Pappy Van Winkle 15 Year

**This is a rating of 2022 released bottle. Nose- Apples, stewed peaches, and red fruits. Vanilla, caramel and oak round out a deliciously traditional bourbon nose. Best nose I have ever experienced- no, but in the top 10 Palate- the taste is rich. Vanilla bean and candied apple hits you first, this then gets a hit of oak on the mid palate with just an ever so slight dash of all-spice. The taste progresses to more of those darker fruits as it rounds out. The mouthfeel is the right amount of balance- not too oily, but with a wonderful richness to showcase some age. Finish- Here is where Pappy 15 shines. It lasts, and lasts without ever burning your taste receptors......and at 107 proof! This is a dangerous sipping whiskey. A bottle you just want to sit right down with and slowly savor start to finish. I have been privileged now to have had a bottle the last 3 years. Of all the Pappy Bourbon I have tried (Old Rip, Lot B, 15, 20, and 23 yr.) Pappy Van Winkle 15 is the one I appreciate the most. It strikes the right balance between not being over-oaked (20 and 23 can be oak beasts, and a bit soggy for me) and not under-proofed (107 just hits the mark and needs nothing). Is it the best bourbon I have ever had? In a word- no. Is it among one of those rare treats- absolutely!

A preface, this is the last pour on a bottle I have slow rolled over the last 5 or 6 years. I likely let it relax too long in the bottle and the flavors are now muted due to this. I am finishing this as part of my birthday pours and tracking it as I likely won't get a pour of this for quite sometime. On the nose I get the sweet caramel or vanilla that I love in this. A hint of oak comes in behind it. The flavor on the first sip is oak forward but comes in behind with the sweetness. But it comes in on the end with a mineral taste. The finish is nice but it continues the mineral taste through to the next sip. Overall, I am probably mixing my bias towards this with how this final pour tastes. I know that what I am tasting today is not as flavorful or sweet as I remember it being. But with all that said, is it worth the cost on secondary, no. Is it worth it at MSRP, yes. I believe if this was a fresh pour I would put it at a 5 star. But it could be my palete is shifting, idk.

It is difficult to imagine anything being better than this. Tasting notes are really simple - it was a cinnamon-dusted pankcake drenched in maple syrup in a glass, with a beautiful tingly finish that lasted for a minute or two. The liquid was incredibly viscous and mouth coating. Even at 107 proof, my bourbon-novice friends were able to drink this neat with no water. I've seen notes about fruit in here but honestly I couldn't pick out any under all that maple, and that is not a knock. This lived up to the hype, although it helped that I was treated to this drink given the price. Really special and one of the most memorable drams I've ever had.

Nose - Cherry Vanilla bomb! That 107 is consistent with Weller 107, but so much better. So clean, incredible smell man. Lots of oak cherry too, that infused typical bourbon scent but its insanely pleasant. Palate - Sooooooo buttery, lots of cherry and baking spice. Whats nice is that the baking spice id complimented by a vanilla pastry note. Second sip, picking up tons of bright berries, leather, and oak. Almost like velvet. Finish - Finish is tons of vanilla, cherry and baming spice. Leaves a nice feel and taste in the mouth.

This one reminded me of a more mature Weller 107 with an insanely long finish. A bit of a one trick pony with a huge cinnamon bomb on the front end that fades to a sweet wheater. The finish however is where this dram makes its money. Easily the longest finish i have had with a bourbon. Worth a pour but not sure i would lose my mind trying to hunt this down especially at secondary prices.

A pleasure to finally try. Didn’t check the vintsge, but presumably 2023. The balance and evidence of quality was nuts; mildly spiced, with loads of caramel, vanilla, and oak barrel. It rides a great line between beautiful integration and overbearing influence. Undertones of toasted marshmallow and toffee allow for further layering to really highlight this as being worthy of the hype.