Van Winkle Special Reserve 12 Year ‘Lot A’ (Distilled Fall 1979)

The Old Rip Van Winkle brand, a pre-prohibition bourbon label, was resurrected by the Van Winkle family following the sale of their Stitzel-Weller distillery. Initially granted use of the distillery’s facilities, Julian Van Winkle II later relocated bottling operations to the Old Commonwealth Distillery in Lawrenceburg in 1983.
Despite this move, he continued to source barrels from Stitzel-Weller, introducing the iconic Pappy Van Winkle range in homage to his grandfather. With the closure of Stitzel-Weller in 1992, a partnership with Buffalo Trace distillery ensued in 2002, transferring all bottling operations there. The revered 12-year-old Special Reserve, first bottled in 1991, remains a staple of the brand, initially using vintage Stitzel-Weller bourbon.