Buffalo Trace Announces the 2025 Van Winkle Collection

In American whiskey, no name triggers a fervor for bottles quite like Van Winkle. With six expressions, the highly limited and extremely coveted Van Winkle Collection is back for 2025. This year, the announcement includes a special auction for one of the most coveted bottles in history: Old Rip Van Winkle 25-Year-Old bourbon.

The Van Winkle lineup is a partnership between Old Rip Van Winkle Distillery — controlled by descendants of Pappy himself — and Buffalo Trace, the Kentucky distillery also behind brands like Weller, E.H. Taylor, and Eagle Rare. The collection features five wheated bourbons and one rye whiskey: Old Rip Van Winkle Handmade Bourbon 10 Year Old, Van Winkle Special Reserve 12 Year Old, Van Winkle Family Reserve Rye 13 Year Old, Pappy Van Winkle’s Family Reserve 15 Year Old, Pappy Van Winkle’s Family Reserve 20 Year Old, and Pappy Van Winkle’s Family Reserve 23 Year Old. (Suggested pricing and brand tasting notes are listed below.)

Pappy Van Winkle first appeared on shelves in 1994 with a 20-year expression, at a time when the bourbon market was much quieter. Since then, the collection has gradually expanded and become one of the most awarded and highly sought-after brands worldwide. Early bottles included sourced whiskey from several distilleries, including barrels filled at Stitzel-Weller prior to its closing in the early 1990s. 

Starting in 2002, the Van Winkle family and Buffalo Trace began a long-term partnership that shifted production to Frankfort, Kentucky. Because of the age statements, for years, many Van Winkle bottlings continued to include whiskey sourced from other distilleries. While we don’t know the exact contents of this year’s release, in theory, 2025 will be the first time Pappy 23 may consist entirely of whiskey produced at Buffalo Trace — following the start of the partnership.  

The classic six-bottle lineup will be available at bars, restaurants, and retail stores starting this September. Additionally, brand representatives have announced that a single bottle of the rare and exclusive Old Rip Van Winkle 25 Year Old will be auctioned off through Legacy de Forge, a digital platform created for Sazerac’s premium products. 

Originally distilled at Stitzel-Weller and bottled in 2017, Old Rip 25 is the oldest whiskey ever released in the Van Winkle line. It comes in a hand-engraved Glencairn crystal decanter, with a limited run of only 710 numbered bottles. According to brand representatives, bottle #706 has been “safely tucked away at Buffalo Trace Distillery, untouched for nearly a decade.” The auction winner will also receive a private tasting and audience with Julian Van Winkle. Past auction prices for bottles of Old Rip 25 have exceeded $30,000, and a decanter sold for $32,500 at Sotheby’s in December 2024. Other bottles available at auction include Colonel E.H. Taylor Distiller’s Council and a Stagg Single Barrel pick. The auction runs from September 10 to September 24, 2025.

This year’s core Van Winkle Collection sees an increase in MSRP, roughly $20 to $50 more per bottle. However, these suggested prices are still well below what many retailers and resellers will charge. In fact, the market for Van Winkle bottles remains so hot that the yearly announcement also comes with a disclaimer: “The Van Winkle family reminds fans that neither they nor Buffalo Trace Distillery control the prices individual retailers charge for the expressions.”

Brand tasting notes, proof points, and suggested retail prices for the full 2025 Van Winkle Collection are below.

• Old Rip Van Winkle Handmade Bourbon 10 Year Old: The lineup’s “entry level” bourbon, Old Rip, features tasting notes that include vanilla, caramel, pecan, and warm tobacco on the nose, with a palate big on wheat, cherry, and bold oak. The bourbon concludes with a “long, smoky” finish. $150 MSRP, 107 proof
• Van Winkle Special Reserve Bourbon 12 Year Old: Often referred to as “Lot B,” Van Winkle’s 12-Year bourbon is usually the flavor curveball in the lineup. Tasting notes highlight a “bolder, woodier edge” and a nose that opens with oak, dried mango, cocoa, peach, cherry, and vanilla. The palate leans into tobacco, stone fruit, and honey before a gently spiced finish. $170 MSRP, 90.4 proof
• Van Winkle Family Reserve Rye 13 Year Old: This “Kentucky style” rye is thought to be produced from a mash bill with a substantial amount of corn, which enhances its sweetness. Tasting notes highlight a “richer, fruit-forward complexity” compared to the typical profile, with cocoa, white pepper, cherry, and even cedar on the palate. $300 MSRP, 95.6 proof
• Pappy Van Winkle’s Family Reserve Bourbon 15 Year Old: The youngest and highest proof among the three “true” Pappy Van Winkle bottlings, this year’s batch begins with notes of brown sugar, caramel corn, and cherry on the nose. The palate offers leather, oak, and dark fruit — typical Van Winkle tasting notes at this age — along with “cherry brightness.” $240 MSRP, 107 proof
• Pappy Van Winkle’s Family Reserve Bourbon 20 Year Old: Here’s where things start to get really old. The first-ever bottling in the Pappy Van Winkle line remains a favorite for many, and this year’s version offers a nose with citrus zest and dried fruit, followed by smooth notes of citrus, vanilla, and even sherry on the palate. $360 MSRP, 90.4 proof
• Pappy Van Winkle’s Family Reserve Bourbon 23 Year Old: The oldest of the yearly Pappy lineup, this is one of the most long-standing Kentucky straight bourbon whiskeys available today. According to the brand, this batch turns up the normal intensity, with plenty of oaky and leathery tannins on the nose, followed by powerful notes of vanilla, honey, maple, and cherry on the palate. The finish is lengthy and well-balanced between fruit and oak. $500, 95.6 proof