BOTM 2/11: Old Rip Van Winkle 10 yr 107 proof

Man I'm on a roll. The BOTM is up on time for the third month in a row! :grin:

Let's see if this one will get a few more responses than the last BOTM. There's been a little talk here and there lately about this one, so I thought it would be a good one for BOTM. The BOTM for this month is Old Rip Van Winkle 10 yr 107 proof.

My thoughts FWIW:

Color-A nice medium reddish brown hue that shows it has a couple extra years in the barrel.

Legs-A bit on the thin side, spaced evenly about 1/2 an inch apart. Fairly fast flow down the sides of the glass.

Nose-Ahhh, here's where it starts getting good. What a heavenly aroma. To steal a description from Randy, "ethereal". I get a lot of butterscotch, just a bit of leather and tobacco, and a fruit I can't quite put my finger on. Dates, or raisins perhaps? :skep: The nose reminds me of some of the "good ole' stuff" that isn't made anymore.

Taste-My first sip seemed a bit "sharp". The proof seemed to mask the flavors that were present in the aroma. They were still there, but the alcohol covered them up to a degree. But alas, I think I have become a fairly decent student. I let it sit in the glass a few minutes, and that opened it up a lot. The alcohol burn was replaced by more of the flavors that were present in the "nose". :cool: A splash of water seemed to bring out the leather, and a touch of wood. A couple of ice cubes brought out more of the tobacco flavor, and actually seemed to take away from the overall goodness of this bourbon. Reckon I'll have to drink this one neat after letting it sit a spell. :grin:

Overall, IMHO a great bourbon. Worthy of any bunker. A bit disappointed I only have one bottle.

Cheers and good posting. Joe

Quote:

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Originally Posted by fishnbowljoe

Overall, IMHO a great bourbon. Worthy of any bunker. A bit disappointed I only have one bottle.

Cheers and good posting. Joe

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Only one bottle? I feel for you brother.

I'll have one less tomorrow when I open one.

Great choice Joe. Great notes as well.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Special Reserve

Only one bottle? I feel for you brother.

I'll have one less tomorrow when I open one.

Great choice Joe. Great notes as well.

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Thanks Will. I'm getting there slowly, but surely. Joe

Great review Joe! I'll have to get this one out sometime soon and post my thoughts.

Nice review Joe.... This has always been a good pour but has been a bit over shadowed by its other family members.

I have one bottle of this that has set unopened for about a month. Guess I was waiting for it to be posted as BOTM. Gives me an excuse to open it up this evening and watch the snow fall.

Great notes, Joe! I have the ORVW 10/107 and ORVW 10/90 open on my bar and they are both great bourbons, but I don't go back visit them as often as I should. Definitely a good choice for BOTM. I'll post some notes after I revisit this great pour!

Jack

Nice notes, Big Joe! I've always loved ORVW 10/107. To me it's the perfect balance of age and proof and has the added benefit of being a wheater which is a nice change of pace from the many ryed bourbons that populate my liquor cabinet. Some of the bottles I've had over the years have had slightly more body than others but all have had wonderful flavor and aroma, though I once had a bottle of the 90 proof that tasted exactly like an ashtray. In fact, it was so bad that I couldn't even get my friend, affectionately known as "The Human Drain" due to his capacity to consume all spirits in large quantities, to touch the stuff. Weird!

I should mention that I was first drawn to ORVW by the cool "parchment" label and bottle shape. That old Rip Van Winkle/Popcorn Sutton-looking character on the label always made me feel like I was drinking whiskey from a jug on some backwoods mountain top. What other cool bottle/label can give you nearly as much enjoyment as the whiskey inside?

OK Joe; you're just tryin' to get me in trouble aren't cha!!!!

I found a couple bottles during a dusty hunt last week and had them safely hidden in the back of a downstairs cabinet. Now I've hauled one out and risk the wife spotting that new distinctive label.

I have to agree with the nose, butterscotch, spice and a bit of leather, quite distinctive from the other bourbons I have been drinking, a bit sweet.

There is defiantly an edge when just poured with the butterscotch most prevalent; but allowed to sit a minute and the edge is gone. I tried a couple drops of branch from a small straw and it seems to have killed much of the nose while letting the leather and wood come out in the taste and nearly eliminating the legs. I'm going to have to get a small notebook as it seems I am having trouble remembering what I have noted about legs as the tasting progresses.

A VERY nice pour, one that deserves a permanent spot on the bar and at the price could become a regular.

Nice pick, Joe! It really is a delightful whiskey, and I agree that pouring it over ice is counterproductive. I nursed a bottle for 18 months, but now it is gone. I'll be looking for another next time I'm on the Mainland. Cheers!