Old Rip Van Winkle 'Van Winkle Special Reserve Lot B' 12 Year Old Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey

Dried fruit, cocoa, honey, seasoned oak, and tobacco unfold with unusual composure in Van Winkle Special Reserve Lot B 12 Year Old Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey, a mature wheated bourbon whose reputation rests as much on balance as rarity. Twelve years in oak give it depth without pushing the whiskey into an aggressively tannic register, while bottling at 90.4 proof preserves a supple, measured character. Commonly known simply as "Lot B," this allocation-only release occupies a distinctive place in the Van Winkle family portfolio: older and more restrained than Old Rip Van Winkle 10 Year, yet separate from the older Pappy Van Winkle's Family Reserve bottlings. Its combination of age, moderate proof, historic identity, and exceptionally limited annual availability has made it one of the most coveted American whiskeys in circulation.

Product Details:

• President: Julian P. Van Winkle III
• Brand Management: Julian P. Van Winkle III and Preston Van Winkle
• Classification: Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
• Age: 12 years
• Proof: 90.4 proof
• Alcohol: 45.2% ABV
• Mash: Wheated bourbon mash, using wheat rather than rye as the secondary flavoring grain; exact proportions are not publicly disclosed
• Maturation: Aged for 12 years in new charred oak barrels in accordance with straight bourbon production requirements
• Release: Highly allocated annual release within the Van Winkle Collection

Sensory:

The nose opens with dried mango, ripe orchard and stone-fruit character, spiced peach, and cocoa, supported by the deeper sweetness of mature bourbon. On the palate, honeyed richness meets seasoned oak and tobacco, with the wheated recipe contributing a rounded impression rather than the sharper spice associated with rye-driven bourbon. Twelve years of maturation bring depth and structure without overwhelming the whiskey's sweeter fruit and cocoa tones. The finish turns drier and more contemplative, balancing lingering oak, tobacco, gentle sweetness, and a persistent warming tingle. At 90.4 proof, the emphasis is not on force but integration, allowing mature barrel character and the softer contours of wheated bourbon to remain in equilibrium.

Awards & Accolades:

• 2019: Gold, San Francisco World Spirits Competition
• 2019: Silver, International Wine & Spirits Competition
• 2018: Best Bourbon and Best Small Batch Bourbon, New York World Wine & Spirits Competition
• 2018: 5 Stars, Highest Recommendation, F. Paul Pacult's Spirit Journal
• 2016: Overall Winner, World Whiskies Awards, Whisky Magazine

Distiller's Background:

The Van Winkle family's bourbon history reaches back to 1893, when Julian P. "Pappy" Van Winkle Sr. began working as a salesman for W.L. Weller & Sons. He and Alex Farnsley later acquired the Weller business and A. Ph. Stitzel Distillery, ultimately establishing Stitzel-Weller, whose new Louisville distillery opened in 1935. Wheated bourbon became central to the family's identity, replacing rye with wheat as the secondary grain to create a softer style capable of extended maturation. After Stitzel-Weller was sold in 1972, Julian Van Winkle Jr. revived the family's pre-Prohibition Old Rip Van Winkle label. His son, Julian P. Van Winkle III, joined him in 1977 and assumed leadership in 1981, later joined by his son Preston in 2001. In 2002, the Van Winkle family entered a production partnership with Buffalo Trace Distillery. Current Van Winkle whiskey is distilled at Buffalo Trace under the family's established guidelines and wheated mash bill tradition, with Julian Van Winkle III serving as President of Old Rip Van Winkle Distillery and Harlen Wheatley overseeing Buffalo Trace's distilling program as Master Distiller.

Serving Suggestions:

Serve neat in a tulip-shaped whiskey glass at approximately 18 to 21 degrees Celsius, allowing several minutes in the glass for the dried fruit, cocoa, honey, and mature oak aromas to develop. The moderate 90.4 proof makes dilution unnecessary for most drinkers, although a few drops of still water can be used to explore its aromatic range. Its combination of maturity, measured proof, and dry finish makes it particularly well suited to slow after-dinner drinking, either on its own or alongside restrained accompaniments such as toasted nuts or dark chocolate. Given the whiskey's rarity and balance, cocktails and heavy dilution would obscure the qualities that distinguish the bottling.