Old Rip Van Winkle 10

Review by: Raygun

Wasn’t planning to review this, but was out at a restaurant for dinner and saw it on the menu. Had to ask the price, and when it turned out to be fairly reasonable, I decided I had to get a pour. The baby of the Van Winkle line at 10 years. Couldn’t tell what year it was from, but from the fill level it had been open for a while, so maybe 2021 or 2022. Reviewed from a bar pour. Rested about 10 minutes.

Distillery: Buffalo Trace

Brand: Old Rip Van Winkle   

Region/style: Kentucky straight bourbon

ABV: 53.5% 

Age: 10 years

Cask type: New charred oak

Color: 1.5 auburn. Natural color. Unsure about chill-filtration

Nose: Oaky right away, to no surprise. Caramelized bananas, cherry cola, clove, and vanilla. Honestly, it’s wonderful. While these notes seem fairly conventional, there’s something else here, a sort of floral scent I don’t get from bourbon often.      

Palate: That’s rich. Big vanilla bomb. Cherries, but not so much the cola. More cherry vanilla ice cream. Pecans, or pecan pralines more accurately. Clove. Something like rosewater, which might be the floral scent I found on the nose. Turkish delight. Not disappointed here at all.  

Finish: More tasty vanilla, cherries, and pralines. Oak is at a nice level for me. Pancakes with a sprinkling of cinnamon. Sweet, but not excessive. Nor too tannic. Very nicely balanced, in fact. 

Conclusion: There’s just no way to win with these hyped bottles. Either they end up disappointing and not worth the effort and expense, or they live up to their reputation, but remain almost impossible to get and/or very expensive. This one just about deserves its reputation. It’s excellent. I like it better than Lot B—haven’t tried any Pappy. Unique and delicious. Can’t ask for much more than that. Proof feels about perfect to me: not hot but not weak either. Just terrific. 

Buy a bottle? At MSRP, I wouldn’t hesitate, but it’ll never happen.

Score: 88

Scoring Legend:

  • 95-100: As good as it gets. Jaw-dropping, eye-widening, unforgettable whisky.
  • 90-94: Sublime, a personal favorite in its category. (Blanton’s Straight from the Barrel)
  • 85-89: Excellent, a standout dram. (Stagg Jr batch 12)
  • 80-84: Quite good. Quality stuff. (Elijah Craig Barrel Proof (new))
  • 75-79: Decent whisky worth tasting. (Pikesville Rye)
  • 70-74: Meh. It’s definitely drinkable, but it can do better. (Wild Turkey 101)
  • 60-69: Not so good. I might not turn down a glass if I needed a drink. (Maker’s Mark)
  • 50-59: Save it for mixing. (Old Grandad 114)
  • 0-49: Blech. (High West Yippee-ki-yay)

Published by Raygun

Unknown's avatar

I drank Scotch occasionally (mostly at family gatherings) for years, but started getting more interested after an introduction and tasting from a Scottish acquaintance. That led to buying my first bottle (Highland Park 12). Now 600+ spirits later, Scotch is still my first love, but I drink other whisky and dabble in brandy as well.

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