Van Winkle 12 Year Old (2014 Release) - Frustratingly Almost There, But Not
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Van Winkle 12 Year Old (2014 Release)
Buffalo Trace Distillery
Taste Score: 90
Category: American Straight Bourbon, Wheated Bourbon
Whisky Cabinet Rating: ★ ☆ ☆ ☆ Good whisky, but not a ‘must-have’
Tasting Tip: This whisky is especially wound-tight when first poured. Let it sit in the glass for twenty or so minutes. The deeper middle character and spicy finish will shine through. You will, unfortunately, lose some of that beautiful nose after twenty minutes.
The Van Winkle 12 Year Old is an utterly frustrating drink. Firstly, let’s get one thing out of the way—unless you really want a “Pappy” related product, this isn’t the one to get. At the retail price ($55 US), this is a pretty good purchase (★★☆☆). At the $200 to $300 retail range you’re likely to find this (and far more), it’s not worth considering. This is an example where the prestige of the whisky hurts its Whisky Cabinet Rating despite a high taste score. The rating is, after-all, the “Is this worth buying!?” rating.
On the positive side, the nose is really quite beautiful! It’s delicious toffee, dark chocolate, and rich caramel fondant mixed with warm cherries. The nose reminds me of the Pappy 15, minus that dark swirling oakiness found in the older Pappy.
The frustration begins.
On the palate, it’s unique if you haven’t been exposed to other affordable variations of wheated bourbons (especially, as an example, Maker’s Mark 46 or W.L. Weller 12). The palate is medium-oaky. Those barrel flavours come through, with lots of zest and spice captured during barrel maturation, but there’s none of that continuation of the flavours found on the nose. The finish is medium for a whisky aged a total of twelve years (a higher-proof might have helped this). It tends to feel thin, but it opens up over time.
This is an enjoyable drink, and if you’re a fan, do me a favour. Pull out Maker’s Mark 46 (fair comparison, nearly identical ABV), and taste these two drinks side-by-side. Nose them. Van Winkle 12 has a beautiful nose, and Maker’s Mark is good but not as impressive. However, taste these two whiskies side-by-side. Van Winkle 12 tops out in the middle-flavour profile with cherry-sweetness, but the Maker’s Mark (for me) wins out with a long endearing finish. This comparison is not even close with W.L. Weller 12. Both great drinks, but W.L. Weller 12 pulls ahead.
On the bright side, if you purchased this (like I did), there is a nice sweet cherry middle flavour and dry finish that is simply lovely. I can close my eyes and almost pretend this is a perfect whisky. So close, and yet so frustrating.
Side-bar: When first tasting Van Winkle 12 Year Old and Rip Van Winkle 10 side-by-side, I liked the 10 better. The nose of the 12 is supreme, but there’s less follow-through (disappointment makes for a harsh critic). The 10 is overly a better structured bourbon. When coming up with a taste score, that was a critical influencer. Distilleries, though, provide products for a broad range of consumers. The 10 is more of a classic bourbon with a strong start, middle, and finish. The 12 is all about the nose, and strong middle flavours. If the 12 had more of the punch through the middle and finish, it be a remarkable drink (hey Pappy 15!).
So anyway, I mixed a quarter ounce of the 10 and 12 together to see what happens. It was the 10 that shined through in the palate, and the nose from the 12 was muddled but still present (it receded quickly). The finish was beautiful, and so similar to the 10 alone. The 10 (compared to this mixture) was the better drink (phew!), and both were better than the 12 alone.
Whisky Cabinet Rating Explained:
☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ Not recommended
★ ☆ ☆ ☆ Good whisky, but not a ‘must-have’
★ ★ ☆ ☆ Your great regular rotation whisky that'll come and go
★ ★ ★ ☆ Excellent, a near must-have
★ ★ ★ ★ Extraordinary, memorable, and original
