OLD RIP VAN WINKLE 25 Year Old Bourbon Whiskey

OLD RIP VAN WINKLE 25 Year Old it’s an extremely rare, with just 710 bottles released globally. Distilled in mid 1989 and stored on the lower level of the Van Winkle family distillery until 2002. In 2002, barrels were moved to Buffalo Trace and aged from 2002 –
2014. Tanked in stainless steel in 2014.
This very rare, limited edition bourbon takes generations of distilling know-how to produce. Only the most careful and expensive distilling method can be used to create a whiskey as special as this one.

These extra special bottles deserve an extra special vessel, so each bottle is a handmade glass decanter from Glencarin Crystal Studio. The bottle information is engrave on each decanter, individually numbered, and hand finished with a silver stopper. A glass top for the decanter is also include. Predominant oak stands out but not overpowering as you would expect in a 25-year old bourbon.

Wheated bourbons typically age well, and this ORVW follows suit. The sweet sugars hold up and provide an excellent balance and flavor complexity to the oak forward. The proof point is just right with this expression. It’s a straight down the middle, aged wheated bourbon that is very nice.

Tasting Notes

Nose
Caramel, Vanilla, Soft Oak Taste
Predominant oak stands out but not overpowering as you would expect in a 25-year old bourbon. Wheated bourbons typically age well, and this ORVW follows suit. The sweet sugars hold up and provide an excellent balance and flavor complexity to the oak forward. The proof point is just right with this expression. It’s a straight down the middle, aged wheated bourbon that is very nice. expected to get smacked in the face with the oak similar to Diageo’s Orphan Barrel Whoop & Holler, but this ORVW is in a different league entirely.
Finish
The finish on this whiskey is mid-range with very little thickness and bite – again, surprising for a bourbon aged a quarter century.