Van Winkle Family Reserve 13 rye

[felthove]

I had a glass this evening and it really is special stuff. Well worth the 47 dollars. Definitely a distinctive and complex rye. Stands up to the 15 year old bourbon and something I'd happily purchase again.

[NorCalBoozer]

I actually prefer this new bottling - whatever its composition - to the earlier fruit-forward, cherryish bottlings of VWFRR 13, certainly they seem smoother and well-integrated. Julian does it again, you have to hand it to him.

Gary

Agreed. I don't know if anything new was mingled in, but the flavor profiles he creates are nothing short of astounding. Considering we are all expecting that there is no possible way the next version could match the previous. We almost expect a let down but none comes. Not with ORVW 10, Lot B, Pappy 15, or the Rye.

I think it would be cool if Julian put out a bourbon or rye brand that was specifically a yearly profile. Something like the OFBB where every year a different profile is chosen. It would be fun to see where he would go if he could play outside the current Van Winkle profiles.

Greg

[DrinkyBanjo]

Okay, I'm confused. I have a "G" from a few years back and I bought an "A" yesterday. Any reason why they started over at "A" if it is the same tanked whiskey? If this was mentioned earlier I missed it and apologize. Shouldn't this year be "J"?

[barturtle]

Okay, I'm confused. I have a "G" from a few years back and I bought an "A" yesterday. Any reason why they started over at "A" if it is the same tanked whiskey? If this was mentioned earlier I missed it and apologize. Shouldn't this year be "J"?

Nope, we have not heard a reason for this, but I'm hoping someone will give us one.

[jvanwinkle]

Yes, we started back on the "A"'s for this year's bottling-2008.
Julian

[Virus_Of_Life]

Gosh darn it, it's almost as if he's trying to get us even more worked up on purpose! I could see someone practically soiling their shorts when they came across a shelf full of A-series bottles, only to read later they were the latest release! ....

You do know there's more than 10 letters in the alphabet right Julian?

[BourbonJoe]

Gosh darn it, it's almost as if he's trying to get us even more worked up on purpose! I could see someone practically soiling their shorts when they came across a shelf full of A-series bottles, only to read later they were the latest release! ....

Been there, done that.
Joe

[barturtle]

Hey, no heckling Julian!

I'm sure there was a perfectly good reason for doing this, one that I hope he'll share with us.

Anything we might find notable to associate with the restart of the letters, Julian?

[Slob]

I'm still judiciously sipping my I bottle, since I can't find any more of it where I am. The store I got it at was selling it for 30 bucks and the guy there told me he sure wasn't getting any more of it.

[BourbonJoe]

So how old is the new "A" bottling??
Joe