935 Stitzel-Weller Distillery is still there, now owned by a multinational beverage company and used as a tourist stop for the Bulleit Frontier Whiskey brand. A plaque bearing Pappy’s mantra remains on the grounds: “We make fine bourbon, at a profit if we can, at a loss if we must, but always fine bourbon.” As “Pappyland” makes clear, the profit and loss are part of life, and yes, the bourbon is always fine.
