Pappy Van Winkle is one of the most legendary lineups the bourbon world has ever seen.
That’s not an opinion or a hot take; it’s simply a fact. The iconic lineup from the Van Winkle family has spawned heists, documentaries, books, and heated debates for decades now, and frankly speaking, where there’s smoke, there’s fire. While the brand has changed a lot since its heyday utilizing sourced liquid from Old Boone, Bernheim, and Stitzel-Weller, it remains one of the most sought-after brands in all of bourbon thanks to its continued high-quality releases and the halo effect created by those vaunted offerings of yesteryear.
With all that said, it’s worth reminding people that it has changed a lot. The “tanked Stitzel” juice that caused Anthony Bourdain to say, “If God made Bourbon, this is what he’d make” is no more. Current-day Pappy Van Winkle products employ barrels distilled by the Buffalo Trace Distillery, which certainly has achieved its own mythical status in the contemporary bourbon consumer’s consciousness, but most experts agree that the stuff of old outclasses the current output.
Not only has the lineup lost a little luster due to shifting sources, but let’s be honest and admit that the rest of the bourbon world has also caught up. When you’re the top dog, you’re always going to have competition nipping at your heels, and after roughly 30 years in the pole position, it seems more than fair to ask: is Pappy Van Winkle still the best wheated bourbon out there?
It’s time to answer that question by pitting the three best annual versions from the Pappy Van Winkle lineup against the field. For reference, the three expressions of Pappy Van Winkle to keep an eye out for on this list are:
° Pappy Van Winkle 20-Year Bourbon
° Old Rip Van Winkle
° Pappy Van Winkle 15-Year Bourbon
Now, let’s discover the best wheated bourbons to rival Pappy Van Winkle in 2024!
18. Wilderness Trail 8-Year Wheated Bourbon
ABV: 50%
Average Price: $145
The Whiskey:
Wilderness Trail is perhaps the most technologically advanced bourbon distillery in America, and that’s no small feat. Founded by Shane Baker and Dr. Pat Heist, the pair have been producing stellar whiskeys for just over a decade, and this 8-year wheated bourbon stands tall next to their high rye bourbon as the oldest, regularly available age-stated product they produce.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nosing notes open with caramel, salted butter, cinnamon, dark chocolate, and dense oak tones for a warm and inviting melange. In time, it also develops some lovely singed orange peel notes, and the entire array of aromas is a delight to pick apart.
Palate: Once on the palate, the orange notes assert themselves more forcefully as this comes across like a cinnamon-dusted creamsicle with accents of dark chocolate, tannins, black pepper and crème brulée. The mouthfeel on this one is pretty robust, with a fairly thick texture that capably corrals all of those disparate flavor notes.
Finish: The medium-length finish is flush with oak tannins, black tea, butterscotch, and some gentler sweet notes like Golden Delicious apple skin and dried apricots.
Bottom Line:
By taking its already excellent wheated bourbon and aging it for another four years, Wilderness Trail succeeded in creating its tastiest wheated bourbon to date. Though it’s not without some rough edges, if you can find this bottle, we think you’ll agree that it’s easily one of the best wheated bourbons on the market, which makes us salivate at the thought of trying it at 10, 12, 15, 20, and 23 years of age next to the full Van Winkle lineup.
17. Pappy Van Winkle 20-Year Bourbon
ABV: 45.2%
Average Price: $9,000
The Whiskey:
Pappy Van Winkle 20-Year Bourbon is the second-highest age-stated bourbon in the Van Winkle lineup. Made with the same wheated bourbon barrels comprising the entire Weller lineup, it showcases what Buffalo Trace’s wheated mash bill can do after two decades of maturation.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Oak is front and center on the nose with an intriguing polished leather note and a medicinal cherry aroma, which all work well together despite the imbalance in their attenuation.
Palate: On the palate, you’ll find the imbalanced attenuation even more noticeable as dry oak hits the tip of the tongue, then invites some honey and bright cherry sweetness in along with semi-tart orange rind, tobacco leaf, and polished leather. Once those flavor notes cycle through, the oak again returns and begins to dry out the palate before the austere liquid even makes its way to the finish.
Finish: Once on the finish, the palate is sufficiently dry as some sage, barrel char, and allspice join the mature oak note on the palate. Fortunately, there is a bit of caramel and cherry on hand to balance those drying, earthy tones, but not much.
Bottom Line:
The first Pappy to fall is the 20-Year expression, which is simply too over-oaked to put up much of a fight in today’s crowded market. For those keeping score at home, this is the iteration of Van Winkle that Anthony Bourdain initially fell in love with. Still, the tanked Stitzel-Weller version the celebrity chef was so enamored with isn’t the same whiskey as the one made by Buffalo Trace today. While contemporary Pappy 20 has some perfectly delightful elements, it never fully congeals, resulting in a disjointed albeit still pleasurable experience.
16. Frey Ranch Farm Strength Uncut Straight Bourbon Whiskey
ABV: 62.15%
Average Price: $80
The Whiskey:
Frey Ranch Distillery, tucked away in the mountains of Nevada, is a relative newcomer to the American whiskey world, but they’ve been farming since 1854. All of that agricultural know-how finds its way into the bottle as they utilize their own sustainably grown grains in each of their products, putting nearly 170 years of experience on full display in their farm-to-glass four-grain bourbon, which utilizes 10% soft white winter wheat in its recipe.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Leather and cinnamon bark come roaring out of the glass as the impressive proof in this whiskey makes itself known vis-a-vis its burly aromas. Buttery pastry notes and a sweetness reminiscent of port wine add refinement to the affair, with custard and torched blood orange elevating it as well.
Palate: The interplay of grain – with corn pudding playing the role here – with tropical fruit, tobacco leaf, black tea, and clove is mesmerizing in every sip. Be sure to suck your teeth as an invitation for toasted almonds and overripe dates to join the party.
Finish: The finish showcases a delicate balance – though this whiskey is anything but delicate – where leather, dates, and big black pepper vibes all claim equal ground and cling to the roof of your mouth for dear life.
Bottom Line:
Believe it or not, Frey Ranch Distillery has been around for nearly 20 years, having been founded in 2006. What time has wrought is a level of expertise coupled with high-quality grains to produce a robust bourbon loaded with fulsome flavor notes and a silky mouthfeel that you’ll want to experience over and over again until your bottle, like mine, is nearly depleted.
15. Bardstown Bourbon Company Origin Series High Wheat
ABV: 53%
Average Price: $50
The Whiskey:
Bardstown Bourbon Company’s Origin Series, founded in 2023, began with three initial entrants, but this new 6-year-old High Wheat Bourbon marks the lineup’s first official expansion. By combining a low barrel entry proof with a high percentage of wheat (39%) in the grain recipe, the brand sought to extract the maximum amount of wood sugars.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The aroma of this Origin Series High Wheat Bourbon begins with a ton of crème brûlée and strawberries before a touch of oak, wheat funk, and caramel comes through. There are also a few dashes of clove and lemon zest to round things out.
Palate: Once on the palate, the strawberries and custard notes play a major factor as the remarkably creamy texture of the liquid coats your palate and finds every corner of the mouth. Mellow oak tones, vanilla frosting, and flaky pastry flavors also enhance the bourbon.
Finish: The finish here is surprisingly lengthy, with the strawberry note going from ripe berries to the dried variety as a touch of nutmeg creeps in and the gentle oak vibes fuse with honey.
Bottom Line:
Bardstown Bourbon Company already has a wheated bourbon in their Origin Series, and it’s a rock-solid option that has its fair share of admirers among those who have tasted the well-received lineup. That said, this High Wheat Bourbon is absolutely stunning, and not only does it one-up its wheated bourbon predecessor, but it also blows the rest of the stellar Origin Series out of the water. For half a hundred, this is a great pick-up that can stand tall against the best wheated bourbons on the market.
14. Rebel Single Barrel 10-Year Bourbon
ABV: 50%
Average Price: $115
The Whiskey:
Rebel’s 10-year single-barrel bourbon is an expression marked by a winding history that saw it go from production at the famed Stitzel-Weller distillery as a locally distributed bargain brand to becoming a surprise hit thanks to a Billy Idol song, being sold to current owners Luxco, and being repackaged as a premium offering.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose opens with the aroma of snickerdoodle cookies, inviting caramel and vanilla tones, and some fudge to round out the sweeter notes. On the earthier side, there’s the scent of clove and turmeric, in addition to the faintest shake of freshly cracked black pepper.
Palate: Once in the mouth, caramel, the burnt citrus flavor of a torched orange wheel, and vanilla introduce the senses to this lush bourbon. The mouthfeel is full-bodied with almonds and white pepper found in spades, though it skews more heavily toward the sweet tones. This lovely, well-balanced whiskey rewards chewing as it unlocks further cinnamon bark and wheat funk notes.
Finish: For its final act, Rebel 10-Year Bourbon features rich oak, honey-roasted peanuts, and vanilla that hangs around with considerable staying power.
Bottom Line:
Rebel 10-Year Bourbon has long been rumored to feature whiskey in the blend that significantly exceeds its age statement and that speculation certainly passes the taste test. The liquid is a lush showcase of how depth can overcome the brevity of flavors to deliver a balanced and highly enjoyable bourbon, one of the more staid and consistent single-barrel ranges in all of American whiskey.
13. Holladay Rickhouse Proof Wheated Bourbon
ABV: 61.35%
Average Price: $75
The Whiskey:
Holladay Distillery in Weston, MO, is a beautiful destination where a new generation of bourbon makers are casting the dye for an incredible future. With Master Distiller Kyle Merklein steering the ship, Holladay is putting out two excellent 6-year bourbons from a rye-based and a wheat-based mash bill. For this Rickhouse Proof expression, they’ve chosen to showcase the latter at full octane, without dilution.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Smoked caramel, dark chocolate, and stewed red apples give this one a really autumnal vibe, with clove and some great barrel char and oak tones tying it all together.
Palate: Smoked caramel makes it to the palate along with a lot of vanilla and nougat, while dark chocolate plays a supporting role from the wings. The dense oak and barrel char notes are really the skeleton that holds this all together, though, and enables the sweeter notes to stand tall with a few shakes of clove thrown in for good measure.
Finish: The finish gives a sweet impression of cooked apples and caramel, which helps to curtail the heat and heighten one’s enjoyment. One other thing that helps is it sticks around for a long time, affording you the opportunity to savor it until the last drop.
Bottom Line:
Ben Holladay’s Bourbon is enjoying a ton of critical acclaim as one of the best young craft distilleries on the market today, and that reputation is well-earned. If you aren’t already adding bottles of Ben Holladay Bourbon to your liquor cabinet, then its placement on this list should be a call to action. There’s a $75 bourbon out there right now that tastes better than Pappy 20, and this is it.
12. Southern Star Paragon Single Barrel Cask Strength Wheated Straight Bourbon Whiskey
ABV: 57.1%
Average Price: $80
The Whiskey:
Southern Distilling Company is helping to put the North Carolina bourbon scene on the map with their fleet of impressive wheated bourbons. Still, none are as remarkable as their Single Barrel Cask Strength offerings. Made with a mash bill of 70% corn, 16% wheat, and 14% malted barley, this is a whiskey that, despite being produced in limited batches, is making a major impact among bourbon drinkers in the know.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Sticky orange marmalade comes wafting out of the glass set against an earthy backbone of nutmeg, robust barrel char, and the floral, musky aroma of jasmine.
Palate: On the palate, one can expect the pleasure to increase tenfold as chocolate truffle dust graces the tongue before walnut meat and sassafras kick things into high gear. Those semi-sweet, earthy notes are then bolstered by a treacle sweetness accented by cardamom and a sprig of mint.
Finish: On the finish, it’s the sweetness that overtakes the robust earthy character of this bourbon with apple skin, clover honey, and vanilla extract to be found along with a touch of white pepper to balance it all out.
Bottom Line:
Boldness with balance is really the right way to describe Southern Star Paragon Single Barrel Bourbon. Despite being new to the stage and facing stiff competition in the wheated bourbon category, this is one expression that proves North Carolina deserves a seat at the table when discussing superlative cask strength bourbon.
11. Heaven Hill Grain to Glass Wheated Bourbon
ABV: 60.5%
Average Price: $115
The Whiskey:
Heaven Hill’s Grain To Glass series emphasizes the import of grain varietals in whiskey and the brand’s commitment to family and quality. With this inaugural fleet of releases, they partnered with two family-owned companies and sought the ideal non-GMO corn varietals for bourbon production.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The aroma of cinnamon and blackberry jam is so inviting on the nose that it feels almost foolhardy to move beyond them — it smells so immediately enticing. Pushing past that initial rush of aromas, one finds sweet oak, mocha, some slight salinity, and a faint petrichor note, making for an intriguing mix of scents.
Palate: On the palate, this bourbon is immediately dense, which pairs well with the jammy flavor profile as the blackberries from the nose morph into sugar-sweetened raspberries, a bit of airy custard, and freshly ground cinnamon. At midpalate is where you’ll find an explosion of oak and black pepper, which give this whiskey the impression of being aged for about nine years before the flavor of hazelnuts and chocolate truffle dust mark the transition to the finish.
Finish: On the finish, there’s a touch of vanilla ice cream with mint sprigs that pairs well with the persistent raspberry jam notes. It’s medium-to-long in length, and that extended journey helps elevate one’s appreciation of the density of the liquid and the depth of each flavor note.
Bottom Line:
When I first had the pleasure of trying this bourbon alongside Heaven Hill’s bigwigs while being serenaded by a live band in one of the distillery’s Cox’s Creek rickhouses, I was of two minds: one, surely this is excellent bourbon, and two, surely the setting elevated the experience. Now, with an opportunity to revisit the liquid in a sterile environment, I’m positive the former is true, but I have doubts about the latter. Indeed, in any setting, Heaven Hill’s Grain To Glass Wheated Bourbon is a formidable wheated bourbon.
10. McKenzie Single Barrel Wheated Bourbon (DIY 7 – Eagle Cliff Falls Pick)
ABV: 53.1%
Average Price: $75
The Whiskey:
Finger Lakes Distilling in Northern New York is a largely unknown gem tucked away hours outside of the Big Apple and nearer to the heart of NY’s wine country. While we’ve been trumpeting the quality of their everyday Bottled in Bond wheated bourbon for a spell now, these cask-strength single-barrel versions of their whiskey are the best stuff they’ve got.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose opens with dusty leather, simmering brown sugar, cooked dates, black cherry syrup, and dense oak for an entrancing medley that gives an indication that this is bourbon roughly twice its age. After a few waves of the hand, notes of caramel, pie crust, overripe banana peel, and chocolate truffle dust magically appear as well.
Palate: The flavor notes open with bubblegum, caramel, leather, and oak. The whiskey turns decidedly more earthy at midpalate, where tobacco leaf and brioche bun flavors start to sprout, along with some cinnamon, vanilla pod, and banana bread.
Finish: The finish features an infusion of black pepper and slightly tannic oak, while honey and golden raisins extend their grip and allow for a moderately lengthy send-off with a fruity, spice-laden final flair.
Bottom Line:
While I’d be content to keep McKenzie’s Wheated Bourbon a secret selfishly, they’re definitely a brand that more folks are becoming familiar with — whether as a component in other brands’ stellar blends or due to their award-winning flagship offerings. This single-barrel selection by the crew behind Taste Select Repeat stands as one of the best barrels to come out of the Schuyler County distillery, but you should eagerly gobble up any of their cask-strength wheated bourbons that you come across.
9. Willett 8-Year Wheated Bourbon
ABV: 54%
Average Price: $250
The Whiskey:
Willett launched its 8-Year Wheated Bourbon in the summer of 2022 to a ton of fanfare, with consumers excited to have a better opportunity to try the Willett distillery’s critically acclaimed wheated juice. What separates this slightly more available release from the brand’s highly-sought-out Willett Family Estate expression is that the latter is comprised entirely of single barrels, while this is a custom-made blend created by Willett’s production team.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose opens with candied peaches and croissant notes, with some cedar cigar box aromas also arising with a faint indication of mint, clove, cinnamon, and allspice.
Palate: The palate begins with stewed apple notes and clove over a viscous texture that coats the palate and sends each of the rich flavors to the corners of your mouth. Tobacco leaf, toasted almond, and cinnamon also make a distinct impression on the palate as this is a bourbon that seems to indicate it’s older than its stated age.
Finish: The finish is lengthy and carries more of those stewed apple and clove notes down the back of the throat for a satisfying conclusion.
Bottom Line:
Willett’s 8-Year Bourbon is an expression that I have to admit wasn’t my favorite when I first tried it. Since it debuted, there have been two subsequent batches, with this latest batch being the best of the bunch. While Willett Family Estate bottles are still the ne plus ultra of the distillery’s output, and their stellar wheated bourbons are some of the most sought-after from the brand, this more readily available and affordable alternative is well worth your consideration.
8. Maker’s Mark Cask Strength Bourbon
ABV: 54.5%
Average Price: $60
The Whiskey:
Maker’s Mark Cask Strength Bourbon is the fully amplified, small-batch version of one of the best-selling whiskeys in the world. Released in small batches, with their identifying codes found on the front label, this expression showcases Maker’s Mark in its purest form.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: On the nose, this whiskey begins with plenty of honeysuckle and toffee before the sweeter notes break rank and allow oak, red berries (think bright cherries and ripe raspberries), and a combination of oak and leather to rise out of the glass.
Palate: The first sip of Maker’s Mark Cask Strength is a revelation, resplendent with more pronounced red berry and caramel flavors than the nose at first indicated. Those flavors are far-reaching, with a refinement that rewards chewing the whiskey and allowing the viscous liquid to seep deep and then deeper still into your palate.
Finish: For the lengthy finish, Maker’s Mark Cask Strength offers a fresh cavalcade of accenting notes, ranging from vanilla and mellow oak to clove, orange blossom, and truffle honey. It’s a complex and captivating way to close this robust, elegant bourbon.
Bottom Line:
Maker’s Mark Cask Strength is easily one of the best bourbons at any price point; frankly, not enough people know it. While standard Maker’s Mark enjoys ubiquity at bars and liquor stores, this slightly harder-to-find offering tends to fly under the radar despite its incredible quality. Let that be the case no more.
7. Larceny Barrel Proof Bourbon Batch C924
ABV: 62.55%
Average Price: $67
The Whiskey:
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Figs, caramel, and dried black cherries lead the nosing notes, which are faintly floral with accents of dark chocolate, leather, and mature oak. Vanilla and cinnamon also make a distinct impression after giving the whiskey time to rest in the glass.
Palate: The palate begins with lovely viscousness spreading caramel, rosewater, dark chocolate, and menthol notes all across the tongue, with black tea and nutmeg clawing up the roof of the mouth and allowing the sweet flavors to hold court at mid-palate.
Finish: The finish brings back some of the fig and black cherry notes found on the nose and carries on for a lengthy spell with oak, nutmeg, and roasted almonds lingering long after the final sip is through.
Bottom Line:
Larceny Barrel Proof is, at times, maligned for having a disjointed flavor profile that tends to favor boldness over balance, but this C924 batch is a total course correction that rewards your palate with both. Longtime fans of the series will find a lot to like here, but it’s the critics and newcomers who will be most enlightened by the C924 batch’s fantastic, fine-tuned flavors.
6. Old Rip Van Winkle
ABV: 53.5%
Average Price: $950
The Whiskey:
Old Rip Van Winkle is the opening entry in the Van Winkle family’s insanely popular range of wheated bourbons. Aged for 10 years, this whiskey is bottled at 107 proof and pulled from the same lot of barrels that make up most, if not all, of the Weller range of bourbons.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose is somewhat simple but incredibly satisfying, as the aroma of cherry hand pies fills the air, complete with a bit of caramelized sugar, cinnamon, and honeyed pastry tones.
Palate: In the mouth, those nosing notes ring true, but unlike hand pies, which are led by the boldness of their fruit tones, the cherry note found on the palate of Old Rip Van Winkle is more restrained and less tart, fuller, and sweeter. It comes across as a more subdued maraschino cherry note, nestled in the aforementioned bakery notes of honeyed pastry and caramelized sugar, along with some freshly cracked black pepper, vanilla extract, and gentle oak.
Finish: The moderately lengthy finish on this viscous bourbon is where the oak notes are most forceful, though they’re curtailed by a faint touch of hazelnut, honey sweetness, and white pepper along with the ever-persistent rich cherry tones.
Bottom Line:
Look, I think this is the most underrated whiskey in the entire Pappy Van Winkle lineup. Even at only ten years old, this is a sublime bourbon with great balance and a rich bevy of flavors that simultaneously make it decadent and crushable. However, despite its superlative quality — the game done changed, and there are other wheated bourbons out there capable of handily outclassing this one, as we’ll see below.
5. Rare Character Exceptional Series Wheated Bourbon
ABV: 52%
Average Price: $500
The Whiskey:
The Exceptional Series from Rare Character originally featured Kentucky Straight Malt Whiskey that, frankly, sent the American whiskey world wild. However, as Rare Character begins to sunset that expression due to limited remaining quantities, they’ve begun increasingly offering including some, ahem, exceptional wheated bourbon under the Exceptional Series banner, which just began rolling out in the fall of this year.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose on this bottle of Exceptional Series Wheated Bourbon opens with bright cherry notes that soon give way to sandalwood, pipe tobacco leaves, hazelnuts, and clove for a tightly-wound bouquet that draws you deeper into the glass to explore each well-developed layer.
Palate: On the palate, the whiskey begins fairly austere before slowly unfurling over your tongue with splashes of cooked apples, Manuka honey, cedar, tobacco leaf, and milk chocolate. In time, the cooked apple note morphs into more of a cherry cordial, combining with the milk chocolate and welcoming a splash of caramel as the texture broadens and forms a layer over the entirety of the palate.
Finish: The finish is moderate and marked by mature oak with honey and red berry sweetness curbing a touch of black pepper that begins to encroach before its all said and done.
Bottom Line:
The aptly named Exceptional Series has shifted over time, transforming from more standard bourbon offerings and well-aged Kentucky Straight Malt to now including these phenomenal wheated bourbons in the 8-year range. While the brand remains difficult to find in the wild, you’d be wise to add this new expression to your bourbon-hunting list for the upcoming holiday season.
4. Maker’s Mark Cellar Aged 2024
ABV: 59.65%
Average Price: $350
The Whiskey:
Maker’s Mark’s sole age-stated product, Cellar Aged, is now in its second year of production. This year’s release features 15% 12-year-old bourbon and 85% 14-year-old bourbon, making it their oldest release to date. For the making of this product, Maker’s Mark takes their standard bourbon distillate, matures it for the typical eight years in their regular rickhouses, and then moves those barrels into their cellar where the temperature is a year-round constant cool of about 50 degrees, which decelerates the aging process.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Dark chocolate truffle dusting, orange blossom, and floral aromas kick off this aromatically impressive bourbon. Further notes of brown sugar, lavender honey, faint umami, wet soil, and coconut soon follow.
Palate: Citrus and red berries with vanilla and black pepper hit the palate at first, with heavy dark chocolate notes following thereafter. The texture is very creamy up front, with a tasty pop of cinnamon on the back end. Luscious caramel and toasted coconut notes develop at midpalate.
Finish: The finish is silky and lengthy, with dried strawberries, black pepper, gentle oak, and vanilla offering a gentle kiss goodbye.
Bottom Line:
The question you may have is whether or not this year’s Cellar Aged is better than 2023’s edition. The answer: it depends. While last year’s version is full of caramel tones that are very true to Maker’s Mark’s standard product, this year has much more chocolate and an atypical coconut note that will bring newcomers into the fold. As one of the most unique Maker’s Mark bourbons ever, this is also the one most capable of upending Pappy Van Winkle for the wheated bourbon crown.
3. Pappy Van Winkle 15-Year Bourbon
ABV: 53.5%
Average Price: $4,400
The Whiskey:
Julian Van Winkle III himself has cited Pappy Van Winkle 15 as his favorite among his family’s range of vaunted bourbons. Aged for 15 years, this wheated bourbon is cherry-picked from among the best barrels in Buffalo Trace’s inventory and given the final okay by the Van Winkle family.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose on Pappy Van Winkle 15 is marked by honeysuckle, vanilla ice cream, and Rainier cherries — not an uncommon bouquet of aromas for a Buffalo Trace wheated bourbon. However, the richness and definition of those notes are simply remarkable, with each of them penetrating the senses and seemingly sitting on your palate before you’ve even taken your first sip.
Palate: A gentle backbone of oak tannins offers structure to the sweet honeysuckle, stewed apples, Rainier cherries, and mellow allspice that hits your palate after the first sip of Pappy Van Winkle 15-Year. What you may immediately perceive as complexity is instead depth, as you’ll discover nuance in each of those entrancing flavor notes. With regards to the texture, it’s impressively viscous, rolling over the tongue with the ease of rainwater over an oil slick.
Finish: The finish finds a touch of allspice and oily vanilla pod as the oak tones get ratcheted up a bit, and the honey provides a gentle landing spot for those baking spices. It’s medium to long in the finish, and that’s the perfect amount of time for the depth of those flavors to fully unfurl.
Bottom Line:
As the final Pappy Van Winkle bourbon to fall, it’s worth saying that this is damn fine whiskey. While I’m partial to the Old Rip Van Winkle 10-year bourbon, this version of Pappy achieves a greater depth of flavor and delivers a truly luxurious experience at every level. Grizzled whiskey veterans will grumble that this expression isn’t what it used to be, but there’s no denying that Pappy Van Winkle 15 continues to be an excellent wheated bourbon whose unicorn status is well-earned.
2. William Larue Weller (2023)
ABV: 66.8%
Average Price: $1,900
The Whiskey:
William Larue Weller bourbon is frequently cited as one of, if not the best, bourbon to come out of Buffalo Trace Distillery. It’s the premier expression in Buffalo Trace’s Weller lineup, and aside from their Pappy Van Winkle lineup, it features some of their most premium wheated bourbon barrels at an age that tends to fall in the 12-year range.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose is full of dense black cherry, cinnamon bark, and clove — all incredibly rich and dialed-in aromas that entice you even as you find yourself resisting in order to savor them a while longer.
Palate: Take a sip of William Larue Weller, and you’ll find your palate ensconced in the delights of the nosing notes, but you’ll find the richness of each flavor cranked up to 11. It’s a weighty sip, and you feel that density as it rolls over your tongue, bringing dark chocolate, almond butter, and cooked red apple anywhere your tastebuds might hide.
Finish: The finish is lengthy but marked by a slow and seamless transition from the richness of the flavors at midpalate to an equally complex and persistent climax.
Bottom Line:
If we’re going to talk about true rivals to Pappy Van Winkle’s wheated bourbon supremacy, then we have to answer the call coming from within its own house. By significantly upping the proof and delivering age statements just shy of the teens, William Larue Weller is a full-bodied, flavorful, wheated bourbon that forgoes finesse in favor of force to delightful results.
1. Old Fitzgerald Bottled in Bond Decanter Series 13-Year VVS
ABV: 50%
Average Price: $1,300
The Whiskey:
Heaven Hill’s Old Fitzgerald Decanter Series comes in one of the most beautiful bottles in the bourbon world, but that’s just an indication of the superlative liquid inside. These expressions, which are typically released twice a year, also occasionally feature distillery-exclusive versions like this one sporting a red label. New for 2024 is this year’s 13-Year VVS edition, comprised of bourbon that was distilled in 1999, tanked in 2012, and then held until bottling earlier this year. While it isn’t “pre-fire” Heaven Hill, this premium time capsule is unique in that it’s a contemporary example of a brand releasing “dusty” whiskey in a modern format.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The aroma of milk chocolate, bright red cherries, and melted vanilla ice cream exit the bottle and hit the glass in full force. Juicy orange notes, sweet oak, and cinnamon bark emerge after a few waves of the hand, and yet the aromas still aren’t done revealing themselves. Sit back and marvel as this is a multilayered and incredibly rich nosing experience to be appreciated at length.
Palate: A whisper of ripe orange, bright red cherries, and vanilla ice cream welcome your palate to the party. Courtesy of this whiskey’s impressive depth of flavor and silky texture, it quickly finds every crevice in the mouth to coat. Milk chocolate and well-aged oak pool at the roof of the mouth, allowing the more expressive notes of honey and red berries to claim the tongue and live long, fruitful lives.
Finish: The finish is medium to long and remarkably rich, with the heaviness of the whiskey gently relieving itself from your palate while a touch of leather and black pepper adds one final layer to this whiskey’s impressive depth.
Bottom Line:
It wasn’t that long ago that we crowned Old Fitzgerald 13-Year VVS the best bourbon in Heaven Hill’s entire portfolio, and the top bourbon to try before you die, so it should come as no surprise to see it ranked number one on this list.
This balanced beauty from a bygone era is equal parts historic and exceptional, with a throwback decanter style that further ties it to bourbon’s rich history. That’s why Old Fitzgerald Bottled in Bond Decanter Series VVS 13-Year is the best wheated bourbon on the market in 2024.
