🥃 Pappy Van Winkle's 23 Year
The oldest Family Reserve expression: 23 years, 47.8% ABV, wheated bourbon from Buffalo Trace.
Pappy Van Winkle's 23 Year is the oldest expression in the Family Reserve line, a wheated straight bourbon with a strength of 47.8% ABV. Difford's Guide gives an age of 23 years without a vintage year. It is produced at Buffalo Trace, and the owner of the Van Winkle brands since 2002 is the Sazerac company.
Like the other versions, it has a wheated recipe, in which the secondary grain is wheat rather than rye. VinePair explains that after 2002 whiskey from Buffalo Trace was blended with old Stitzel-Weller stocks, so older bottles may contain them too. According to the same article, long ageing greatly reduces the volume: from about 53 gallons, roughly three gallons of finished bourbon remain.
Why this matters to you. The 23 Year is stronger than the 20 Year (45.2% ABV) but weaker than the 15 Year (53.5% ABV), so age does not always mean higher strength. Check the bottle against its label and batch. The WHO reminds us that there is no safe level of alcohol consumption.
Facts
| Legal basis | Reg. (EU) 2019/787, category 2; in the US — straight bourbon |
|---|---|
| EU category | 2 — whisky/whiskey |
| Raw material | corn (the base of bourbon) and wheat (wheated recipe) |
| Minimum maturation | 23 years |
| Alcohol (% vol.) | 47.8% ABV |
How it connects to Spirits
🥃 Pappy Van Winkle's 23 Year → packed in → 🍷 Oak barrel ← packed in ← 🥃 Spirits
Links
- Packed in
- 🍷 Oak barrel, 🐝 American white oak
- What it contains
- 🍷 Ethanol
- What it affects
- 🍷 Alcohol and health, 🍷 Drunk driving
- Part of
- 🥃 Pappy Van Winkle's Family Reserve, 🥃 Bourbon whiskey
- Similar and different
- 🥃 Pappy Van Winkle's 20 Year, 🥃 Pappy Van Winkle's 20 Year
Frequently asked questions
Is it true that Pappy 23 Year is always whiskey from Stitzel-Weller?
No. According to VinePair, only some bottles, especially older batches after 2002, may contain Stitzel-Weller stocks.
What is the strength of Pappy Van Winkle's 23 Year?
47.8% ABV (95.6 proof), according to Difford's Guide and Whisky Advocate.
Why is there so little whiskey left in the 23 Year?
According to VinePair, during long ageing a large share evaporates (the angels' share): from about 53 gallons, roughly three remain.
What to read next
- 🍷 Alcohol and health — Alcohol in any drink is harmful in large amounts, and the risks grow with the quantity.
- 🍷 Ethanol — The alcohol formed during fermentation that makes you drunk.
- 🍷 Oak barrel — A wooden barrel of oak staves in which wine matures and breathes.
- 🐝 American white oak — A North American oak that gives wine strong vanilla and coconut notes.
- 🥃 Pappy Van Winkle's 20 Year — Wheated Family Reserve bourbon, 45.2% ABV; the Pappy brand began with this age statement in 1994.
Similar
🥃 Pappy Van Winkle's 20 Year · 🥃 Woodford Reserve Double Oaked · 🥃 Bulleit 10 Year Old Bourbon · 🥃 Bulleit Bourbon · 🥃 George Dickel Barrel Select · 🥃 George Dickel No. 8
⚠️ Spirit drinks contain alcohol and are for adults only. Alcohol harms health. Do not drink during pregnancy or before driving; check the label for ingredients and possible allergens.
Sources
- Difford's Guide: Pappy Van Winkle's 23 Year Old/Family Reserve (47.8 % ABV, 23 years, straight bourbon, Buffalo Trace; Sazerac owner since 2002)
- VinePair: 15 Things You Should Know About Pappy Van Winkle Bourbon (1994 first 20-year bottle, wheated recipe, Buffalo Trace partnership since 2002, Stitzel-Weller stock)
- Whisky Advocate: The 2024 Van Winkle Whiskey Collection (Pappy 15: 53.5 %, 20: 45.2 %, 23: 47.8 %; wheated; Buffalo Trace)
- WHO/Europe: No level of alcohol consumption is safe for our health (04.01.2023)