Old Rip Van Winkle 10 Year Old

sample from a friend

Nose: A little varnish at the forefront, but slight. Caramel, syrup. lots of candy corn (really seems to hit the mark as a descriptor, if I do say so). Some orange extract, chocolate, and wood. Vanilla, too. Sugarcane, coconut, and rock candy. The alcohol always sticks out a bit and stays just ahead of the game. Buttery and candied cream corn.

Palate: All over the place, really. There is caramel. Strong corn, candy corn, and syrup sweetness in a brash attack, and then the alcohol comes apart with the wood. Tough to keep track of the development, but you are left with a sugary syrup and oily candy corn residue. Not bad.

Finish: Some wood, vanilla, maple syrup, candy corn, and rock candy. No surprises here. It seems denser and darker to me than some of the older PVWs, but it just doesn't come together. I can tell that there are things in there that I like and could really like, but it just doesn't get there for me.

Van Winkle makes wheat formula bourbons. Van Winkle's youngest bourbons are 10 yr olds at 107 and 90 proof. This review is of the 90 proof version. For a review of the 107 proof version see my review Old Rip High Test.

Nose: pleasant wheat grain, slightly sweet, a little oak

Taste: Subdued wheat flavour, which fortunately does increase after a few seconds in the mouth. The oak flavours are probably a little stronger here than are the grain flavours. Alcohol is noticeable here, even at 90 proof. Some caramel does develop after 15 seconds in the mouth, as is the case with the 107 proof version.

Finish: moderate to long finish, with simmering caramel sweetness.

Balance: this is a pleasant relatively light bourbon. The fierce flavour punch of the 107 proof version is gone here. This is the weakest flavour profile, by far, of all of the Van Winkle product line. This is sweet and light, with only some wood flavours giving any edge at all. Even though this is wheat mashbill rather than rye mashbill, this is a very similar type of creature to Ancient Age Bourbon, which is also relatively light and sweet, particularly in the 40% ABV expression.

Van Winkle makes wheat formula bourbons. Van Winkle's youngest bourbons are 10 yr olds at 107 and 90 proof. This review is of the 107 proof version.

Nose: pleasant wheat grain, slightly sweet, a little oak

Taste: Nice robust flavour of wheat and oak with a pleasant alcohol nibble. There is some caramel after 15 seconds. This is no shrinking violet of a whiskey.

Finish: rather long, with gradual diminution of flavours with caramel at the end.

Balance: this whiskey was a big positive surprise, since I had heard or read little about it before I bought it. This is a lot of fun if you like big flavour. This 107 proof version is MUCH more highly recommended than the 90 proof version, which is good, but not the kick that this is. I would also say that the flavours in the Old Rip Van Winkle 107 proof are more intense than those in the 12 yo Van Winkle Family Reserve bourbon