The post What Is Stitzel-Weller Bourbon? A FAQ, of sorts. appeared first on NC Whiskey.
]]>A Brief History of Stitzel-Weller Bourbon
Pre-Prohibition and Prohibition Eras
Back in the very early 1900s, a few “bigger” distilleries were operating freely and openly, and business was pretty good. WL Weller was operating at the time as a distributor, not a distiller. They had a great relationship with the A. Ph. Stitzel Distillery, distributing their goods.
During prohibition, post- Eighteenth Amendment, these two businesses were able to save face, continuing to do business under a medicinal license. This meant that they were probably selling their whiskey to politicians and rich folks who had found (or created) loopholes in the prohibition system.
Post-Prohibition
After prohibition was repealed in 1933 with the Twenty-First Amendment, new opportunities became available, and money was starting to flow in for new investments. Julian “Pappy” Van Winkle, who had by now purchased WL Weller (where he started as a salesman), joined forces with Alex T. Farnsley and Arthur Phillip Stitzel to create a new super-company, Stitzel-Weller Distilling Company. The first major endeavor was the construction of a new distillery, which was actually known as Old Fitzgerald Distillery.
Two of the partners, Farnsley and Stitzel, both passed aways in the 1940s, and “Pappy” Van Winkle became the sole owner of the Weller-Stizel Distilling Company and its holdings. Pappy ran the company well for a while, and it continued to operate successfully for several years even after being passed to his son, Julian Winkle, Jr. Unfortunately, the 70s were hard on the Whiskey industry, and parts of the company were sold and piecemealed off to other distilleries over the next couple of decades. Julian was able to continue buying some of his father’s stock, but the Stitzel-Weller brand began to fizzle.
Stitzel-Weller Distillery closed in 1992.
Stitzel-Weller Brands
Many of the whiskeys one distilled by Stitzel-Weller (SW) are still around. They aren’t all under the same umbrella anymore, but you’ve probably heard of many of them. It’s actually kind of interesting to see how influential Stitzel-Weller was, and their footprint exists across the industry in whiskeys now produced by some big hitters.
Old Fitzgerald
As previously mentioned, Old Fitzgerald was one of the main brands that Stizel-Weller acquired early on, and one of their flagship products. The Stitzel-Weller Distillery that was sold in 1972 to Norton-Simon officially became Old Fitzgerald Distillery at this point. The brand has gone through several acquisitions since then, and is now part of the United Distillers group.
W.L. Weller
Sitzel-Weller Distillery also produced W.L. Weller whiskey back in it’s prime. The brand was sold to Ancient Age during the 1972 transition period, and later passed on again to Buffalo Trace Distillery where it’s grow new life and fame amongst the bourbon community.
Pappy Van Winkle
Pappy Van Winkle was also a solid brand back in the Stitzel-Weller days. It also now rests with Buffalo Trace Distillery, which makes sense given the similarities in mash bill to the Weller lineup of wheated bourbon. Stitzel Weller Pappy is one of the more sought after dusties in the bourbon collecting hobby.
Rebel Yell
Another popular, though lesser brand, from Stitzel-Weller is Rebel Yell. The Rebel Yell brand was purchased by The David Sherman Corporation. Under the new ownership, the brand had gained in status and popularity, especially in recent years during the bourbon boom.
Cabin Still Bourbon
Of all the old Stitzel-Weller whiskey brands, you may be least familiar with Cabin Still Bourbon. This is a bottom shelf bourbon that costs around $10 for a fifth. It’s still distilled in Bardstown, by current owner Heaven Hill distillery.
How To Identify Antique Stitzel-Weller Dusties
In whiskey and bourbon collecting, antique bottles are often referred to as “Dusties” and can be hit-or-miss in quality. Most people aren’t collecting these dusties to drink, though (like how some people collect stamps, and don’t intend to use them on letters).
Whatever reason you’re interested in collecting old Stitzel-Weller bourbon bottles for, it may not always be 100% clear what kind of bottle you have. Here are some tips for identifying these old dusty bottles if you come across them. No single identifier is a guarantee, but the more check-boxes you hit, the more likely you are to have something special.
- Does it say Stitzel-Weller on the label?
The most obvious way to identify a qualifying SW bottle is if the label says it is. But be careful, some old barrels may have escaped and only been blended in. Read the label fully and check with the bottler (if they’re still around) to know what you really have. - Check the bottling date.
The date on a bottle of whiskey can tell you a lot about where it came from. There are potentially two main date identifiers. First, if your bottle is from before 1985, it should have a tax strip across the cork/top. This will definitely have a date one it… but if it’s from one of the aforementioned brands, then you may have a Stitzel-Weller in yours hands. If there isn’t a tax strip, then check the bottom of the bottle for a serial number or date code. You likely have Stitzel-Weller Bourbon if the whiskey was distilled before 1992. - Look for a distiller code.
For decades, distilleries have been given DSP codes for taxation/permitting purposes. A real Stitzel-Weller dusty would likely be attributed to DSP-KY-16. This code was unique to the distillery, so the bottle or label will likely be marked as such.
What other identifiers of Stitzel-Weller dusty bottles have you heard of? Let us know in the comments. If we can corroborate, we’ll update this article.
Stitzel-Weller Back-stock
When Julian Van Winkle left the company in 1992, he was able to take a lot of the existing SW stock with him. These followed him all the way to Buffalo Trace Distillery in 2002, and have supposedly been mixed into batches with other Buffalo Trace Weller stock. This back-stock of Stitzel-Weller bourbon was supposedly blended into bottles from the Pappy Van Winkle collection… as recently as 2015.
How do I know if my Pappy contains any Stitzel-Weeller?
The details around the presence of Stitzel-Weller back-stock in Van Winkle collection bourbons is ambiguous at best, and some reliable sources have contradicted themselves occasionally. What we do know is that the last juice was distilled in or before 1992, and came over to Buffalo Trace Distillery a decade later in 2002. Depending on the age of the Pappy you have and the year it was bottled, there’s a chance it could have some Stitzel-Weller in it.
You could try to use simple math and deduce the dates of Stitzel-Weller Van Winkle. For instance, a 10-year-old Lot B (not technically “Pappy”), would run out of stock by 2002. Pappy Van Winkle 23 year, on the other hand, may have SW in it as recently as 2015. Just add the age statement of your Pappy to 1992.
However, and this is a big “but”, there’s still some ambiguity around all of this. Some of the 1992 and earlier Pappy barrels may have had their bourbon moved to stainless steel containers to stop the aging process. Others may have been mixed into other whiskeys or expressions (W.L. Weller, maybe?).
How do I buy Stitzel-Weller bourbon?
Finding a bottle of Stitzel-Weller bourbon at a liquor store is a long shot these days. If this is a serious desire, your best bet is to join Bourbon and Whiskey groups for collectors. You may be able to find someone selling a bottle of Stitzel-Weller Pappy or Old Fitzgerald. Be prepared to spend a pretty penny, though. You can also go “dusty hunting” at yard sales, estate sales, and auctions. Not all states allow the private sell off whiskey this way, but you might find some family member selling off old “antiques” without understanding the real value.
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]]>The post Pappy Van Winkle – Details and Availability appeared first on NC Whiskey.
]]>To some “Pappy” is the holy-grail of bourbon hunting. The Van Winkle limited releases from Buffalo Trace Distillery come out once each year in the fall and are highly rationed and allocated. The bustle is real, the competition is high, and the rewards are big. Continue reading to learn more about the Pappy Van Winkle lineup and how to snag a bottle if you live in North Carolina.
What is Pappy bourbon?
Believe it or not, there is some misunderstanding about what constitutes a Pappy. The Van Winkle line of special bourbons includes high end “Pappy Van Winkle” bottles, and the slightly more affordable Old Rip Van Winkle and Lot B. These latter two are technically not considered “Pappys,” but many still call them that. We’re going to treat this Pappy post as a full Van Winkle lineup post and include everything, but NC Whiskey does not endorse calling ORVW or Lot B “Pappy”.
The Van Winkle collection is mostly made up of specially aged and treated bourbon from the Original Wheated Bourbon mash bill, more commonly seen among the Weller line of products. The exception to this is, of course, the Van Winkle Rye. These whiskeys are priced based on age, proof, and availability. Let’s take a look.
The Van Winkle Collection
Old Rip Van Winkle
The first bourbon worth discussing the Van Winkle collection is Old Rip Van Winkle (ORVW). It’s the Wheated Mash Bill of Buffalo Trace Distillery, aged 10 years and bottled at 107 Proof (53.5% ABV).
Old Rip Van Winkle vs. Weller 107
If you’re at all familiar with Old Weller Antique 107, you’ve almost had ORVW. These two bourbons come from the same mash bill and are bottled at the same proof. The main difference is that Old Rip sat it barrels for several more years than OWA 107. These extra years mellow the heat a bit, and you’d find Old Rip Van Winkle to be a little more oaky/vanilla than its Weller younger brother.
This, in conjunction with a nicer label, a smaller allocation, and only an annual release, make it a much more coveted bourbon. But if you can’t get your hands on it at a reasonable price? Weller 107 will probably do.
Van Winkle Special Reserve 12 Year (aka Lot B)
Next up is Lot B, or Van Winkle Special Reserve 12 Year. Van Winkle’s 12 year aged bourbon is the same Wheated Mash Bill as ORVW, but aged two extra years and bottled at a lower 90.4 Proof (45.2% ABV).
Lot B vs. Weller 12
This one’s Weller counterpart is clearly Weller 12. They are the same age statement and basically the same proof, and the same mash bill. So… what’s the difference? The difference between Lot B and Weller 12 boils down to the barrels the juice comes out of. From what I’ve learned, Lot B gets the cream-of-the-crop barrels. Supposedly the barrels that go into the 12 Year Van Winkle Special Reserve are hand-picked for the smaller batch. The Weller 12 is a larger batch of less specific barrels.
It’s definitely worth hunting down a Lot B if you have the time and resources, but the quality-to-price ratio is likely better on the Weller 12 if you can find it at cost.
Van Winkle Family Reserve 13 Year Rye
This is a standout amongst the Van Winkle whiskeys. Clearly formed from its own exclusive Rye mash bill (presumable the same that gives us EH Taylor Rye), this 13 year aged “Family Reserve” is one of the rarer and more coveted in the collection. Bottled at 95.6 Proof (47.8% ABV), Van Winkle Family reserve is an easy rye with lots of good spice. You don’t have the full Van Winkle vertical without it, but you also won’t find much to compare it to.
Pappy Van Winkle 15 Year Bourbon
The first true Pappy, we know it’s the case because it actually has “Pappy” in the name. Don’t make the mistake of calling the previous items in the Van Winkle collection by this exclusive name.
Pappy Van Winkle 15 is a highly sought after release each year from Buffalo Trace Distillery. This bourbon uses the Van Winkle wheated mash bill and is aged for 15 years “in the heart of the aging warehouses.” Like Weller 107 and Old Rip Van Winkle, Pappy 15 is bottled at 107 Proof (53.5% ABV). But don’t let that fool you, these hand-picked, extra charred barrels and extra aging make this a smooth, oaky bourbon. This highlights the favorites of bourbons: caramel corn and vanilla with a complex palate of leather, wood, and oaked spiciness.
Pappy Van Winkle 20 Year Bourbon
The 20 year bourbon is quite similar in specs to the 15 year brother, but clearly has an extra five years of aging to its name. It has a lower proof, bottled near the Weller 12 and Lot B levels at 90.4 Proof (45.2% ABV). The lower proof plus the longer aging combine for one of the most buttery, easy-drinking bourbons on the marker (so I’m told, I’ve never had the pleasure). Tasting notes put a little citrus on the nose, with dried fruits on the tongue.
This is, of course, the other Pappy by name.
Pappy Van Winkle 23
Last, but certainly not least, is Pappy Van Winkle 23 Year. Similar to the 20 year version but with a few more years on it, these barrels are hand picked from the dead center of aging warehouses. It’s a little hotter in proof at 95.6 Proof (47.8% ABV). The 23 years lends toward a creamy, easy drinking bourbon that’s great for collecting and (hopefully) sipping.
Pappy Van Winkle 23 is exceedingly rare and special. I hope that if you can get your hands on it, you take the time to open and share it with someone special.
How to Buy Pappy Online
All of the bourbons in the Van Winkle collection are extremely rare bottlings. If you’re lucky enough to live in an ABC control state, you may be able to stumble upon a bottle in a lottery or list from your local liquor store — and you might find it at retail.
If you’ve had no luck finding this at reasonable prices in stores, you can probably find a bottle or two online for extremely high secondary prices. I’ve made it easy to shop some options below… if you want to pay for it. Check the price on these bottles with the links below:
Buy Pappy In North Carolina
My local NC shoppers will have a real tough time finding this in stores. Your absolute best bet to get a Pappy from your local ABC store is to make friends with the employees (ideally a manager) and be a loyal customer. Keep an eye on the NC ABC warehouse stock (join our email list for updates) and let the manager of your store or ABC board know when they should try to order this stuff. Small boards will be lucky to get a bottle.
They can clue you in on their distribution policies. Most ABC boards in North Carolina will hold something like Pappy back for a lottery. Others still operate on a “who you know” policy, so being a loyal customer and friend can help you score a bottle at retail. These relationships might take years to build, though.
Pappy Cigars and Other Merchandise
If you can’t get a hold of Pappy Bourbon, you can still enjoy the brand with their Cigars and cool merchandise. Visit Pappy Co. to see all the official Van Winkle collection of Barrel-Fermented Pappy Van Winkle Cigars, hats, t-shirts, ties, and more!
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