Sorry, you need to enable JavaScript to visit this website.

Next Auction starts Friday 29 March. Bottle Deadline: 18 March.

Van Winkle 1985 Family Reserve Rye / Un-Chillfiltered European Exclusive

Lot: 286851

Van Winkle 1985 Family Reserve Rye / Un-Chillfiltered European Exclusive

Winning Bid: £2,600

Currency Estimate

Important: Currency exchange rates are constantly changing; this feature is to be used as a guide price only. All final transactions occur in British Pounds (£).
Lot:
Distillery: 
Medley
Age: 
15 Year Old
Vintage: 
1985
Region: 
Kentucky, USA
Bottler: 
Official / Old Commonwealth
Cask Type: 
N/A
Bottled Strength: 
100 US Proof / 50%
Bottle Size: 
70cl
Distillery Status: 
Closed
product Details

Van Winkle 1985 Family Reserve Rye / Un-Chillfiltered European Exclusive

The Old Rip Van Winkle brand was a pre-prohibition bourbon label, revived by the Van Winkle family after they were forced to sell their Stitzel-Weller distillery by its board of directors. New owners, Somerset Imports, granted Julian Van Winkle II (son of the famous 'Pappy') the continued use of an office at the distillery, and first option on purchasing casks to bottle his new brand with. When he died and the business passed to his son, Julian III, this courtesy was no longer extended, and he moved bottling to the old Hoffman distillery in Lawrenceburg in 1983, renaming it Old Commonwealth. He was still able to buy Stitzel-Weller stock though, and introduced the famous Pappy Van Winkle range in homage to his grandfather, using well-aged barrels from the distillery the now-legendary figure once so lovingly ran. When Stitzel-Weller was closed down by United Distillers in 1992, it was only a matter of time before stock would run out. This necessitated a partnership between Julian Van Winkle III and Buffalo Trace distillery in 2002, seeing all bottling move there, initially using the remaining Stitzel-Weller barrels, with these eventually replaced by Buffalo Trace distilled stock. The product from all eras is revered, and the brand is considered to be the first premium bourbon line to have been produced in the US.

Blink and you might miss it, but this is not the standard 13 year old Van Winkle Family Reserve Rye that at first glance it may appear. Labelled simply as the 1985 vintage, this was released in 2001 when the Family Reserve was actually 15 years old. Although it is commonly known as a 13 year old, the rye actually continued to age in cask until 2004 when it was eventually tanked at Buffalo Trace. 

The Family Reserve Rye is presumed to have been distilled at Medley in Owensboro, with the 1980s "Cream of Kentucky" rye from George T. Stagg blended through it after it was tanked in 2004. That ran out in 2016, and as of 2018 a Buffalo Trace-distilled rye has been used. This however is the unblended Medley liquid.

Bottled by Julian Van Winkle III at Old Commonwealth, he has personally confirmed that this un-chillfiltered version was an experiment for the European market, at the request of a "French customer" (although it is more likely he was referring to Rinaldi in Italy). Un-chillfiltering is unheard of with bourbon in the US, but is generally the preference here. Van Winkle also noted that he believes this release does retain some flavours lost in the regular chillfiltered product.

Bottled at the higher strength of 100 proof, this is a particularly rare gem.

This bottle is being sold from the Pat's Whisk(e)y private collection which, numbering in excess of 9,000 bottles and over 2,000 miniatures, is the single largest collection of whisky ever to be brought to auction. Pat's Whisk(e)y is the result of over fifteen years of passion and dedication to the goal of creating one of the most complete libraries of whisky and whiskey ever amassed by an individual collector. It contains bottles from over 150 different Scottish distilleries, as well as bourbon, rare Scotch releases from sought-after independent bottlers in Europe, and whisky from other distilleries across the globe. Whisky Auctioneer is delighted to have partnered with Pat's Whisk(e)y to offer this collection across a number of exclusive and spotlight auctions. For more information, please click here.

Important Notice

We would recommend viewing/close inspection prior to placing any bids. If this is not an option and you have questions beyond the offered description and images, please contact us for a more in-depth condition report. Otherwise lots will be sold as seen in the images.

Please note: Due to the various ages of bottles and their seals, condition of liquid is at the buyer's discretion and no claim can be lodged against failure/leakage in transit.