Old Rip Van Winkle 10 Year Bourbon (2017 Release)
Age: 10 Years
Proof: 107 (53.5% ABV)
Mash Bill: Predominately Corn, then wheat, and malted barley.
2017’s Release of the Pappy Van Winkle line and the Antique Collection out of the Buffalo Trace Distillery has come and gone, and it like the previous few years, it all went fast. We were lucky and very thrilled to be able to pick up a bottle of the Old Rip Van Winkle 10 Year, and have it for review here.
Color: A dark Amber color, clearly showing its age in the glass.
Nose: Pecans, cherries, and lots of oak are the first things to really show through on this bottle. The nose is really inviting and definitely starts to make your mouth water. Brown sugar and vanilla come through, it is a sweet and easy nose, not showing the fact that is a 107 proof bottle at all.
Palate: A layered and sweet sip, wheat up front that compliments the oak with some cherry and fruit flavors mixed in there as well. Extremely smooth, doesn’t feel like it is a 107 proof, but also does not feel like it is too soft.
Finish: The wheat and oak really come out on the finish, a little dark and hints of smoke that lingers for a while.
We added a drop of distilled water to the glass, and it opens up some of the palate. Being at 107 proof, it holds up to the drop without losing anything, but some of those fruit and oak notes come out a little more. Still, much better to enjoy neat.
Thoughts before ratings;
This is a hard bourbon to rate. The mere mention of Van Winkle makes bourbon aficionados go into a frenzy, and makes their checking accounts cry out in terror. The amount of hype around this release, and the 10 year bottle itself, is enormous. With that, we hear a lot about how Van Winkle whiskies are the best whiskies that are made, and that they are vastly overrated and not worth the hassle nor the price. There are a lot, and we mean a lot, of whiskies that are phenomenal for significantly less money, and vastly easier to come across. We tried to go into this bottle with a completely neutral stance, but that proved difficult to do when rating, so bear with us as we try to assign a number value.
Angela: 93/100
Zach: 93/100
Overall Score: 93/100
This is a terrific bottle, and one that any fan of Bourbon should try at least once, and worth picking up one bottle if you get the chance.
Have you had the ORVW 10 Year before, or this year? Let us know your thoughts either in the comments below, on email us at reviews@milehighbourbon.com!
