Pappy Van Winkle is one of the rarest, hardest-to-find bourbons out there. It commands price points ranging from $5000-$15,000. But is it worth the hype? If you can’t find a bottle of Pappy, here’s a few similar bourbons that 99% of people would drink and find indistinguishable from Pappy Van Winkle.
Why is Pappy Van Winkle hard to find? It’s a long story, and we have a great writeup on the price phenomena in our article, “The Reason Why Pappy Van Winkle is So Hard To Find.” The short answer is the scarcity, age, the bourbon spike, let to a perfect storm of particularly high prices for this renowned brand.
Now before you get into this list, here’s a caveat. None of the bottles we’ve included are Pappy Van Winkle. And none of them are hard to find. We wrote this to strictly focus on bottles that have a similar lineage to Pappy Van Winkle, and are available in most liquor stores.
What is Pappy Van Winkle?
Pappy Van Winkle is a bourbon whiskey brand that has gained a cult following over the years. The entire distillery’s timeline, including the influence of Julian Jr. and Julian III is listed in its entirety here.
But the short intro is that Pappy Van Winkle is produced by the Old Rip Van Winkle Distillery, and it is known for its rich, complex flavor profile. The bourbon has a smooth, velvety texture and a complex flavor profile that is characterized by notes of vanilla, caramel, and oak, with a hint of spice and a long, smooth finish. It’s now owned by Buffalo Trace distillery, and commands a pricepoint that places it near the top of the list of the most expensive bourbon in the world.
What does Pappy Van Winkle Taste Like?
Pappy’s flavor profile is often described as being rich and complex. It’s also known for a wide range of balanced flavors. The bourbon has a sweet, fruity aroma that is followed by a rich, velvety texture on the palate. The flavor profile is characterized by notes of vanilla, caramel, and oak. The finish is spicy, long, and smooth.
Five Bourbons That Taste Like Pappy
If you’re looking for bourbons that taste like Pappy Van Winkle but don’t want to spend a fortune, here are five options that are easy to find and cost less than $50. The good news? A lot of these bourbons are wheated & corn-heavy, and have a flavor profile very similar to Pappy.
- Elijah Craig Small Batch: This bourbon is produced by Heaven Hill and is priced at $26-$30. It has a rich, complex flavor profile with notes of vanilla, caramel, and oak, and a long, smooth finish.
- New Riff Kentucky Straight Bourbon: This bourbon is produced by New Riff Distilling and is priced at $40. It has a bold, spicy flavor profile with notes of vanilla, caramel, and oak, and a long, smooth finish.
- Knob Creek Single Barrel: This bourbon is produced by Jim Beam and is priced at $42. It has a rich, complex flavor profile with notes of vanilla, caramel, and oak, and a long, smooth finish.
- Old Forester 1920 Prohibition Style: Brown-Forman produces this bourbon, and it costs around $50-$55. It has a rich, complex flavor profile with notes of chocolate, dried fruits, clove, and mint, and a long, smooth finish.
- Col. E.H. Taylor Jr. Small Batch: Buffalo Trace produces this bourbon, and you can typically find it for $90-$130. It has a bold, spicy flavor profile with notes of vanilla, caramel, and oak, and a long, smooth finish. While this bottle is difficult to find, it is nowhere near as hard to find as Pappy.
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