Pappy Van Winkle Bourbon Barrels: Icons of Bourbon History
If you’ve ever visited that majestic resort nestled in the mountains of West Virginia against the border of Kentucky, you’ve likely seen a sign discreetly placed in the hallways of the guest rooms. The Greenbrier Resort was constructed to invite guests to escape the blistering heat of the southern summer, to a retreat where you could receive the restorative powers of the nearby springs. Down the hallways fitted with vibrant wallpaper and bold splashes of seemingly discordant colors, the sign proclaims, in an old-fashioned font, “Quiet Please, it’s Sleepytime Down South.” The combination of genteel manners and the overt recognition that this resort was designed to offer rest and recuperation, thus prioritizing sleep and rest above other recreations and activities, is a gentle - yet distinct proclamation.
On a similar note, if you had wandered into the hallowed halls of the Stitzel-Weller Distillery during the reign of Pappy Van Winkle, you would have seen a sign hanging outside of Warehouse A that read “Quiet, Whiskey Sleeping.” Behind the door and deep within the cavernous distillery were the bourbon barrels, just as the old adage goes, asleep in the woods. In this case, asleep in the heavy barrels, constructed of charred white oak, built specifically for this aging rest.
These signs, edicts really, that something happens during rest—something restorative or magical even. In the case of bourbon, it does seem almost mythical that the carefully selected mash, placed into the charred white oak barrel, will undergo a metamorphosis, aided only by time, and emerge years down the road as something entirely new.
Once aging is complete, the barrels are dumped, and the bourbon is off to be enjoyed. Yet a question remained - what is left after the barrels are dumped? What becomes of these recently vacated homes? What remains in those sacrosanct barrels?
Perhaps, just maybe, the secrets to the barrel aging process are left in the bourbon-soaked wood. Perhaps the lingering whispers of the signature aromatic notes of bourbon can tell us what happens on the inside. Or maybe the etched lines from each time the barrel was moved, the deep grooves left by the winter winds, and the darkening spots of wood from the bath of a summer sun, can tell the story that only they know.
Each striation, indentation, and char mark, intentional in its role, each discolored grain of wood that still maintains the color, flavor, and scent of the bourbon it so recently caressed, can reveal what happened within its walls. Or perhaps, better yet, we can simply appreciate these marks, as we would each sip of the final product, as the unique and complex special moments they are.
“Fine bourbon ought to make itself -with just a little help from mother nature and father time.”
After all, it’s this simple ethos from Pappy himself that is still upheld today. The mash, composed of a few simple ingredients, a fresh and charred white oak barrel, pure Kentucky water that runs through natural Kentucky limestone, and time. That’s it - that is the magical equation. If it seems that the final product, the “fine bourbon” that is bottled after years of aging, should have a more complex set of instructions or intricate processes, well, it is just the opposite.
“No chemists allowed. Nature, and the old time “know-how” of a master distiller get the job done here. Because traditional whiskey is a natural product, we disdain synthetics, scientists and their accompanying apparatus. This is a distillery - not a whiskey factory.”
In fact, in a world where everyone is ready with a quick fix, it is astonishingly refreshing that nothing has changed in the world of fine bourbon. Even in his day, Pappy was adamant that no one messed with the simple formula. He saw no benefit in involving chemists, additives, anything other than nature, and, of course, the most valuable resource of all, time. We adhere to these values today and appreciate that the bourbon world understands the inherent beauty and value of aging.
“The time that the whiskey spends in the barrel is what really turns it into fine bourbon - and that’s the whole idea: to get the most flavor from the grains and the most flavor from the barrel.”
Again, no one says it better than Pappy Van Winkle himself did. Much like his values and philosophies, his declarations on the process were clear, finite, and irrefutable. They were also delightfully simple. Time is a respected resource. Aging is naturally a result of time, and we are reminded of this every birthday or every day when we encounter something else that alerts us that we aren’t as young as we used to be. Yet, in a beautiful twist, aging in the bourbon world is a good thing. In fact, it is absolutely necessary to allow the bourbon to develop. The longer bourbon spends aging in the barrel, the deeper the flavor and the more complex and mysterious it becomes.
“If you make the stuff right, you don’t need chemists and laboratories to fix it up.”
You’ll notice we often mention the importance of doing things the right way. While this sounds like a vague catch-all statement, it is quite intentional. It means that from start to finish, we are methodical about each step of the process. From who we work with to the materials we use to our own business practices and team dynamics, we are purposeful and mindful. It is not quite a “What Would Pappy Do” code of ethics, but essentially the same. He was quite deliberate, beginning with his most well-known mantra of quality over all else. He was direct with his employees, and thus anyone who represented the Old Rip Van Winkle name, as noted in a letter to his salespeople: “If there is anything that even begins to look improper, get away from it, we don’t want that business.”Honestly, this is good advice for life in general.
The few requirements for making bourbon, well bourbon, aren’t extreme necessarily - but they are specific. This brings us to the barrel itself. The barrel is essential to the process. Held together merely by pressure and a few iron bands, the fresh, white oak barrel is actually lit on fire to achieve the perfect char. The char, whose origin story is somewhat murky, has an essential effect on the final outcome. It increases the ability of the wood to infuse flavor into the bourbon, all the while removing impurities. As relayed in But Always Fine Bourbon, "bourbon must be stored in new, charred, white oak barrels. Charred means the insides are burned. The barrels are actually set on fire. The char's caramelized layer provides a sweet taste and bourbon's characteristic amber color. At the same time, the char absorbs impurities."
“The time that the whiskey spends in the barrel is what really turns it into fine bourbon - and that’s the whole idea: to get the most flavor from the grains and the most flavor from the barrel."
This brings us back to that critical, final step: time. Where in the warehouses designed specifically for this one purpose, in a process invented by Frederick Stitzel and outlined in the pages of But Always Fine Bourbon: “The bourbon aged in barrels, lying on their sides in rows on open ricks in the warehouse. The windows were opened every morning and closed every evening. By hand. Kentucky climate is ideal for aging whiskey. The heat from the hot summer sun expands a barrel's contents, forcing the whiskey into the wood. During the winter months, the bourbon contracts and recedes. And that mobility of the whiskey, in and out of the wood, is what matures it. Over the years it takes on its wonderful color and mellow flavor. The final step took place in the warehouses. The bourbon is growing in character - growing up in the Kentucky air."
Of course, that’s not really the final step. The final step is when the bourbon is dumped, tasted, and bottled. Then the barrels, having served their noble cause, are discarded. As they can’t be used again for the purposes of aging bourbon (as the barrels must be new), they have reached the pinnacle of their requirement and are officially retired. Yet a fate undeserving of their achievement didn’t await them, until now.
As Pappy & Company is uniquely positioned, and well and truly honored, to be the ones who receive the Pappy Van Winkle bourbon barrels, it has always been our motivation to repurpose and recycle them in a way that celebrates their legacy and their place in bourbon history.
The remnants of the bourbon remain. The scent alone is an indication of what has transpired within their walls. It wafts even as the wood begins to dry out, the color so deeply entrenched within the wood that the stained staves are no longer the original color of fresh oak. The deep grooves where the bourbon flowed in and out of the oak staves while taking on the characteristics of the charred, smoky, sweet flavor are forever etched into the wood. Each scratch and indentation was a part of the story, sharing the journey as the barrel was moved, the sunlight seeped in, or the cold breeze swept across its resting form. Each striation is merely a whisper of the bourbon it once held.
These markings, imperfections even, are the celebrated mementos of the process, as close as we can get to understanding the secrets within the barrels. They will remain long after the bourbon has been sipped and savored. Through Pappy & Company, we are proud to have created collections celebrating these icons of bourbon history.
These markings, imperfections even, are the celebrated mementos of the process, as close as we can get to understanding the secrets within the barrels. They will remain long after the bourbon has been sipped and savored. We are honored to have created collections celebrating these bourbon history pieces. Each carefully crafted piece in our Made from Barrels collection is one-of-a-kind. Designed and crafted from the retired Pappy Van Winkle barrel staves, barrel heads, and even the barrel hoops, this collection highlights the beauty, craftsmanship, and history within each element of the barrel.
Each Pappy Van Winkle Barrel-Fermented cigar that has undergone the singular perique fermentation process will bring the signature Pappy Van Winkle flavor, aroma, and enjoyment. Every Pappy Van Winkle Bourbon Barrel-Aged gourmet delight will share the hard-earned flavor in every taste. These are all representatives of iconic bourbon history, and a continuation of Pappy Van Winkle’s legacy.
