Pappy Van Winkle's 20 Years Bourbon Whisky

Whiskyspace Notes 1686

Jun 22, 2026, 14:17:00

Well, this one’s a bit of a puzzle, in the best way. Colour’s lovely, that reddish amber. First whiff is gorgeous – marmalade, vanilla, and something woody like cedarwood. Really tickles the nose 👃 The first sip is superb. There’s toffee and a touch of coconut wine, but then... hmm, it shifts. Gets a bit dry and I start picking up black tobacco and coffee dregs. It’s a funny nose, really, starts exceptional then becomes almost ordinary, if that makes sense? 😅 There’s a nice sourness cutting through, like redcurrants peeking in and out. And that finish! Quite a bite, that old-school Ténarèze style, with bitter chocolate and oak chips. Leaves a slightly varnish-y memory. Overall... ambivalent. Some bits are superb, others are just… there. But you know, that’s part of the charm. Wonder what the next dram will be like, they do seem to vary a lot. 🤷♂️

Whiskyspace Notes 1640

Jun 15, 2026, 20:12:36

Lovely reddish amber in the glass. I get marmalade, toffee and vanilla first, then it goes quite dry with bitter chocolate, cedarwood and a bit of old tea. There’s a nippy sour redcurrant and rhubarb thing going on, plus coffee dregs, black tobacco and some varnishy oak. Feels fresh but a bit stern, like heavy toasted oak chips by the fire 🙂

Whiskyspace Notes 1543

Jun 12, 2026, 06:00:43

Lovely reddish amber in the glass. First sniff is wonderfully nose-tickling, with toffees, vanilla, incense and those stewed redcurrants and rhubarb drifting about. Tastes fresh at first, almost fruity, then tea, marmalade, coconut wine and a bit of black tobacco creep in. It starts very well, honestly superb for a casual dram 😊 Later it gets drier, with cedarwood, bitter oak, coffee dregs and some biting heavy-toasted oak chips. Finish has nicer sourness, redcurrants coming back, and a proper old-school Ténarèze bite. A bit ambivalent, but I quite like it.