
Country – Region: USA – Kentucky
Distillery: Buffalo Trace
Type: Kentucky Straight Bourbon
Age: 10
Cask: American White Oak
ABV: 53.5%
Proof: 107
Price: $70
Nose: Red fruits, red plums, cherries, pine tree, honey and subtle summer flowers (yeast), cinnamon.
Palate: Softer than you expect from a 107 proof whiskey. Notes like coffee flavored tobacco, caramel, peach and nectar are followed by ginger beer to the end.
Finish: Warm and lingering with winter spices, oak tannins.
Old Rip Van Winkle is 10 summers old as it says on the label. As well as an impressive 107 proof sign!
This bottle is a hot topic in whisky industry, when it comes to overhyped and overpriced whiskies! Distillery advises a $70 price line for this bottle, however we generally end up finding it at more than $500 in the market.
I don't pay these incredibly high and pardon my language, stupid prices that only happens from high demand. Unfortunately, an account usually has to buy 30 cases of other products from the distributor just to have access to a few bottles of this and other hyped whiskies, which is also not that legal to my knowledge.
Anyway, I had a pleasant experience with the whiskey to be honest. It wasn't the best whiskey I have ever tasted, also it wasn't the richest. I can say that drinking was fun as whiskey showed different characters in the palate. I liked the chewiness, the rich and robust finish.
I loved the fact that despite the alcohol level, the warmness was ideal especially at the finish.
Smooth, high quality, rich enough. If found at normal rates, you shouldn't miss it.