Pappy Van Winkle

It has been a while since I posted something so I thought I would put up a short bourbon review. The poll ended with a majority of votes for bourbon and scotch, so I think those will be the whiskeys I review the most. This review will be about the best bourbon on the market. I don't think it is the best for price, but the best tasting. This mysterious bourbon goes by the name Pappy Van Winkle.

Most people I know have never heard of Pappy or even the Rip Van Winkle name. I can understand this seeing as it costs about $70-$100 depending on the age. This is expensive for bourbon just in case you were wondering. Last time I checked Van Winkle products are distilled in the Buffalo trace distillery, but the bourbon is nothing like Buffalo trace and shouldn't even be considered an affiliate. Pappy Van Winkle is the smoothest, richest bourbon on the market and offers the age and flavor that other bourbons just don't have. Before trying Pappy Van Winkle 20yr and 15yr I didn't think bourbons were capable of achieving the complexities of Scotch. I thought they were all harsh, hard hitting whiskeys that were only there to get you hammered(something like how I view Canadian whiskey now). I can now safely say I was wrong and Pappy Van Winkle is what changed my mind. The !5, 20, and 23 year models all offer a wood like taste that only comes from aging in a barrel for close to two decades. (I have never had the 23 myself, but can assume it gets better as it ages) Other bourbons don't usually age this long so it is common to think that only Scotch has the sophisticated aged flavor :D This mentality will be changed after the first glass of Pappy Van Winkle.

You will also notice that Pappy keeps all of the things you like most about bourbon so it won't be too big of a jump. It will keep the spicy, kick in the pants flavors while still going down smooth. Or to put it another way, it will taste nice without giving you whiskey face. Oh, did I mention how sweet it is, because it has the perfect amount of sweetness too? It's not an artificial sweet like with Ten High and other cheap bourbons, but more of a natural sweetness from the grains. All of these flavors combined makes Pappy Van Winkle one of the best whiskeys on the market, not just bourbons, but whiskeys. It can easily stand its own against high priced Scotches, but diverges from that peaty soft taste to give you the powerful bourbon flavor. This is why I think it is so good. It is the only bourbon in it's class, so it is the only great whiskey that can compete with the aged scotches. If you are looking for the perfect bourbon and are not worried about price, you can't lose with Pappy Van Winkle 15, 20, or 23. Once you try this bourbon, you will never find a bourbon anywhere near as good.

I would like to apologize in advance for this being poorly written, it's late and I don't really have the time to look it over.