Pappy Van Winkle 15 Year Old Bourbon Pappy Van Winkles 15 yr old Bourbon Pappy Van Winkles 15 yr old Bourbon             Pappy Van Winkle's Family Reserve 15 years old - 53.5% abv (107 proof) **New Packaging and New Name** My grandfather, Julian P. "Pappy" Van Winkle, Sr., started working as a salesman for W.L. Weller & Sons wholesale in Louisville, KY in 1893 at the age of eighteen, just after he graduated from Centre College in Danville, KY. This bourbon represents a younger expression of our famous 20 year old Pappy Van Winkle's Family Reserve. The whiskey in this bottle was produced according to our exclusive family wheated recipe and was specially selected from barrels in the heart of our warehouses here in Kentucky. It has remained undisturbed for 15 years to age in deep-charred heavy oak...untouched by human hands...unhurried by time. I am proud to set my family name upon it. Rated 98 - Superlative! -- Beverage Tasting Institute

	All Van Winkle bourbons are aged a minimum of 10 years in charred mountain oak barrels. These lightly charred barrels give the whiskey a smoother flavor than most other whiskies on the market today. Each warm and cold season that the whiskey passes through the charcoal layer of the oak barrel staves, the spirit picks up color and a new richness-layer of flavor.
	Pappy Van Winkle's Family Reserve 15 Year 53.5% abv (107 proof) Van Winkle Special Reserve 12 Year 45.2% abv (90.4 proof) Pappy Van Winkle's Family Reserve 23 Year 47.8% abv (95.6 proof) Pappy Van Winkle's Family Reserve 20 Year 45.2% abv (90.4 proof) Old Rip Van Winkle Handmade Bourbon 10 Year 53.5% abv (107 proof) Old Rip Van Winkle Handmade Bourbon 10 Year 45% abv (90 proof) Old Rip Van Winkle Handmade Bourbon 10 Year 53.5% abv (107 proof) Van Winkle Family Reserve Rye 13 Year 47.8% abv (95.6 proof) Old Rip Van Winkle Handmade Bourbon 10 Year 53.5% abv (107 proof)

       

Family Heritage

The first three generations of Van Winkle's pose for a photo in front of their family distillery in 1961. Pictured right, Julian "Pappy" Van Winkle was the first of the family to enter the distilling industry.

The Old Rip Van Winkle Distillery has a four generation history. The Van Winkle family's

involvement in the bourbon industry began in the late 1800s with Julian P. "Pappy" Van Winkle, Sr.

He was a traveling salesman for the W.L. Weller and Sons wholesale house in Louisville, traveling

around the state by horse and buggy. Pappy and a friend, Alex Farnsley, eventually bought the

wholesale house and also purchased the A. Ph. Stitzel Distillery, which made bourbon for Weller.

They merged the two companies and became the Stitzel-Weller Distillery. Their prominent brands

 were W.L. Weller, Old Fitzgerald, Rebel Yell, and Cabin Still.

In May of 1935 at the age of 61, Pappy opened the newly completed Stitzel-Weller Distillery in

South Louisville. He had a heavy influence on the operations there until his death at the age

of 91. His son, Julian, Jr. took over operations until he was forced by stockholders to sell the

distillery in 1972. The rights to all of their brands were either sold with the distillery or to other

distilleries.

After selling the distillery, Julian, Jr. resurrected a pre-prohibition label, the only one to which

the Van Winkles kept the rights, called Old Rip Van Winkle. He used whiskey stocks from the

old distillery to supply his brand. Julian junior's son, Julian, III took over in 1981 when Julian, Jr.

passed away. Julian, III has continued with the Van Winkle tradition of producing the highest

quality wheated bourbon available. His son, Preston joined company in 2001 and the Van

Winkles look to continue that tradition for generations to come.

Recently, the Van Winkles entered into a joint venture with the Buffalo Trace Distillery in Frankfort, KY.

All of the Van Winkle's whiskey production now takes place at Buffalo Trace under the same strict

guidelines the family has always followed in order to produce a superior quality product.

Aside from the rich family history, Van Winkle bourbons are special for another important reason,

their recipe. All of the Van Winkle bourbons are made with corn, wheat, and, barley instead of corn,

rye and, barley. This "wheated" recipe gives the bourbon a much softer, smoother taste and it also

allows the whiskey to age more gracefully.

Julian III and Preston Van Winkle