Pappy Van Winkle 23 Year 2025 Bourbon | Midnight Whiskey

Name: Pappy Van Winkle's Family Reserve 23 Year Old Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey — 95.6 Proof, Flagship Long-Aged (2025 Release)
Brand: Buffalo Trace
SKU: 89319123785-25
Price: 3199.95 USD
Availability: InStock

Price

$3,199.95

/

✔ Authenticated by the house — seal, fill level, and label inspected before release
✔ Documented provenance on every bottle
✔ Climate-safe, collector-grade packaging

Age: 23 Years | Region: Frankfort, Kentucky, USA | Proof: 95.6 Proof

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Vault-to-door shipping

Adult signature (21+) at delivery

95.6

Proof

47.8%

ABV

750 mL

Format

23 Yrs

Age Statement

Wheated

Recipe

Kentucky

Region

Pappy Van Winkle's Family Reserve 23 Year is the oldest expression in the Van Winkle collection and the top of the Pappy tier: a wheated Kentucky straight bourbon produced at Buffalo Trace Distillery for the Van Winkle family, drawn from barrels in the heart of the warehouse that were held three years beyond the 20 Year, and bottled at 95.6 proof (47.8% ABV). The 2025 release was announced September 10, 2025 and reached shelves that month. Buffalo Trace's notes for this batch are caramel and cream with oak, leather and ripe cherry on the nose; vanilla, honey and maple with cherry and warmth on the palate; and a long, oaky, fruit-laced finish.

Nº 01

The Elemental Distinction

01

The oldest Van Winkle and the summit of the Pappy Van Winkle Family Reserve tier, above the 15 and 20 Year.

02

Twenty-three years in oak; bottled at 95.6 proof (47.8% ABV), higher than the 20 Year's 90.4 and lower than the 15's 107.

03

Selected from the heart of the warehouse and given three additional years of aging beyond the 20 Year, per the family.

04

Wheated recipe, wheat in place of rye; proportions unpublished.

05

First released in 1998; produced at Buffalo Trace Distillery since the 2002 partnership; one of six 2025 releases; 750 mL.

Nº 02

Old Rip Van Winkle & Buffalo Trace Heritage

Frankfort Wheated Bourbon Maturation

Distilled at Buffalo Trace Distillery in Frankfort, Kentucky, under the joint partnership with the Van Winkle family established in 2002. Pappy Van Winkle's Family Reserve 23 Year represents the absolute pinnacle of ultra-aged wheated bourbon, carefully preserved across nearly a quarter-century of Kentucky climate shifts on the lower, cooler floors of the rickhouses.

Nº 03

Craftsmanship & Cask Architecture

Cooler Lower Floor Maturation & 95.6 Proof

Wheated Mash Bill

Wheat Secondary Grain

Replaces traditional rye with soft wheat, softening harsh wood tannins and yielding dark fruit, maple, and vanilla sweetness.

23-Year Oak Maturation

Lower Cool Floor Microclimate

Matured for 23 full years on the lower, cooler floors of Buffalo Trace rickhouses to prevent over-tannic bitterness during two decades of wood interaction.

95.6 Proof Bottling

Balanced Flagship Strength

Bottled at 47.8% ABV (95.6 proof), balancing dense oak concentration with velvety, accessible palate viscosity.

Distillate Transition History

Stitzel-Weller to Buffalo Trace

Historic releases contained Stitzel-Weller stock; modern 2025 allocations showcase fully aged Buffalo Trace wheated bourbon distilled around 2002.

Nº 04

Sensory Profile & Strategy

Distillery Tasting Notes

I

Sensory Profile

Colour: Deep amber-red.
Nose: Caramel and cream, then oak, leather and ripe cherry.
Palate: Vanilla, honey and maple, a burst of cherry, and more warmth than the proof suggests.
Finish: Long and oak-led, laced with fruit, spice and sweetness.

† Paraphrased directly from official 2025 release disclosures.

II

Strategic Position

The end of the Van Winkle ladder. One rung down is the twenty-year rung directly below it; the only older bottling the family has ever released is the 710-decanter Old Rip Van Winkle 25 of 2017. Everything else this old lives on the deepest shelf in the Midnight Whiskey vault.

Nº 05

Collector Note & Index

Vault Provenance

→

Pappy Family Reserve Apex

Anchors the summit of the portrait-labeled Pappy Van Winkle's Family Reserve lineup.

→

Bourbon Vault Context

Catalogued within the primary Bourbon Collection and The Vault at Midnight Whiskey.

Evaluated strictly on verified liquid specifications, physical inspects, and primary distillery disclosures.

Collector IndexPAPPY 23Y 95.6P

Distillery: Buffalo Trace / Old Rip Van Winkle
Series Position: Family Reserve Tier Apex
Category: Wheated Kentucky Straight Bourbon
Proof / ABV: 95.6 Proof (47.8% ABV)
Age Statement: 23 Years
Format: 750 mL

Explore the complete Bourbon collection in Midnight Whiskey's vault.

Nº 06

Technical Specifications

BRAND / PRODUCER	Pappy Van Winkle's Family Reserve (Old Rip Van Winkle Distillery)
DISTILLED & BOTTLED	Buffalo Trace Distillery (Sazerac), Frankfort, Kentucky
CATEGORY	Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey (Wheated)
AGE STATEMENT	23 Years
PROOF / ABV	95.6 Proof / 47.8% ABV
MASH BILL	Corn, Wheat, Malted Barley (Proportions Undisclosed)
BARREL SELECTION	Lower Cool Floors of Aging Warehouses; Deep-Charred Oak
HISTORICAL DEBUT	1998 (Stitzel-Weller Era; Buffalo Trace Distillate Modern Era)
REGION	Frankfort, Kentucky, USA
FORMAT	750 mL
SKU	089319123723

† Specifications and details verified directly from physical bottle inspects and producer disclosures.

Nº 07

Records & Assurance

Production Methodology

Pappy 23 is the Van Winkle wheated recipe, wheat, corn and malted barley with wheat in place of rye, taken further in oak than any other regular release in the line; the mash-bill proportions are not published, and none is estimated here. The family describes the selection plainly: barrels are chosen from the heart of the warehouse and held for three additional years beyond the 20 Year before bottling at 95.6 proof. Twenty-three years in new charred oak means heavy evaporation and few bottles, which is why the producer describes supply as limited every year. Since 2002 distilling, aging and bottling have all taken place at Buffalo Trace Distillery in Frankfort, Kentucky, with Old Rip Van Winkle Distillery overseeing the brand.

Authentication & Vault Preservation

Every bottle sold through Midnight Whiskey is sourced as an authentic, sealed product and inspected before it ships. Orders are packed with padded, glass-rated handling and require an adult signature (21+) on delivery; we do not ship to anyone unable to verify legal drinking age. For our full sourcing and handling protocols, see our editorial and authentication standards.

Frequently Asked Questions

What proof is the 2025 Pappy Van Winkle 23 Year?

The 2025 Pappy Van Winkle's Family Reserve 23 Year is bottled at 95.6 proof (47.8% ABV). It is the oldest expression in the Van Winkle collection, a wheated Kentucky straight bourbon aged twenty-three years and produced at Buffalo Trace Distillery for the Van Winkle family, and its strength sits between the 90.4-proof Pappy 20 Year and the 107-proof Pappy 15 Year.

Is the 2025 Pappy Van Winkle 23 Stitzel-Weller whiskey?

Not by the release's own arithmetic: a 23-year age statement on a 2025 bottling points to whiskey distilled around 2002, the year the Van Winkle family's Buffalo Trace partnership began. The Stitzel-Weller Distillery closed in 1992, Julian Van Winkle III said in 2013 that year's Pappy 23 might be the last of that stock, and all Van Winkle whiskey is now produced at Buffalo Trace Distillery in Frankfort, Kentucky.

When was the 2025 Pappy Van Winkle 23 released?

The 2025 Van Winkle collection, including Pappy Van Winkle's Family Reserve 23 Year, was announced by Old Rip Van Winkle Distillery and Buffalo Trace Distillery on September 10, 2025, with bottles reaching stores that September. That was earlier than the previous release, which arrived on shelves in December 2024.

Midnight Whiskey · The Vault Buffalo Trace / Old Rip Van Winkle · Pappy 23 Year (2025 Release)

Shipping information

Adult Signature Required: Federal law requires an adult (21+) with a valid government ID to sign for all deliveries. Carriers cannot leave alcohol unattended.

Processing Time: Most orders process within 1–8 business days. You will receive a tracking number via email as soon as your bottle ships.

Insured Shipping: We strongly recommend electing Shipping Protection at checkout. Midnight Whiskey is not liable for loss or damage once in the carrier's possession unless insurance is purchased.

Restrictions: We ship only within the permitted U.S. states and cannot deliver to P.O. Boxes or U.S. Territories.

All Sales Final: Due to alcohol regulations, we cannot accept returns for change of mind.

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Pappy Van Winkle's

The Elemental Distinction

Old Rip Van Winkle & Buffalo Trace Heritage