Pappy Van Winkle's 23-year-old

Overall rating
89.33/100
votes
35
Whiskybase ID
WB25078
Category
Bourbon
Distillery
Bottler
Distillery Bottling
Bottling serie
Family Reserve
Stated Age
23 years old
Casktype
Charred White Oak
Strength
47.8 % Vol.
Size
750 ml
Added on
08 sep 2011 7:10 pm
UncoloredNon-chillfiltered

Average value

€ 2899.21

25 × in wishlist

35 × member ratings

85 × in collection

Whisky reviews for Pappy Van Winkle's 23-year-old

5 users have left 7 reviews for this whisky. Average rating is 89.33 points.

  1. mmaclean scored this whisky 88 points Connoisseur

    This is definitely a keepsake as it is very allocated and very hard to get at least here in the states.
    • Nose
      Sweet cherries, some leather and smoke
    • Taste
      smooth almost to far on this age, more spice some charred oak
    • Finish
      could be better for the money and the younger editions are more on point

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  3. dan_o_b scored this whisky 92 points Expert Junior

    Tried this at the TWE Whiskey Show in 2019. In my opinion the finest bourbon I've ever tasted. Syrupy nose with mild vanilla followed by an incredibly smooth palette. Plenty of spice for 47%. The finish went on and on. Really surprising to see a bourbon of this age retain complexity and not get overpowered by the wood. Obviously the price is obscene but that seems to be the way of things. Much much better than the 20 which I tried at the same show which was dominated by bitter wood notes.

  4. euzlpz did not rate this whisky Member Senior

    MQ is correct. The older bottlings which had this color wax, that came with the black bag and golden drawstring were from the older Stitzel Weller distillery, and were hand numbered out of 299 bottles. I paid $230 (retail for Oregon, USA) for mine approximately 10 years ago (back when they sat on the shelves a while before they were sold)...that was a very high price compared to some other states, especially Kentucky. It's been too long for me to post a review, and I can't say which bottling those who did, actually reviewed...but the older ones from Stitzel Weller were considered to be superior to the ones from the "new" distillery, according to the master distiller sometime after the "new" distillery opened. I'm an eyewitness to a hand-written letter written by the master distiller in response to a customer's hand-written inquiry who knew little about the bottle he had. The response letter was posted on an online whiskey forum by the man with the bottle. This was before the "bourbon boom", while bottles were still available at sane prices, and I have no reason not to believe him...bourbon had been dirt cheap for years, and still (at least by today's standards-- was also  back then). I do recall that the bottle I had was among the very finest whiskies I've ever experienced, certainly one of--if not the best bourbons I've enjoyed . And (I saw some negative comments about the finish)...they cannot be talking about the same bottling as the one I had. My bottle had a very solid 30 minute finish that was truly, quite unforgettable. But since I don't see a bottling year, I'm adding this to my empties collection-- at least the color of the wax, and presentation is the same.

  5. numen scored this whisky 76 points Expert Senior

    • Nose
      apple pie, cinnamon, some combination of varnish and paint thinner, vanilla extract, some oak and wood dust.
    • Taste
      medium-thick. honey, light caramel, oak. there are trace amounts of
      spice (nutmeg, allspice, and anise), but it's fairly subdued after the
      honey. Oak is somewhat drying, and there's a hint of slightly old
      cream-cheese.
    • Finish
      This is usually the weaker point of the PVW line to me - usually an
      issue of length - and it's the weak point of the 23. The finish is
      bitter-dry, and a lingering sense of the varnish. I'm not sure what
      happened to the bourbony goodness of the 20, which, though lighter, has
      the classic wheater profile. The three years more in barrel did
      something to the liquid, and I don't like it. I have tasted this
      multiple times and have come away with a similar impression each time,
      so it's not just a bad taste here or there. I'm probably punishing it a
      little for the finish; the nose and palate are good, but not
      spectacular, but the finish really kills this for me. Very
      disappointing.

  6. Master Quill did not rate this whisky Expert Senior

    This still should be Stitzel Weller

  7. mmaclean scored this whisky 88 points Connoisseur

    The nose is very nice and sweet, with tones of leather, the taste in the beginning is sweet and turns dry as it lingers in your mouth a few seconds. The body has texture and has spice in it, finish is not as long as its younger siblings, however the charcoal and tobacco are nice editions. The price is too high at 3-500 if you can find it, it is very rare. The presentation could be better for what your paying it, just a velvet black bag and gold drawstring.
    • Nose
      86 86
    • Taste
      90 90
    • Finish
      92 92

  8. mmaclean scored this whisky 88 points Connoisseur

    This is one of the more difficult bottles to find. They can be found as low as 189us and up to 499us in some of the higher end stores. I know where there are some for 349-399us but very rare. This particular bottle I have added is from the states and is in the original format with the gold wax dipped top, it also comes in a black velvet sack with gold drawstrings. It is spoke of as one of the best Kentucky Bourbons around. I believe the 20 yr has more flavor and the 15 yr has more power and cost less, however is even more rare to get. Get them while you can find them.

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