We turn our attention to Pappy Van Winkle 15 Year Old. It enters a competitive field.
Nose
This smells like a night at the movie theater: candy corn, A&W Root Beer, popcorn, butter, shellac. There’s also some slightly hidden aromas of tropical fruit – pineapple, coconut, and orange peel. With water, the nose takes a totally unexpected turn, transforming into an herbaceous, pungently mossy aroma with notes of algae, unsmoked peat moss, chlorophyll, and live wood. Like the nose, with water things take a decidedly herbaceous turn, with surprising flavors of fennel, sage leaf, and crème de menthe. In a strange way, it reminds me of Chartreuse.
Palate
The initial flavors are tart and a little bitter – blood orange, citrus gastrique, dark chocolate, wheat bran. As the palate evolves, more of those classic aged bourbon flavors appear like warmed prunes, nutmeg, perique tobacco, stewed cherry, and pencil shavings. Intense! This is the whiskey equivalent of a double IPA. Straight, it leaves the inside of my mouth feeling scoured. Water moved it in a totally distinct and strange direction that really worked for me. If this wasn’t so expensive, I’d drink it with soda water and I bet it could fool a few gin drinkers.
Finish
Editor’s Note: This whiskey was either bought as a sample by Whiskeyful or provided to us as a review sample by the party behind it. Per our editorial policies, this in no way influenced the outcome of this review.
Verdict
Pappy Van Winkle 15 Year Old is an exceptional expression that stands among the finest in its category. It rewards patience and attention in equal measure, and we recommend it without reservation.
