Father's Day with the Van Winkle Family - a Jack Rose Dining Saloon Tasting

Father’s Day at Jack Rose Dining Saloon offered an opportunity to revisit the Van Winkle family’s long arc through American whiskey, presented through both biography and a focused tasting. The program was presented by Chris Leung (Lead Whiskey Advisor at Jack Rose) who opened with the story of Julian "Pappy" Van Winkle. Pappy's career began as a traveling salesman for W.L. Weller & Sons in the mid-1890s. That early work eventually positioned him to help form Stitzel‑Weller Distillery after Prohibition, where he served as the first president. The discussion then moved forward to Julian Van Winkle III, who entered a joint venture with Buffalo Trace Distillery in 2002, establishing a partnership that allows Buffalo Trace to produce, age, and bottle all Van Winkle whiskeys under strict family guidelines.   

The Lineup:

• Elmer T. Lee | single barrel, x YR, 90° 
• Weller Single Barrel 2025 KST | x YR, 97° 
• Weller Full Proof “Jack Rose 2019” Single Barrel KST | x YR, 114° 
• Old Rip Van Winkle KST | 10 YR, 107° 
• Van Winkle Family Reserve Lot B KST | 12 YR, 90.4° 
• Van Winkle Family Reserve Rye KST | 13 YR, 95.6°

The tasting began with Elmer T. Lee (90°), a single‑barrel bourbon I associated it with a smooth Ancient Age character. A small addition of water opened the aromatics toward honeyed nuts, while the high‑rye mash bill kept the structure firm. The Weller Single Barrel 2025 KST (97°) followed, showing nutmeg and baking spices on the nose and a buttered‑popcorn note on the palate; water brought out pepper and dill. As a high‑wheat bourbon, it presented a softer grain profile, though the single‑barrel selection added definition.

The Weller Full Proof “Jack Rose 2019” Single Barrel KST (114°) offered a warmer expression with more concentrated baking spices and a toasted‑bread character touched with cinnamon sugar. The discussion noted that “full proof” is not a technical indicator of style, and that barrel selection remains the more meaningful variable. Moving into the Van Winkle lineup, Old Rip Van Winkle 10 Year (107°) showed orange peel, herbs, macadamia nuts, and a light butter‑honey note—youthful but balanced.

The Van Winkle Family Reserve Lot B (12 Year, 90.4°) displayed cinnamon and herbal aromatics with a rounded, buttery mouthfeel. A touch of water increased the alcohol’s presence rather than softening it, a reminder of how older wheated bourbons can behave in the glass. The final pour, Van Winkle Family Reserve Rye (13 Year, 95.6°), shifted the profile entirely to fir‑like aromatics and herbaceous notes that distinguished it from the preceding bourbons and provided a clean, structured finish. 

Bourbon Review: Revisiting the Ancient Ancient Age 10 Star

Buffalo Trace's Ancient Age ($12-750ml) and the Ancient Ancient Age 10 Star ($16-750ml) were my entrance into bourbon many years ago.  The original Ancient Age has first introduced in 1946 when the distillery was known as the George T. Stagg Distillery. The 10 Star is a more recent label and is currently part of Buffalo Trace’s Mash #2. This mash is thought to be 13-15% rye and shared with Blanton’s, Hancock’s Presidential Reserve, and Elmer T. Lee, among others. At 90-proof and aged minimum 6 years, this is an easy sipper with noticeable honey in the nose and palate. There's also traces of vanilla and a bready rye character. The finish has little burn but lacks the complexity that I now favor in a neat bourbon. Thus, I recommend this value bourbon blended in a glass of eggnog and prefer others, such as the flagship Buffalo Trace, neat. 

Tasting Virginia Spirits With The Great Dismal Distillery SilverFox Brand

Besides wine and beer, the Virginia spirits industry is growing rapidly. theCompass Mobile app lists 20 distilleries in the Commonwealth with tasting rooms; one of these being The Great Dismal Distillery - located in Norfolk. For those familiar with the area, you'll recognize the reference to the Great Dismal Swamp. The distillery was established in 2008 by Zachary Combs. His first product was SilverFox Vodka, produced from a family recipe that "fermented grain to power the tractor on their small farm in the Fentress area of Chesapeake. What was left over, his grandmother turned into liquor. " His grandmother had received that recipe from her grandfather, known as the Silver Fox. Although, still a small operation, the distillery has expanded its product line into bourbon and rum. Each of these spirits are sold for $17, hopefully at your local Virginia ABC store.

This month I received a three pack sample containing a bottle of each, which I have tried in various ways. In general, the overall concensus is that these spirits are designed for mixing and not for the snifters.  The SilverFox Vodka is triple distilled then cut to 90 proof with a basic petrol aroma profile until a little water or ice is added. This dampens the alcohol and burn, revealing a sweet and smooth vodka with a subtle burn.  I'd suggest using this in any of your standard vodka recipes.

The SilverFox White Rum is distilled from pure sugar cane juice, not molasses, and then infused with vanilla. The profile is honey-vanilla, slightly on the sweeter side with very little burn.  I first tried mixing in a Josie Russell, which creates a much different cocktail than when using straight rum - perhaps a little too much vanilla that overwhelms the apple. Instead, my two favorite cocktails  was a Vanilla Chocolate Drop (equal parts rum and Godiva dark chocolate liqueur and a splash of cream). A great dessert. Another dessert type drink was a Root Beer Float, add enough rum to taste. The one disappointing aspect to the SilverFox White Rum is that I would have loved to taste before the infusion of vanilla; un-aged rum distilled from sugar cane is quite tasty.

The SilverFox Bourbon, aged two years in oak, is the one spirit I preferred in a snifter, with a small dose of water. Neat, it starts with a sweet corn petrol aroma; candied corn - honey flavor; with no burn at the tail. The water pushes the petrol to the finish; leaving a sweeter vanilla-honey flavor. interestingly the burn increases slightly at the finish.  I also mixed with the suggested ginger ale and yes, it works, but I preferred this medium bodied bourbon by itself.  The SilverFox Bourbon won't be replacing my Buffalo Trace or Catoctin Creek, but is perfect for an everyday bourbon to have on hand. 

Bourbon Review: Moving up to Buffalo Trace Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey

In my younger years, my go bourbon was Ancient Age, first the light brown label and then the dark brown. As the years progressed, I've stayed within the to Buffalo Trace Distillery - Sazerac family and graduated to their Buffalo Trace Whiskey ($30).  Most are familiar with the fascinating history of the distillery from Colonial E.H. Taylor, Jr, George T. Stagg, Albert B. Blanton, Orville Schupp, Elmer T. Lee to now Harlen Wheatley. I would also recommend the Buffalo Trace Oral History Project produced by The Louie B. Nunn Center for Oral History at the University of Kentucky Libraries.


Getting back to the the Buffalo Trace Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey, the bourbon is distilled from a low rye mash bill (see the Bourbonr Blog).  The spirit is then aged in the distilleries famous century old warehouses. The result is a fantastic whiskey. On the nose, I was presented with a major whiff of  toasted vanilla almonds. On the palette, the nutty flavors mingle with caramel and honey, finishing with a vanilla-anise blend and a subtle burn. Quite nice. Maybe I need to do a comparative tasting with Ancient Age for old times sake. Cheers.

Kentucky Bourbon Tales: Distilling the Family Business

Kentucky Education Television (KET) in partnership with the The Louie B. Nunn Center for Oral History at the University of Kentucky Libraries and  Kentucky Distillers' Association (KDA) have released a one hour documentary titled Kentucky Bourbon Tales: Distilling the Family Business.  The documentary is streamed here and is quite informative.  It captures an oral history of several of the leading families in the Kentucky bourbon industry as well as documenting the entire whiskey process. These families include the Beams at  The Jim Beam® Distillery and Heaven Hill Distilleries; the Russells at Wild Turkey; the Samuels at Maker's Mark Distillery; the players behind the Brown-Forman Early Times Distillery; Master Distiller Jim Rutledge at Four Roses Distillery; and Master Distiller William Pratt at Michter’s Distillery, LLC.

You will also need to read this critique by Chuck Cowdery on a few major missing players: Sazerac's Buffalo Trace, Pappy Van Winkle, & Elmer T. Lee. Regardless, the documentary is highly recommended for those interested in all things bourbon.

Update: The Buffalo Trace Oral History Project includes several videos of the families not included in the KET video also hosted through the The Louie B. Nunn Center for Oral History at the University of Kentucky Libraries.