11 barrels of rare Old Rip Van Winkle Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey have been quietly sleeping since 1989 when they were first laid down on the lower levels of a 1935 metal clad warehouse at the Van Winkle family distillery in Shively, Kentucky.
This wheated bourbon distilled in the spring and fall of ’89 had its sleep interrupted in 2002 when they were moved 60 miles east from Shively to Frankfort, Ky when the Van Winkle family entered into a joint venture with Buffalo Trace Distillery. Once at their new home, they continued to mature for another 12 years on the lower floors in Buffalo Trace’s brick warehouses. In 2014 the Buffalo Trace team moved the barrels into stainless steel tanks to halt the aging process.
“We are excited to be able to offer something so unique and rare for our most devoted fans,” said Julian Van Winkle, president, Old Rip Van Winkle Distillery and grandson of original founder Julian P. “Pappy” Van Winkle, Sr. “This is a once in a lifetime offering and the beautiful decanter and wooden box just take it to the next level and make it something in which I’m very proud to be associated.”
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Asleep 25 Years in the Wood
This small batch of 11 barrels netted out 710 bottles of 100 proof Old Rip Van Winkle Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey. Each bottle gets a handmade glass decanter from Glencairn Crystal Studio. The bottle information is engraved on each decanter, individually numbered, and hand finished with a silver stopper and a glass top for the decanter.
Each decanter is packaged in a handmade wooden box crafted in North Carolina by James Broyhill II of Heritage Handcrafted. The lid is constructed using the oak staves from the 11 barrels that held this bourbon. The outside of the box bears a metal plaque with the Old Rip Van Winkle logo and states “asleep 25 years in the wood.” Inside each box is a certificate of authenticity, numbered and signed by Julian Van Winkle.
The 25 year Old Rip Van Winkle Bourbon comes with a suggested retail price of $1,800 for a 750 ml bottle. Bottles are expected to start shipping in April (with lines starting in Mid-March.)
Old Rip Van Winkle Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
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