Unlocking the Magic of 2019 Pappy 23: A Blind Nose Test with Preston Van Winkle

Welcome back to the digital tasting room, bourbon lovers! If you have been following our journey here on the podcast and through these written deep dives, you know we live for the moments where whiskey history, sensory mastery, and incredible company collide. Today, we are taking a closer look at one of the most legendary pours to ever grace our glasses: the 2019 Pappy Van Winkle 23 Year. This isn't just about sipping an expensive, highly allocated bottle of brown water. This bottle carries a very special pedigree, featuring a jaw-dropping moment with bourbon royalty, a fascinating look at historical whiskey sourcing, and the eternal debate over what happens when wood meets spirit for nearly a quarter of a century. So settle in, grab a glass of your favorite daily drinker, and let us break down the magic, the mystery, and the memories of the 2019 Pappy 23.

Introduction to the Legend: Pouring the 2019 Pappy 23

There are rare whiskeys, and then there is Pappy. Mention the name Van Winkle to anyone remotely interested in spirits, and you will instantly conjure images of frantic secondary markets, golden amber liquid, and mythical unicorn status. But beyond the hype, the secondary market markups, and the endless Instagram flexing, there is a legitimate piece of distilling history inside these bottles. When you pop the cork on a 23-year-old expression, you are handling a liquid that was laid down to rest over two decades ago. The world was a remarkably different place when those distillate-filled barrels were first stowed away in the rickhouses.

Pouring a glass of the 2019 Pappy Van Winkle 23 Year feels almost ceremonial. The color alone is striking—a deep, dark mahogany that hints at the profound influence of the oak barrel after twenty-three long years of maturation. As the liquid hits the glass, it coats the sides with a heavy, viscous syrup that takes its sweet time sliding back down. This is the pinnacle of the Van Winkle lineup in terms of age, representing the absolute outer limit of where most traditional bourbon is willing to go. But holding a glass like this brings a certain reverence, knowing the incredible lineage it represents and the fascinating story of how this particular bottle came to bear a very special signature.

The Magic Trick: How Preston Van Winkle Identified Bernheim-Era Juice by Scent Alone

One of the most remarkable stories surrounding this specific bottle involves a masterclass in sensory acuity by none other than Preston Van Winkle himself. During a recent trip to Kentucky—an adventure filled with unforgettable distillery visits, amazing craft pours, and incredible hospitality—we had the immense privilege of crossing paths with Preston. What followed was a moment that felt straight out of a Hollywood movie or a master sommelier documentary.

Without seeing the label or knowing what was being poured, Preston was handed a glass of this 2019 Pappy 23. He didn't take a sip. He simply brought the glass to his nose, took a deep breath, and immediately identified the juice. Not only did he correctly call it out as Pappy 23, but he specifically identified it as Bernheim-era distillate by scent alone. Think about that for a second. In an industry where millions of barrels age across massive warehouses, being able to pinpoint a specific era of production and a specific distillation source purely through the olfactory senses is nothing short of a superpower. It highlights a level of intimacy with the product that only someone bearing the Van Winkle name and lifelong dedication to the craft could possibly possess. That very bottle, authenticated and elevated by his uncanny nose, now proudly carries his signature, turning a great whiskey experience into an absolute heirloom piece.

Aromatic Profile: Unpacking the Nose of a 23-Year Bourbon

So, what exactly was Preston smelling? What is it about the aromatic profile of a 23-year-old bourbon that separates it from younger, punchier expressions? When you bring the 2019 Pappy 23 to your nose, you are immediately greeted by an aromatic complexity that younger whiskeys simply cannot replicate. Because the spirit has spent more than two decades interacting with the oak, the wood sugars, and the ambient temperature changes of the rickhouse, the traditional bright corn and caramel notes evolve into something much deeper and more contemplative.

On the nose, this expression delivers a rich tapestry of aged oak, dark aged leather, and old books, mingling with heavy notes of dark chocolate, dried cherries, and rich pipe tobacco. There is a distinct sweetness that anchors the entire profile—reminiscent of demerara sugar, sticky toffee pudding, and rich vanilla bean paste that has concentrated over decades of evaporation. At the same time, because of the Bernheim heritage, there is an underlying elegance and softness that keeps the massive age statement from becoming entirely punishing or monolithic. It is an aromatic journey that you can spend an hour analyzing before you even take your first sip, proving that the nose on ultra-aged whiskey is often worth the price of admission all by itself.

The Great Debate: Does Ultra-Aged Whiskey Risk Becoming Overoaked?

As wonderful as the nose is, pouring a 23-year-old bourbon always opens the door to one of the most passionate debates in the whiskey community: Can a bourbon stay in the barrel for too long? Does ultra-aged whiskey run the serious risk of becoming entirely overoaked?

It is a well-known scientific fact that wood interacts heavily with whiskey over time. The longer a spirit rests in a charred oak barrel, the more tannins it extracts from the wood. For some palates, pushing past the 15 or 18-year mark means crossing a dangerous threshold where the sweet corn distillate and fruit notes get completely steamrolled by heavy, drying tannins, bitterness, and an aggressive, sawdust-like astringency. Purists often argue that Kentucky's climate is simply too hot and volatile to let bourbon slumber for over two decades without turning into liquid oak furniture.

However, the 2019 Pappy 23 finds itself at the center of this conversation because it manages to walk a razor-thin tightrope. While it definitely leans heavily into the oak department—showcasing all those drying tannin structures and deep wood influences—it retains just enough residual sweetness and rich, luscious mouthfeel to keep it from crossing over into that dreaded bitter, overoaked territory. It forces us to ask a broader question about our own preferences: Are we looking for fruit-forward, high-proof vibrancy, or are we chasing the deep, contemplative, leathery wisdom that only extreme age can provide? With Pappy 23, the answer depends entirely on your palate, but the debate itself is half the fun of tasting it.

History in a Bottle: Tracing the Sourcing from Bernheim to Buffalo Trace

To truly understand why the 2019 Pappy 23 tastes the way it does and why Preston Van Winkle’s sensory identification was so impressive, you have to look at the fascinating history of where this whiskey was actually made. The Van Winkle family story is one of resilience, adaptability, and legendary blending expertise. After the historic Stitzel-Weller distillery closed its doors, the family had to source and contract their distillate from other legendary operations while working to keep their brand alive.

The Bernheim distillery in Louisville played a massive role in producing the juice that would eventually go into some of the most sought-after Van Winkle releases. Distilled under different ownership and resting in different rickhouses before the brand eventually solidified its long-term home at Buffalo Trace in Frankfort, Bernheim-era juice carries a distinct historical footprint. When you drink a bottle like the 2019 Pappy 23, you are tasting a literal bridge between eras. You are experiencing whiskey that was distilled decades ago, resting through changing corporate ownerships, and ultimately bottled with the expertise that Julian and Preston Van Winkle have championed for generations. It is liquid history that you can pour into a Glencairn glass.

Conclusion: Why Rare Pours Are Meant to Be Shared

As we wrap up this deep dive into the 2019 Pappy Van Winkle 23 Year, it is worth reminding ourselves what this hobby is really all about. It is very easy to get caught up in the secondary market valuations, the hunting, the hoarding, and the urge to keep rare bottles locked away behind glass as trophies. But whiskey was never meant to be looked at; it was meant to be poured, smelled, debated, and—above all—shared with good friends.

The unforgettable experience of tasting this expression, reflecting on Preston Van Winkle's incredible ability to identify the Bernheim juice by scent alone, and arguing over oak tannins reminds us why we started this podcast in the first place. Bourbon is about community, storytelling, and creating memories around the table. If you want to hear more about this incredible pour, our deep dive into barrel char and toast levels, and our adventures on the recent Kentucky trip, make sure you check out the full conversation on the show. You can listen to the complete episode right now by heading over to the Peerless Cream Cheese Cinnamon Roll, Buzzard's Roost, and a 2019 Pappy 23 Tasting; Ep. 82 page. Until next time, keep exploring, pour something special from the back of your shelf, and always share it with the people who matter most. Cheers!