The Whisk(e)y Vault - Episode 74 - Old Rip Van Winkle 10 vs Weller 12

An episode of The Whisk(e)y Vault hosted at Whisky Marketing School in Austin, TX.
Today we talk about Old Rip Van Winkle 10 from the Old Rip Van Winkle Distillery.
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The Whisky Vault is the resource library for whisky sommeliers that have graduated from Whisky Marketing School. Learn more at whiskymarketing.org

[@backtoearth1983]

"if you or I ever open a distillery...." Three......... Years.......Later....

[@DangerIsSweet]

Who's gonna tell them? 👀

[@johanospina5364]

Realist comment ive read in a long time lool

[@martyharless5097]

3 years later that $30 of 12-year Weller's is $320 in my neck of the woods.

[@seanweldon7683]

This... Anyone know the next 'diamond in the rough'?

[@daltongrady5643]

$200 here!

[@user-zx1ir7jt4c]

250 here

[@keithgillum3414]

I scored a bottle of Weller 12 from the ABC Vault for 29 bucks this past week. Super lucky find.

[@Cocktimus-Prime]

just snagged a bottle for $50 here in northern IL

[@TerrySteiner]

I was once lucky enough to walk into a sports bar in Fargo, ND and siting on the wall was a bottle of Old Rip Van Winkle. I was shocked but still asked how much for a glass. The bartender said they got it by accident and it wasn't in their systems. Not knowing what it was he decided $6 was a fair price for a glass! I of course had several. I returned two days later but alas someone else had spotted it and drank it dry.

[@WhiskeyVault]

Oh man. The rare sightings with underpriced serving is one of my favorite things.

[@SocialDem86]

Beautiful

[@eddiedelpilar9814]

Pappy is over rated in my honest and humble opinion, I have tasted a $30.00 bourbon that would kick pappy's taste profile to the dirt! But I'm not going to tell you cause they might raise the price, cheers, don't get bitten by the hype bug, lol.

[@chrisnewby5713]

Terry Steiner shoulda bought the bottle

[@guayacoenelbronx219]

Similar situation at a bar near the Yankee stadium They had a bottle of the 10 and 12 $16 for the 10 and $18 for the 12. I poured few serving and I put the bartender on it. At the end of the day the manager pulled the bottles from the shelves and kept them for himself

[@iansims7659]

Just started watching and you have quickly become two of my favorite people. Thanks!

[@thatskrazee]

Great video guys. Very entertaining and informative. Love the longer vids.

[@matthewmorin7016]

Good luck getting Weller. It's just as rare as pappy in my neck of the woods.

[@WhiskeyVault]

It's starting to get that way here as well.

[@texangrunt1448]

I have a bottle of it here

[@solan417]

Go to stores early, I happened to hit up a store as it opened cause I knew I'd be to lazy to go after work and the kid working there put two bottles on the shelf and I promptly took them down. Pretty sure if I went after work there's no way they would have still been there.

[@CaptainJacksIsland]

Same in Nevada. All those articles on The Next Best Thing to Pappy put a squeeze on a number of brands. On Pappy though, talked to my local TotalWine. You gotta be part of their Master Reserve program to qualify, so at least have spent $2,500 in less than a year. Then you get to raffle for it. There's 3k members here and only 25 bottles of Pap that come in in November. TBH, I've had so many good bottles of bourbon/American whiskey that I don't think it could ever live up to the hype.

[@yanki01]

Matthew Morin got plenty in Texas or all kinds and sizes.

[@henrythev7437]

i really like you guys and your videos, especially how unsnobby you review the whiskeys. it's simply more pleasing to watch than a video in which the taster alone acts like he is better than the people who cant taste a whole fruitmix in a glass of singlemalt. btw here is an idea rex could like: a blind tasting in which he could choose the whiskeys and daniel has to guess what it is. and of course he can/will drink them too and mock you if you're wrong :D and sry for the long comment and my not so fine english.

[@WhiskeyVault]

This is a great idea. We'll have to do it on one of the next videos! Thank you, sir.

[@saltydog9117]

I need to see this. Could have Chad the Sound Guy do the pouring so you can both blind taste simultaneously! Not sure if you've seen the "Scotch Test Dummies" on KZbin, but they did a pretty awesome 16 bourbon, blind shootout and one of the winners was original Makers Mark! I think Knob Creek also was in the final few. Pretty cool to see pure preference at work and no marketing, hype, etc. I suppose Daniel might be nervous about looking a little silly, but he should just be humble about how hard it is and do it!

[@AECommonThread2137]

But rex is level 3000 better than everybody ;)

[@jpcampbell]

“Cause i can buy this all day long” - ha ha. Love these older videos.

[@MichaelBSteeleAviation]

3 years later Weller 12 is nonexistent and when found it’s at least $150 😭😭😭

[@tjingle29]

as someone who bought R&R for the same price. i wouldn’t mind paying for Weller 12 for $150

[@jcar6921]

@@tjingle29me too lol. I live in California. You can find everything but it's a arm and leg.

[@blain2455]

Weller Special Reserve is still readily available.

[@MichaelBSteeleAviation]

@@blain2455 Not in SoCal

[@brianboru8858]

Daddy?

[@CicadaAppreciationSociety]

Laughed out loud at hearing Weller 12 "affordable as whiskey gets" with current allocations and secondary market prices. Oh, 2017, how we miss you.

[@K9Cop2314]

James it’s funny cuz it’s true. I can’t find Weller 12 here in Tulsa.

[@codygoodman9632]

@@K9Cop2314 I have to hit the whiskey lottery to have a chance to even get it ha

[@crabmansteve6844]

I'm in Georgia, and when at the liquor store last night I saw plenty of Weller 12 on the shelf for like $45/750ml.

[@thejuiceloosener150]

James Cone did you buy it? Because no one ever sees it on the shelf.

[@duckcc73]

I almost did a spit-take hearing those price quotes from 4 years ago. That Pappy's goes for $1100 and the Weller for over $100 on Casker right now.

[@shawnewaltonify]

Train your palate this way 12:30min. Thank-you Daniel! You are a master educator.

[@Avloop]

I want more like this guys, and i want it now!!!

[@drobinson7786]

I love learning. Subscribed.

[@CMHasty028]

Miss the old toast at the end! And after having watched y'all for so long it is great to hear, "if we ever open a distillery...."! Great job, proud of you guys and all that you have done!!

[@WakeUpWolfgang]

I loved this video it was very informative.

[@BEER2WHISKEY]

When I have the time, I'm going back and watching some of the older videos. Having been to the Whiskey Vault (well worth the time and investment, by the way), I feel a bit of a connection. Too much is made of the Pappy mythology when sipping one of its editions. It's good, but there are more affordable bourbons that equal or surpass the Pappys. The 15-year is my favorite when I can find it somewhere. But I never spend my own money on it.

[@evanho11and]

I work at a bar that was blessed enough from our distributor to get both of these wonderful spirits. While I enjoyed both of them immensely, I tended to drink and enjoy the Weller 12 more. I have not been able to find the Van Winkle (no surprise there) but can’t find the Weller either. I really enjoy your all’s channel and specifically this episode because it touched close to home for me.

[@TheKoog97]

Evan Holland make friends at liquor stores. I got both bottles within 3 months of starting my collection.

[@pancakeshobo]

Three years later... Me and a few friends are meeting for a Pappy 12, Wellers, Eagle Rare, Buffalo Trace tasting this afternoon, so I had to come watch this today!

[@Micarunwithme]

That smile after Rex picked the pappys haha.

[@perezfam8656]

This was a great vid! Thanks for the comparison. I've been curious about the difference between the van Winkle and Weller 12. Also the Weller 12 has been getting harder to find. From my understanding Weller 12 is only being released twice a year. So it can be hard to find in some areas. But the Weller 9 yr is a great bottle in the mid $20 range and still readily available. Thanks again!

[@robbnagle]

Love the channel and often watch older videos of yours as well. Made me laugh at how easily that Weller was available a few years back. Now you just about have to know someone here in Ohio to get any.

[@RedcoatsReturn]

I ordered a Weller now. You chaps are gooood!

[@28cucbn]

My first bottle of Yamazaki 18 was $180. Bought two more within two months...$225 and $240. The 240 was apparently one of the last three bottles for sale in San Antonio at the time (who knows, but that's what they said). I might pay $500 for a bottle to bring back the memories, but the best part about the higher price is that it led me to have to buy other wiskeys That is how I feel about Pappy as well

[@HaltGrimbow]

"If we ever open a distillery..." They can do the great heist now.

[@johnpeterson5484]

My awesome sister tracked down a Weller 12 for me for christmas!! I had been looking for about a year!

[@BadWeatherfreak]

Where?

[@ChefWRX]

Seems as though the ORVW 10 might have needed a few minutes to open up. Love the reviews, keep it up!

[@sdclams117]

Fun video, thanks! In the Boston area, Weller getting almost impossible to find.

[@braggland8451]

The first with actual personalities. Y’all guys are the best

[@xiamengbaby]

I've kept some bonded bourbons in the refrigerator. I think the chilling tones down the alcohol fumes and smooths out the flavor but without the undesirable dilution that using ice cubes to cool it brings.

[@michaelduhaney5525]

In metro NY Weller goes for 60 to 300 bucks WHEN ITS IN STOCK! Rare. Love love love it. My daughter got me a bottle for $200. Not sold in NJ at all (as per distillery phone call). In no rush to try Pappy after this video and various comments.

[@StrainsYT]

Had the privelage of trying the 15 year last night. Incredible.

[@adamwarlock7158]

Whiskdey Thursday is my day to drink.

[@chefmiguelangelruiz]

Oh wow... Ok the wellers seems amazing.

[@MichaelWellman1955]

Weller 12 is almost as hard to find as Pappy. I've yet to find one. I took the tour at Buffalo Trace last month and the tour guide told us that the barrels for Pappy are labeled "Weller". I guess they decide later which one will is good enough for Pappy and which is not, which tells me that Weller is very close to being a Pappy

[@StrainsYT]

I had the privelage of trying pappy 23 and 15. I preferred the 15, both were excellent, and I'm not a big wheated bourbon guy. Gonna have to find some weller.

[@whollyfree]

really li,ke the way u guys do u stuff

[@peatkitt]

Awesome review. Just wished Weller 12 wasn't getting as rare as Pappy.

[@patrickfulmer9596]

There was some Weller, in 2014 that was so good that, around here, it started out $17. Then it went to $35, then $50. Then it was gone. I had a few bottles. (Chattanooga, TN area)

[@georgerivera6970]

Great video

[@tkking2331]

I had the opportunity to drink a glass of Pappy 23 at my uncle's house on Christmas eve a few years ago. He waited until everyone else left and it was only him, my dad and me. They poured me a glass with 1 large ice cube inside. They taught me the "Kentucky chew". To smell it first then take a drink and hold it on your tongue. It was the best whiskey I've ever had! My dad also had a few bottles of Old Rip Van Winkle 12 year at his house we drank a few times.

[@spyhunter6411]

The Weller is gone in my area. I used to buy it regularly, and Its been around a year since Ive seen it now.

[@mevrickert1613]

In 1944, I was attending St Francis of Rome grade school. My Father, Roy Beam drove me there every morning.It was not too out of his way as he was going to Stitzel Weller to help out with the distillery before he went to his regular job at Four Roses. I would love to know if that history has ever been recorded.

[@augustosanchez7463]

Just received a rip10 as a gift. Price aside it's a really nice bourbon, the hype makes me curious to try with different desserts. (reminds me of bookers from the high alcohol) Only had one small taste so far. I wouldn't go out of my way for it, it's a rare gift , life is good & I'll drink to that

[@whiskeylino5669]

Weller 12 is one of my favorite

[@captainhowdy3809]

I found a rip today in Arkansas lol. Legit on the shelf.

[@jakeizlove]

I passed up on a bottle of Rip yesterday. May have been $70, can't remember.

[@robbnagle]

What a BOSS Tasting comparison! Well Played Gentlemen!

[@olethanatos8173]

Wow a classic episode, before the shenanigans started.... and yes Weller is pretty tasty. Cheers.

[@KWsandman]

No rat tail and no distillery. .... Oh how times have changed. Just cruising and rewatching older episodes

[@garrettsaul3730]

It's taken me two years. But I finally picked up a bottle of w12.

[@keithlambert6217]

What a difference three years makes. Anyone watching in 2021?

[@tomscott4438]

I got super lucky and scored 2 bottles of Weller 12 from a local (Santa Rosa, CA) grocery store in November for $49 a bottle. If you can find it here it usually goes for $150. A great sipping bourbon for sure but tonight a friend at a local bar made me a Manhattan from Weller 12 for $14. Decadent and awesome. Tonight I just scored a bottle of Van Winkle 10 because someone didn't take their full allocation. (Fear not, I paid through the nose for it) I plan to do my own comparison tomorrow. I hope I don't struggle to find a favorite as much as you guys did. :-) Please don't hate me, I don't get this lucky (or boastful) very often.

[@wideone23]

I've always wondered if Pappy was just hype or the real deal. Great to hear it de-mystified a little. Like so many commenters have said, thanks for keeping it honest and simple.

[@wideone23]

Followup question... have you heard or done comparisons between the different years of Pappy... is there a mythical "Best year" for each of the Pappy varieties? Anyone saying "Eh, don't bother with Pappy 10 2013?"

[@WhiskeyVault]

Man, I say, try anything you can get. And I haven't heard enough about the Pappy's to hear a preferred year. My guess is the variation, while noticeable, is most likely "really great" to "another kind of really great". It really is good bourbon because it's so carefully selected. But maybe not worth the thousands it is going for on the secondary market.

[@lolatu4402]

It's great, but say a Pappy 15 is not really worth more than $100 a bottle. If you could get it all day every day, people wouldn't pay more than that. It's great, but not $1200 a bottle great... Hilariously the MSRP on their site is pretty dead on as far as what it would be worth if it wasn't rare.

[@lolatu4402]

@@wideone23 they're all awesome. The 10 is really good and they get better as you go up. I think the 15 is the best value for a typical pour at a bar that serves Pappy. A 15 shot might be $35-$45 whereas a 23 might go for $200...

[@skullkrusher4418]

Have you guys ever done a video where you review your personal favourite whiskeys at each price point? I think that would be a cool video. I kinda get a sense of your tastes from your reviews, but it would be nice to see what your first picks are.

[@gemcity7973]

"harder to find" is a gross understatement. The masses has figured the Weller VW connection. I'm lucky enough to have a Pappy 15 year, Weller 12, Weller Special Reserve, and Weller Antique 107. All of them are superb, and I prefer the Weller 12 year over all of the above Pappy 15 included.

[@mikedubs9940]

Amazing

[@rockthebuilder]

Now that you have a distillery....

[@donniehill3952]

I’ve never seen or been able to order a bottle of pappy . I’ve seen it at a bar in Kentucky , but never anywhere to buy

[@medic4832]

Tried the antique gold I think at the Stanley Hotel in Estes Park and it was damn fine!

[@lucimitchell7273]

a liquor store in my neck of the woods, managed to get a bottle of 10 year old pappy and 12 year old pappy.

[@benjamingardner3314]

I have a bottle of Pappy's. I can say it's way over priced, but still a lovely whiskey. Much hotter on the tongue than scotches or bourbons of $100+ price tags I've had, but it does have such a lovely after taste which the subtleties of the whiskey are more apparent. Nice to learn what all the fuss was about.

[@spodvoll]

About 20 years ago, Van Winkle was not at all rare. The big liquor stores in Northern KY kept shelves stocked top-to-bottom. A bottle of 10-year-old Van Winkle was just a tad over $30.

[@sn1000k]

Nice to know it's true value

[@spodvoll]

@@sn1000k It was amazing. I would gladly pay $100, maybe $150 for a true Stitzel-Weller Van Winkle. But $1000 for fancy Buffalo Trace: no way.

[@texlad04]

Most of my friends would have passed by the wheater Pappy at 10 or 15 years and headed straight for the rye.

[@gmofftarki]

Daniel, with regard to putting whiskey in the freezer, if you had a mostly-empty bottle, wouldn't freezing it reduce the vapor pressure of the aromatics and ethanol and cause it to evaporate less rapidly, thus allowing you to preserve the whiskey better? Now, you might lose some of that in the process of allowing it to warm back up to drinking temperature after taking it back out, but you might be able to work out a solution with a cap for the glass or holding your hand over it or similar.

[@SuperPostman33]

I have the 10, 12, 15, 20 Pappy van winkle, and the 12 yr Weller.

[@stevefreeman4063]

Great review. Last week I finally got my first bottle of Rip last week, and because the W L Weller is becoming so hard to find I picked up two more of those. They are both great but I do prefer the Weller.

[@WhiskeyVault]

Love it!

[@kellypeters6074]

I was able to sample a flight of Pappy Van Winkle at the Capital Burger in DC. 10 year, 12 year, 15 year, 20 year and 23 year for $125.00. I expect it was a once in a life time experience.

[@randc47]

Oh how times have changed...😔

[@heathbarnhart1092]

Weller is my favorite, but I can only find it once a year now.

[@williamwright3689]

I found the wellers in so cal 79 a bottle plus ship

[@Grayjacket11]

saw Old Rip 10 and Van Winkle 12 for the first time in a local store last week $500 and $700 EACH 🤯

[@Iamjeffrobertson]

I LOVE ya'll's videos! How many bottles do you have behind ya!? hahah, ITS AMAZING

[@WhiskeyVault]

Thanks! We're sneaking up on 600

[@Iamjeffrobertson]

Wizard Academy so dope! By the way! Next time you crack open some Bulliet Rye, see if you can taste cherry! Kinda a middle between cherry coke and a tree picked cherry

[@WhiskeyVault]

Yes! We tend to stumble onto that combo a lot in quite a few bourbons.

[@shawnhapney8784]

Only sippin' Soo many of those before Game Over!

[@jackaryolderson4580]

Rex's head is so much flatter than I expected when Daniel made the joke

[@edstafford4251]

Damn back when you could get both bottles pretty easily compared to today 😢

[@txsquid1]

That is pretty funny that 5 years ago you could get WL Weller for $30- $40. I have seen them up around $400 plus on the secondary this week...

[@brianmatthewhall]

Like the video but technically ORVW is not pappy. It is just in the Van Winkle line. Pappy is either 15, 20, or 23.

[@bigbud6842]

Its still incredibly overpriced beyond belief, which was the actual point.

[@jic1]

@@bigbud6842 The list price (I believe about $69 for the 10 year-old) is actually reasonable. Yes, I know you aren't going to actually be able to pay that unless you 'win' a lottery, but that's market demand for you.

[@texlad04]

Old Rip was never on the level of the 15. I think it declined over the years, too.

[@furthurondown]

@@Noah-wv4td only in controlled states, in free markets it's whatever they want to charge you for it.

[@NotMe-zq6sn]

@@bigbud6842 As long as someone is buying, then it is market priced.

[@johell999]

8:00 lol, If you can buy Weller 12 all day long, I'll pay double the retail price for a case. Love Weller. It's the only bourbon I like so far.

[@user-zx1ir7jt4c]

Not anymore... My how things can change in a relatively short amount of time!

[@ZeroFcksGven]

I like looking in the background to see which bottles I know

[@KG-ch6tm]

How about a comparison between the Weller 12 and Blade and Bow?

[@72mathieu]

Got lucky and got 2 bottles of Weller 12 at Total Wine for $28 over the holidays. Then..I saw a store in Houston today selling Weller 12 for $163! Hah!

[@armadillotoe]

When I was younger, I drank massive amounts of Weller. It was the finest inexpensive whiskey on the market.

[@cb4128]

Cheeseburger walrus

[@obeythelaw5504]

You can buy the Weller 12 all day? Where? Here in So Cal, it is pretty hard to find if not impossible.

[@elvisfreshly5977]

Obey The Law it’s everywhere in Fresno

[@davidjessee7701]

My local Kroger liquor store had a raffle for a bottle of pappy!!! And if you won you got to buy the bottle!!! My friend won it bought it and I tried it!! I must say it’s a very smooth bourbon

[@randolphcraig7246]

I saw an old rip van winkle for a thousand dollars today in ky. The same store has regular Weller for sixty

[@BM1620]

Weller Antique 107 would be a better comparison, same proof as the ORVW

[@nolenlifts4661]

Brian McGaw the old rip is better

[@jrichardmarshall]

I run a liquor store in Colorado. I get 1 case of Weller 12 a year.

[@ptp5711]

Joseph Marshall where are you in Colorado? I live in CO also and I can not find Weller 12.

[@Ho-Ho-Boo]

I have a a few bottles of ORVW 10 over the years and I have drank with some bourbon fanatics, and I have never thought of, or heard anybody refer to, ORVW 10 as "sour"? It generally is more "spicy" than Weller 12, but sour?

[@craighenzel8259]

Daniel sounds just like Kirk Herbstreit. Like watching an episode of Bourbon Game Day, or the Bourbon Bowl!

[@quinanderson3424]

Could you add co2 via dry ice into a bottle and cork/ seal it with no oxidation,degradation, and evaporation to happen in the bottle?

[@floydguidry9817]

You Magnificent Bastards... I have Weller Special Reserve how does it match up with the Weller 12 ?

[@JmanEspresso]

Ahh.. remember when Weller was on the shelf and cheap.

[@bohemian46]

I have a basic question:Why did you choose whiskey as the basis of your business, and focus, given there are many other liquors ?

[@The2Percent]

I live in Arkansas, will totally be looking for the one shop with $30 Pappy.

[@armorpiercing279]

How long should you keep a whiskey in the bottle

[@petesanchez1]

I just won an Old Rip thru the Pa. whiskey lottery!

[@jic1]

@Cindy lou Betris Why? Such lotteries are fairly common, and somebody has to win them. And all that 'winning' usually means is that you pay the list price, instead of the ridiculously over-inflated retail price.

[@Broncostu]

I won a bottle of 12 year old 3 years ago. It's a real thing. Keep trying to win the other rares from Buffalo trace too. Haven't won since!

[@MichaelBSteeleAviation]

I just won an Old Rip today in the Total Wine Lottery 🥃

[@patrickjensen3978]

Oh, if only those bottles could be found at the prices you mentioned 5 years ago. 😄

[@WOMPITUS]

Can’t find Weller here anymore!

[@theblackmattdamon]

I got my pappy for $70, I also got a hold of it back in February. The Manager at the liquor store only sells a bottle or two a month and he picks who he sells to. I guess I got lucky, I might go and see if I can get the 12yr if they still have it. One aroma I got out of it was strangely banana, maybe from the wheat fermentation. I'm not an expert but the banana aroma stuck out for me. I'll try to find the weller 12yr and give that a try.

[@skateboardkid420]

try the weller 107

[@ScottDreyfus]

Julian van winkle was the sales rep for w. L. Weller in the early 1900s

[@Sh0rtyMac1]

I picked with Rex. I've tried booth Pappy and Weller's. The Weller's 12 is excellent, but not cheap in my area. I paid over $100 after waiting in line a few hours. Was it worth it? Why is any of the Weller becoming so rare, except the green label?