In 2002, a significant milestone in the whiskey industry occurred when the Van Winkle family made the decision to partner with Buffalo Trace Distillery. This partnership marked the moment when Buffalo Trace took over the production, aging, and bottling of all the Van Winkle whiskeys, including the renowned Pappy Van Winkle brand.
For more than 125 years, the Van Winkle family had been crafting exceptional whiskeys, with a particular focus on their wheated mashbill. This mashbill, which utilized a higher proportion of wheat in the grain mixture, gave the Van Winkle whiskeys their distinct flavor profile.
However, as time went on, the demands of producing and aging whiskey became increasingly challenging for the Van Winkles to handle on their own. This led them to seek out a partnership with a reputable distillery that could continue their family legacy while ensuring the continued availability and quality of their whiskeys.
Enter Buffalo Trace Distillery, a renowned distillery with a rich history of producing exceptional whiskeys. Known for their commitment to craftsmanship and quality, Buffalo Trace was the perfect fit to take over the production of the Van Winkle whiskeys.
With this partnership, the Van Winkle family entrusted their wheated mashbill exclusively to the distilling team at Buffalo Trace. This meant that all aspects of production, including mashing, fermentation, distillation, and aging, were now in the capable hands of the Buffalo Trace team.
The Van Winkle family's decision to partner with Buffalo Trace was not taken lightly. They had built a reputation for producing some of the finest whiskeys in the world, and they wanted to ensure that this reputation would continue to flourish under the new arrangement.
Having had the pleasure of tasting both pre- and post-partnership Van Winkle whiskeys, I can confidently say that Buffalo Trace has done an exceptional job in carrying on the Van Winkle legacy. The whiskeys produced since the partnership have maintained the same level of quality and character that made Pappy Van Winkle a household name.
The partnership between the Van Winkles and Buffalo Trace has also had a positive impact on the availability of the Van Winkle whiskeys. Prior to the partnership, these whiskeys were notoriously hard to find, with limited quantities being produced each year. However, with the increased production capabilities of Buffalo Trace, the availability of Van Winkle whiskeys has improved, albeit still in limited quantities due to their popularity.
Buffalo Trace took over the production, aging, and bottling of the Van Winkle whiskeys in 2002. This partnership has allowed the Van Winkle family legacy to continue, ensuring that whiskey enthusiasts around the world can continue to enjoy the exceptional quality and character of Pappy Van Winkle and other Van Winkle whiskeys.