Well, it’s officially fall, which means that in the coming months Buffalo Trace will release the coveted Van Winkle Bourbons and the Buffalo Trace Antique Collection. I thought I should fill in some gaps on what I have reviewed on this blog. Maybe it will help someone chose what they ask for at a store lottery or if they have a choice out of the allocation their store receives.

So, I decided to open up my second bottle of Pappy Van Winkle’s Family Reserve 20 year old. It has been probably a year and a half since my last sip. I have reviewed Pappy 23 and Van Winkle 12 in the last year.

Pappy 20 is 90.4 proof. Despite the lower proof, it has a nice reddish hue to the amber color, and has beautiful long legs. On the nose is corn sweetness, some oak, baking spices. The palate is thick and rich, velvety. The taste, however, is extremely delicate and smooth, but, frankly I am finding it to be a little bit thin. Corn sweetness followed by light cinnamon. No real oak to it. To me, the 23 year old and the 15 year old are better.

Frankly, Pappy 20’s flavor profile is awfully similar to this, which surprised me. Wheat recipe bourbon with cinnamon with a great mouthfeel.