The annual drop of Pappy Van Winkle 23 Year Bourbon and the other Van Winkle whiskeys is upon us, but the infamous 23-year bottle isn’t actually the most impressive one coming to market. Sazerac is sweetening the 2025 collection with a single re-release of Old Rip Van Winkle 25 Year, up for auction starting today.
That bottle is the first in a new collection of auctions, as Sazerac is debuting a proprietary auction platform this month: Legacy de Forge. This platform is designed to “improve access to Sazerac’s most coveted spirits,” starting with a series of auctions in September. The lingering bottle of Old Rip Van Winkle 25 Year Old up for auction stands as the oldest Van Winkle ever released. Old Rip Van Winkle 25 first debuted in 2017 in hand-engraved Glencairn crystal decanters, but Buffalo Trace made a big deal that they weren’t releasing all of the supply. This bottle — No. 706 — has been collecting dust in a temperature-controlled vault since then, although I suspect Sazerac has at least one bourbon duster employed to maintain standards.
Only 710 were produced, so it’s possible that we have an idea how many Sazerac has left — potentially three, after this one. As for the “core” whiskeys of the Van Winkle Collection, they’ll be comparably easier to get to taste, though you’ll still have to do some hunting. The Van Winkle whiskeys have maintained a somewhat polarizing presence in the bourbon world for the last decade — everyone who gets serious about bourbon feels the pressure to have the experience at least once. Some people fall in love, some people use the experience to define their contrarian tastes. Either way, you need the dram first.
Prices for this year are as follows:
Old Rip Van Winkle Handmade Bourbon 10 Year Old – $149.99
Van Winkle Special Reserve Bourbon 12 Year Old – $169.99
Van Winkle Family Reserve Rye 13 Year Old – $229.99
Pappy Van Winkle’s Family Reserve Bourbon 15 Year Old – $239.99
Pappy Van Winkle’s Family Reserve Bourbon 20 Year Old- $359.99
Pappy Van Winkle’s Family Reserve Bourbon 23 Year Old – $499.99
As for the secondary market, those prices have begun to trend slightly downwards in recent months, with many experts saying that secondary prices in general should slide as the year progresses. Of course, Sazerac and the Van Winkles still advise against buying from authorized retailers.
“Whiskey enthusiasts increase their risks of alcohol scams by purchasing from secondary markets and online sellers, including Craigslist, eBay, and social media groups,” Sazerac and the family said in a press release. “Additionally, many alcohol scams take place overseas. In some cases, consuming alcohol that is not purchased from a licensed retailer can lead to bodily harm and even casualties. Whiskey buyers who believe they have been scammed should not drink out of their bottle.”
As a reminder, they added this: “The Van Winkle family reminds fans that neither they nor Buffalo Trace Distillery control the prices individual retailers charge for the expressions.” The Legacy de Forge auction lots will total eight this month, and will also include “O.F.C 2006, the newly-released Colonel E.H. Taylor Distiller’s Council, and a Stagg Single Barrel pick.”
G. Clay Whittaker is a Maxim contributor covering lifestyle, whiskey, cannabis and travel. His work has also appeared in Bon Appetit, Men’s Journal, Cigar Aficionado, Playboy and Esquire. Subscribe to his newsletter Drinks & Stuff for bourbon reviews and trends, perspectives on drinks, and stuff.
