The Van Winkle line, specifically the Pappy line, and the BTAC line are some of the most coveted yearly releases in modern whiskey. While some of them, like the William Larue Weller and George T Stagg releases, are delicious year-over-year, many of them are just… ok. The crazy demand and hype over things like the Van Winkle Special Reserve 12 Years Lot B, and really any of the Pappy releases, I don’t get. But as an independent reviewer, it’s my duty to taste them all and dammit, that’s what we’re doing today.
Well, not all of them. Just this one. I already did the Old Rip Van Winkle review and the entire BTAC line, but am still working my way through the Pappy line up. I’ve had them all multiple times, but never in a review environment. I’m sure I’ll get there one day, but with all the hysteria around them, I’m in no rush. I refuse to pay those silly secondary and price gouged store prices on any of it. They’re good… but not that good.
Van Winkle Special Reserve 12 Years Lot B Review: Details and Tasting Notes
In Buffalo Trace’s Words: Van Winkle Special Reserve 12 Years Lot B
Van Winkle Special Reserve is the perfect combination of age and proof. This sweet, full-bodied whiskey has been described by some as “nectar.” The 12 years of aging and medium proof seem to be just right in creating a very pleasant drink of whiskey. This fine bourbon can compete with any excellent cognac as an after-dinner drink. The overall impression is rich and deep.
Van Winkle Special Reserve 12 Years Lot B price, ABV, age and other details
Region: Kentucky, USA
Distiller: Buffalo Trace
Mash Bill: At least 51% corn + Wheat + Malted Barley
Cask: New Charred Oak
Age: 12 Years
ABV: 45.2%
Batch: B16 (2016)
Price: $70 (MSRP, not secondary or gouged)
Van Winkle Special Reserve 12 Years Lot B Tasting Notes
EYE
Ruddy caramel
NOSE
Caramel syrup, cherry heavy dark fruit, vanilla, cinnamon, oak and a bit of citrus and candy sweetness.
PALATE
Caramel, vanilla, cinnamon, citrus, nuts, oak and some citrus candy notes.
FINISH
Medium-Short -> Vanilla, dark fruit, caramel and citrus candy.
BALANCE, BODY & FEEL
Ok balance, medium body and a soft feel.
Van Winkle Special Reserve 12 Years Lot B Review: OVERALL
I’ve drunk a LOT of bourbon in my life, well over 1,000 different brands, bottles and barrels at this point and it’s with this experience I can safely say Van Winkle Special Reserve Lot B 12 Years is no big deal. It’s good in a “non-descript good” kind of way with the aroma being the best part of the whiskey. The palate is the weakest part with the oak being subtle, making the sweetness really stand out and lose some of its depth.
We’ve put this in blind tastings and it’s always scored mid-bottom of what’s in the lineup. We even did one of these blind tastings fairly recently with the SCWC using only off-the-shelf whiskeys and it hit around the middle of the pack. Take that info for what its worth, but I’d never pay anything over MSRP for it… it’s just not worth it.
SCORE: 86/100 (B)
Van Winkle Special Reserve 12 Years Lot B Review
Van Winkle Special Reserve 12 Years Lot B Review Summary
Van Winkle Special Reserve 12 Years Lot B is a decent whiskey, a little light, but decent.
Overall
- Nose - 86
- Palate - 86
- Finish - 86
- Balance, Body & Feel - 86
User Review
( votes)( reviews)
While fine to sip on, I agree that the hype surrounding this is enormous and it just doesn’t live up to it….I’ve had it a few times now and I want to like it more than I actually do…I don’t know that I would buy this at retail much less secondary prices..
I feel pretty much the same. Thanks for sharing your thoughts Jason, cheers!
Through the years I have heard people brag on this bourbon. At the prices I see it would need to render me speechless and provide untold pleasure. But, I was given a bottle recently and while my mind was hyped over it, I think the disappointment will be epic. So many fine bourbons around under $100 and knowing some fool paid $1,000 for this makes my prudent soul blanch. Thats my mortgage payment. Nothing and mean nothing in the bourbon world is worth that. But, one check off the bucket list.
Ha, loved reading this Andy. Thank you for sharing, cheers!
One of the finest sipping whiskies I have ever had the pleasure to purchase and drink. I’m not sure what you ate or drank before this tasting but must say your palette missed the sublime nature of Lot B for its rare sipping qualities, nose to back palette. Go ahead and seek out your fire breathing dragon hi proof whiskies, you’ve guided your readers to take a pass on what most whiskey drinkers consider to be one of life’s great pleasures.
I’ve had this many times over many releases over many years and it’s always just ok. It’s a fine sipper, but no more so than your average Weller and it shows. In blind after blind it shows up middle to low in the rankings against every-day-easy-to-find whiskeys. But I’m glad you like it, and if you’re able to find it at price you agree with that’s even better. Cheers!
Not worth the money
I have also done a blind tasting because of the hipe Pappy created, i
I wanted to proof to my Bourbon drinkers that there are much better bourbon for the money or I should say for allot less money
It was Pappy 12 year old $700 ,High West Distillery – A Midwinters Night Dram $150 and willet $70 and blind taste by blind taste guess who won 4 times Minwinters Night $150 Pappy came in second 4 times never once it came in first , so there you have it ,Willet actually came in second once
Thanks for sharing, that sounds like a fun evening!
Good luck getting this at MSRP. You can refuse all you want but the market decides the prices.
Hence the reason I haven’t bought one in years. It’s not worth the inflated price to me. Cheers!
Does anyone have a bottle they’re looking to sell of the 12 year?
I do.
I have a bottle .
Good whiskey
Which Bourbons, out of curiosity, was it blind tasted against? Similar proof I’m assuming.
Hi Vae,
In one tasting it was the lowest proof, but we also encouraged people to use water to play with the whiskey to see where things landed for them. Interestingly enough, no one picked out that it was lower proof. https://thewhiskeyjug.com/bourbon-whiskey/scwc-8-blind-bourbons/
We’ve also done several other blinds (ones I didn’t record) and it showed even worse than that one. It seems to fare even worse against the likes of 100 proof and under whiskeys. Could be because the senses are sharper longer with less alcohol at play, could be the weaker proofs show more expressively quicker out of the bottle since water has already been added, could be a number of other things. The one thing I can say is no matter what blinded tasting it has been put in it has never come out in the top 3.
I have a sad story about that one. I was working for a few months in a startup in the Bay Area. We were about to close a deal that was a big win for our investors and the CEO wanted to buy something special for the consultant who helped to make the deal possible. the consultant in question told him he was dreaming of Pappy Van Winkle. My CEO, who was all noise and no substance, proceeded to vastly overpay on the secondary market for 2 bottles of this exact whiskey (my understanding is that he paid over $1000 for each bottle). Not too sure about what happened with the consultant but for over 2 months, I saw these 2 bottles sitting next to the window of his office, facing south, in California (needless to say the good effect that UVs must have on it)…
Wow… yeah that is a VERY tragic story. For multiple reasons… Damn.
Thanks!
Josh thanks for your honesty and not supporting the foolishness. IMO the Van Winkle craze had done nothing but make the Weller line hard to find and way over-priced. I could have bought five bottles of Buffalo Trace or WT101 for the amount I spent on just two Weller Antique 107.
Cheers Tony! I’m doing what I can, and that’s honest reviews the way I see them :D 100% agree with you on the Weller situation. I remember buying Weller 12 for $24 all day long. Now I can’t find it for under $120 :/