Pappy Van Winkle 20 Year

I enjoy bourbon; it’s great to drink, fun to talk about, and addicting to buy (hunt). It certainly makes for a great hobby, enhanced even more so when shared among good friends. It’s been a little over a year now that my brother in law (Jeff) and I created the Bourbon Brothers and began filming video reviews on our YouTube channel. In light of this, we wanted to drink something special and mark the occasion. We decided on Pappy 20 because it is one of the most asked about and hyped up whiskeys on our radar at the moment. Let’s see if this one lives up to the hype! 

Details:
20 years old
90.2 proof
Wheated mash bill

Color: Red wood

Nose: One could easily pick this nose out of a lineup. The bouquet is soft yet rich. Vanilla and cinnamon spice can't be contained in the glass. Caramel is right behind along with a healthy amount of toasted oak- simply delicious.

Taste: Sweeter than expected. The mouth feel leans towards the thin side, but it is exceptionally smooth. While oak is prevalent throughout, vanilla, toffee, and caramel popcorn grip the tip of the tongue. The mid palate transitions with swirls of cinnamon spice and an endless pit of aged tobacco.

 Finish: 20 years in the wood is no joke for a wheated bourbon. This has a medium finish with sweet-spice, dry tobacco, and bitter oak. 

Conclusion: Wheated bourbons have a much softer flavor profile than your typical high rye bourbon. After 20 years of aging, this soft, wheat profile is heavily influenced by the dry, astringent oak barrel. In efforts to reverse this effect, it's my belief the proof has been cut-significantly- to 90.2 proof (Pappy Van Winkle 15 year is 107 proof). While it's still very good bourbon, I would take proof over age any day.

My Rating: B+ (Very Good) 

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