Released each year as part of the celebrated Van Winkle line at Buffalo Trace Distillery, the Old Rip Van Winkle 13 Year Old Rye, often labelled as Pappy Van Winkle's Family Reserve Rye, is one of the most sought-after American ryes on the market. Thirteen years in oak smooths the spice and adds a layer of bourbon-like richness that sets it apart from younger rye whiskeys.
The whiskey pours a deep, tawny copper. The nose leads with caramel, sweet tobacco and warm cinnamon, joined by honey and a touch of dried fruit. The palate is full and rounded, layered with toffee, roasted nuts, soft leather and a current of white pepper that runs through to a long finish of spice, dried fruit and oak.
Bottled by the Van Winkle family in collaboration with Buffalo Trace, it carries the same patient approach to maturation that the range is famous for, balancing rye spice with depth, sweetness and elegance.