Old Rip Van Winkle 10 Year Old

Old Rip 10-107? EXCELLENT BOURBON. Plenty of respect here, and hands down the best value for money from the Van Winkle stable.

107 proof "well-masked" because you don't taste alcohol? By some of our standards 53.5% is fairly tame stuff and really just the entrance to the sweet spot when you are beginning to get into the really good range of concentration of flavours. You don't taste alcohol in 2010 George T. Stagg at 71.5% ABV either.

I assume these bottles aren't just sitting on the liquor store shelves, maybe in Georgia?

That was an oddly worded question.

The W.L. 12 doesn't compare to the rip 10 in my opinion. And don't worry that you didn't get the 15. I think the 10 is better this year anyway. The 15 has a funny finish. Don't know why or what it is

@MCM, no, nowadays it is extremely rare to see anything Van Winkle sitting on a store shelf in the US. Mostly you have to charm, hustle and/or engage in hand-to-hand combat to get yourself any of them...or pay an obscene scalper's bounty to someone else who did. These are all allocated whiskeys, so you have to find a way to reserve some before they are released. There should be at least a partial Spring Van Winkle release in the timeframe of April-May. The main release is always in the Fall.

@Victor:: Yeah I getting to know the Van Winkle/antique collection allocation routine. I have made friends with liquor store owners with some success. I was just wondering if the 10 year, was more readily available. And it seems not. Thanks for answering.

Interesting to know about the spring release. Also, I don't know if you read "Bourbon Truth" blog, but he has some pretty downer stuff about the bourbon industry as a whole, including Stagg Jr. which you also have a less than stellar review of.

@MCM, I've spent some time with "Bourbon Truth". There is both a lot of good information and a lot of cynicism there. I am a 'no BS' kind of guy, but I am not a cynic. I do think that there is a big issue with short supplies of the best aged whisk(e)ys both in the US, Scotland and elsewhere, and that the buyer does very much need to beware, and quite cautious in what she or he buys from any source. Prices are indeed going up...just make sure that you are getting a quality product in return for your money.

Thanks again Victor. You are, in all seriousness, the most wise person I don't really even know.

I am honored that Victor commented on my VW10yr post! Good to hear from you Victor and didn't mean I completely don't taste the alcohol but it is so well "masked" by the excellent structure of the bourbon. I suppose it was better that I saved my $$ and only got the 10 since Maltmark is the second person who told me the 10 was better than the 15 this year. I assume this is taking into account the exorbitant price on the 15....saw it in a store the other day for $600! The wholesale price on the 10 is $35 and the 15 is only $62.....

Enjoy yourselves fellas always!