7 Best Alternatives to Pappy Van Winkle

Blakein
Posts

Pappy Van Winkle Substitutes

There are several lists  of  “Pappy Van Winkle Substitutes” floating around. However, some of them are full of errors while others are just a list of several popular bourbons/ryes. I decided to put together a list of a few bourbons that will make a decent substitute for Pappy Van Winkle as well as include the reasoning for why they will be a good substitute. Technically, Pappy is only the 15, 20 & 23 year. The 10, 12 (Lot B) and rye are Old Rip Van Winkle. I use the terms interchangeably since most people just want “pappy” whether it’s 10, 12, 15, etc. read more

Holiday Gift Guide for Bourbonrs

Blakein
Posts
2

Whiskey Reading Material

We have listed some of our favorite whiskey books here

 NEAT Glass 2 Glass Set – $38 $33

But, if you use the promo code “bourbonr” you receive 12% off of your purchase

1 Liter Steel – Bluegrass Barrels – $55

Each Bluegrass Barrel is made from American white oak with a medium char +. In addition to receiving a barrel, you will receive a stand, a bung (cork), a spigot, and handling directions. Once you receive your barrel, you will need to “cure” the barrel (see FAQ) to ensure that your barrel is sealed tight. Once your barrel is cured, simply rinse the barrel with hot water a few times until there is no wood residue, then your barrel is ready to be filled with your favorite spirit! read more

Bourbon Review: Four Roses Small Batch

Blakein
Posts

Four Roses Small Batch Bourbon Review

This is not the Limited Edition. This is the regular Four Roses Small Batch. I spend a lot of time on the blog talking about different rare and limited editions but I save most of those bottles for special occasions. What about the daily drinker? What about the bourbons that you don’t have to wait 4 hours in line for? Four Roses Small Batch Bourbon is one of my favorites and I can walk in to almost any liquor store across the country and find a bottle. Plus, it is a steal at $25. read more

Bourbon Review: Wild Turkey Forgiven

Blakein
Posts
3

Wild Turkey Forgiven Bourbon/Rye Review

Wild Turkey is a blend of bourbon and rye. They are the first of the major distilleries to release this kind of blended whiskey (High West has their Bourye and Son of Bourye). I am a huge fan of Wild Turkey ( Wild Turkey 101 and Rare Breed are cabinet staples for me) so I was excited to give Forgiven a try. Here is the story behind Wild Turkey Forgiven: read more

Poor Mans Pappy

Blakein
Posts
112

Pappy Van Winkle Alternative

We have already covered the popularity of Pappy Van Winkle on this blog. However, if you’re not familiar with it Pappy Van Winkle if one of the most sought after and hard to find Bourbons around. Most stores have waiting lists a mile long for one bottle and Pappy Van winkle bottles are selling for 10X the retail price on the secondary market. What if you want to drink Pappy without camping outside a liquor store or spending $1,000 for a bottle? I have a solution. No, I don’t have some secret way of getting a bottle and I don’t have any Pappy Van Winkle for sale. I just choose to drink a Pappy Van Winkle alternative which I call “Poor Man’s Pappy”. read more

How to Age Whiskey at Home

Blakein
Posts
55

How to Age Your Own Whiskey

The aging process is what makes Bourbon Bourbon. Not only taste wise but legally. In honor of my recent post “Bourbon Aging Explained” I decided to give home aging a try. Below are instructions for what I did. I intend to let this age for at least three months before I ever drink more than small sips to taste. Whiskey that is aged in small barrels has a tendency to get an overpowering oak taste so I wouldn’t suggest letting it age any longer than one year. However, there is no reason to throw out Whiskey so let it age as long as you would like. read more

Bourbon Aging Explained

Blakein
Posts
19

Bourbon Aging Explained

Everyone loves Bourbon because of its sweet and complex flavors. But, where do all of those flavors come from. This post will explain how Bourbon aging works and what flavors this process adds to the Bourbon. FYI, I refer to “distillate” several times in the article. This is the Bourbon after it has been distilled but before it has entered the barrel for aging. I use the word distillate since it is not Bourbon until it has been aged in new oak barrels. read more

New Buffalo Trace Trucks

Blakein
Posts

There is a rumor going around the 60 cases of Pappy Van Winkle Bourbon was stolen from the Buffalo Trace Distillery.

Apparently, the rumors of stolen Pappy Van winkle may be true because Buffalo Trace just ordered a fleet of new trucks to transport their Bourbon:

Alton Browns Blind Bourbon Review/Tasting

Blakein
Posts
5

Alton Browns Blind Bourbon Review/Tasting

If you’ve never listened to Alton Browns Podcast (Alton Browncast) you are missing out. I am a huge Alton Brown fan (still have good eats episodes on my DVR from 2010) and when I heard Julian Van Winkle was going to be his guest I was extremely excited.

In his most recent episode he interviewed Julian Van Winkle (well worth the listen) and held a blind taste test with a friend after the interview. Alton selected 5 Bourbons from his collection and poured each Bourbon in an identical glass. They bounce around a little during the Bourbon review portion but I have tried to accumulate the majority of the tasting notes. Make sure to listen to the podcast first because I will reveal the results of the Bourbon tasting in this post read more