Review #566 - Van Winkle 13 Family Reserve Rye

Written By Me, My Wife & Whisky

The only member of the annual Van Winkle whiskies that isn't a bourbon - this is the Van Winkle Family Reserve Rye, a 13 year old rye whisky from Buffalo Trace. It's released each year in the Autumn along with the famous Pappy Van Winkle bourbons.

Buffalo Trace doesn't disclose the mashbill used to create this rye whisky; really, there's isn't a whole lot known about this rye whisky. It has a long history of originating at different sources in Kentucky, but for nearly the last 10 years, this has been Buffalo Trace distillate. It's bottled at a middling 47.8% ABV (95.6 proof).

Van Winkle 13 Family Reserve Rye

USA - Rye

MSRP: USD 200 (2024)

Available Price: USD 850 (2025, based on recent auction results)

Age Statement: 13 Years

Strength: 47.8% ABV

Tasting Methodology: Reviewed 1 time; bottle 20% fill level at time of review. Tasted in a nosing glass, rested 15+ minutes

Nose: An interesting mix of dill and cherry, then some chocolate comes forward; that's accented by sweet cigar smoke, showing more age. It's nicely rounded, and quite interesting, and with time, we get powdered sugar, even bruleed sugar, as well as some fresh linen.

Palate: A medium thickness mouthfeel; herbal rye notes arrive first, and this is more dry than the nose. Linen, cotton, dill, and sage... quite rye-forward, though a bit of leathery oak builds with time. Soft orange fruit and tart orange oil arrive, and a few drops of water brings out vanilla.

Finish: Leathery oak is stronger into the finish, though the flavors grow more mild overall. There are still some herbal notes, especially sage, and a bit of black pepper; it's a medium-long finish.

Final Note: A fabulous nose, but 'just' a good palate and a mild finish - this could be so much more with barrel proof presentation. Those smells at the beginning are varied and always interesting, and it shows its age well; it was much more rounded and mellow on the palate, and the rye character came forward, too. Tasty rye, on the verge of great, but not necessarily mind-blowing like you might expect based on the Van Winkle name.

Value isn't much of a discussion - this is expensive at MSRP, and if you're looking on the secondary market, this is very poor value.

Our Average Rating: 7.8 / 10

In the current whisky landscape of increasing prices and variable quality, we've added a value rating to our reviews that relates to the score and the available pricing of each whisky. This roughly equates to a 0-10 scale; no reviews so far have exceeded a score of 10, although it is technically possible for the formula to produce a value rating higher than 10 with a high enough score and low enough price.

Value Rating (MSRP): 5.34

Value Rating (Available Price): 3.29

About Us: We're a husband and wife review team living in the Midwest United States. Generally, our reviews and tasting notes will be a compilation of both of our experiences with a whisky over several tasting sessions.

Me, My Wife & Whisky
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