Pappy Van Winkle Appreciation Night At The Gresham
This post was originally published on My City Life, you can find this here.
The Gresham’s Appreciation Nights are fast becoming the highlight of any whisk(e)y lover’s calendar. On this evening, the luxurious confines of The Gresham was home to the Pappy Van Winkle Appreciation Night focusing on the wonder and joy that whiskey can deliver. ‘That Bourbon Guy’ Scott Christie hosted the evening, regaling all with the history, production and product nuances of the Old Rip Van Winkle Distillery, one of the rarest and most sought after whiskeys in the world.
Bourbon, by law, has to have the majority of the spirit derived from corn; the secondary grain generally rye to create a spicy, floral and sour end product. Almost all of the bourbons produced by the Van Winkle Distillery use wheat as the secondary grain instead, except of course for the thirteen-year Old Rye. Wheated bourbons tend to have a smoother, softer and slightly nutty flavour, especially ones aged as long as the Pappy Family Reserve. Accompanying these amazing whiskeys were comments on the production methods, ageing conditions, tasting notes and top quality Charcuterie boards to further appease the palate.
We make fine Bourbon.
At a profit if we can, at a loss if we must, but always Fine Bourbon.
Such is motto is the guiding force of the Old Rip Van Winkle Distillery.
Julian ‘Pappy’ Van Winkle Sr started his family’s love affair with the finest quality bourbons in the 1870’s while he was a salesman for WL Weller & Sons. He would go on to buy the brand and grow it into the Stitzel-Weller Distillery. He worked at and influenced the distillery until his death at the age of 91 in 1965, his son Julian Jr eventually sold the business amongst pressure from the remaining shareholders in 1972 due to a decline in Bourbon popularity. He did succeed however in retaining the Old Rip Van Winkle name.
Julian III took reins of the business in 1981 maintaining stock from remaining barrels left to him by his father and bought from other suppliers such as Wild Turkey and, the previously family owned, Stitzel-Weller Distillery and further aged. 1992 would see Stitzel-Weller shut its doors for good meaning the loss of a major supplier for the brand. Three generations later with his great grandson being the latest Van Winkle to join the business in 2001. A year later in 2002 the Buffalo Trace distillery became a primary partner and production house for the whiskey moving forward. They still produce the alluring golden liquid that so many people are truly passionate about.
This inherited passion and love affair was apparent in all six expressions explored on this evening. Covering the entire range produced from the ten-year-old all the way up to the 23-year-old, including the thirteen-year-old Rye, is an experience not many are fortunate enough to have.
The opportunity of tasting every expression of these ultra-rare bourbons in itself was a magnificent treat, one that Scott expanded upon by including examples from Old Fitzgerald and W.L. Weller brands, both of which were once produced by the Stitzel-Weller Distillery, originally owned by Pappy. These additional drams included a life affirming Very Old Fitzgerald barrelled in 1958 as well as an Old Rip Van Winkle 23-year Decanter special release, of which only 1,200 were ever produced, sourced from especially selected barrels to an exact flavour profile. This was indeed a very special evening, and reflective of the quality appreciation nights The Gresham is fast becoming renown for.