Pappy Van Winkle 15-Year
Overall Score: 7/10
Overall Value: 3.5/5 at MSRP, 1/5 at $1,500+
Distillery: Buffalo Trace
Classification: Straight Bourbon
Company: Sazerac Company Inc.
Release Date: 2024
Proof: 107
Age: 15-Years
Mashbill: Wheated Mash
Color: Honey
MSRP: $150 (2025)
The Hunter Says
Score: 7/10
Value: 3.5/5 at MSRP, 1/5 at $1,500+
THE NOSE:
The Pappy Van Winkle 15-Year is super fruity and sweet. I also get deep caramel, rich butterscotch, and even a little bit of Golden Grahams cereal.
There’s a chocolate note in there too—like Rollos candy.
What’s surprising is that I don’t get any oak at all, which is not what I expected from a 15-year pour. It smells amazing and leans dessert-heavy in the best way.
THE TASTE:
It starts sweet but shifts quickly into darker flavors.
It honestly reminds me a lot of an Old Forester profile—think dark chocolate and leather.
It’s a big shift from the bright, sweet nose and feels heavier and more serious. Not bad at all, just very different.
THE FINISH:
Some of those chocolate notes carry over into the finish, but they don’t exactly shine.
It’s soft and not very memorable. For a bourbon this old and this hyped, I was hoping for something that lingered a little more boldly.
BUY OR PASS?
I only had a 0.75 oz pour of this, so take that for what it’s worth—but I walked away a little underwhelmed. The nose is definitely the highlight, and the palate is solid, just not mind-blowing.
The finish kind of disappears, which surprised me. It’s definitely good bourbon, but when you consider the insane price and hype around this bottle, it just didn’t blow me away. Honestly, I have bottles on my shelf I enjoy more.
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