Van Winkle Family Reserve Rye 13 Year 750 ml

Thirteen years in oak is rare territory for rye whiskey, and Van Winkle Family Reserve Rye earns its price by spending exactly that long in the barrel before bottling at 95.6 proof. Produced at Buffalo Trace Distillery, it is the lone rye in the Van Winkle lineup, and the long rest trades young-rye bite for depth: soft chestnut and vanilla on the nose, cocoa and white pepper across the palate, and a caramel-and-dry-oak finish that hangs on. This is a genuinely allocated bottle — each fall's release disappears as fast as it lands. If one finds its way to you, drink it neat, unhurried, and with people who will remember it.

How to drink Van Winkle Family Reserve Rye 13 Year

Since it's the only rye in a lineup otherwise built around wheated bourbon, it's worth tasting next to a Van Winkle bourbon if you can find one, to feel how much spice the rye grain adds at this age. A wide-bowled glass helps the cocoa and white pepper aromas open up more than a straight rocks glass.

Rye95.6 proof · oak · Kentucky, USA