Two Big Bad 15 YOs

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Two Big Bad 15 YOs

Unread postby Mike » Tue Aug 14, 2007 2:31 pm

Get the picture folks.

I am sitting rat cheer at my roll top desk with a huge slice of bourbon history staring rat back at me.

On my right I see the visage on the 15 YO bottle of that wonderful old fellow, Pappy Van Winkle. He is puffing on his famous cigar and if ever you want to see a picture of pure self-possession, look no further than the picture of him on the Pappy bottles.

On my left I am reading about Jimmy Russell's 50 years with Wild Turkey and the bourbon bottled for the occasion in his honor.........Tribute. Although I have never met Mr. Russell, I have no doubt that his face ought to be somewhere on the US coinage. The man is an American treasure, just like Pappy Van Winkle.

Twixt the bottles are two identical glasses, slightly tulip shaped they are, with a volume of about 150 ml. Into these glasses I poured about 30 ml of Tribute and Pappy 15. The Tribute is 101 proof, while the Pappy comes in at 107 proof. I will make no adjustments for that proof difference since it is so small.

As you know, one of these is a 'rye' bourbon and the other is a 'wheat' bourbon. In appearance they are virtually identical, a nice robust deep amber/mahogany.

As I nose them they are closer than I would have expected in aroma. I have long considered Tribute to have one of the finest noses in all bourbondom, and so it has. What is a bit surprising to me is that the Pappy is every bit as good, albeit different.

Naturally, the Tribute has some rye sharpness that bleeds over very usefully into some citrus. The Pappy tends more toward the vanilla and maple syrup aromas followed on by a whiff of a fine pair of boots. Both serve up a dose of the barrel that gives the nose some body. Great noses, all both!!

The Tribute is the softest of all the Wild Turkey bourbons in my experience, and probably the driest. This is to be expected, given that it was in the barrel for at least 3 years longer that the other WT bourbons in my experience. While it has a creamy mouthfeel, it is not quite as rich as the WT 8 YO or the 12 YO. Neither does it have the rye bite that belongs to the others. It is as if I am tasting Tribute for the first time here, because it is a quite different bourbon from the others. It really is not as assertive, with more of the subtlety that time in the barrel affords when done well. The finish is moderately long and quite good and glides out with enormous discipline. There is great structure, complexity, and balance in Tribute. It is even better than I remembered!!

Strange to say, but Pappy 15 is more robust than Tribute. I am somewhat at a loss to explain it. It does seem slightly more alcoholic and the finish reflects that. But there is a peppery element at mid-palate that is quite spicy. The upfront sweetness is very different from the 15 YO Old Rip Van Winkle that has passed into history. This bourbon probably has better balance than the ORVW 15 YO, but also lacks some of that wonderful vanilla sweetness in the ORVW which forever tickles our fancy. Still, it is a different bourbon altogether and stands on it own merits, which are legion.

I find myself in the wonderful position of saying that both these bourbons belong in the 'great' category and neither is the superior of the other.

The Tribute costs about $90 when it was available, while the Pappy 15 is still available for about $50. Neither of these is an inexpensive bourbon and for people who cannot spend that kind of money for a 'luxury', I can offer no solace other than to say that as someone said of photographs of the Grand Canyon, all the pictures (bourbons) are good, it is the nuances that make the difference. We goes with what we has and hold it agin no one if they gots better!
Last edited by Mike on Tue Aug 14, 2007 6:19 pm, edited 2 times in total.
Do not go gentle into that good night,
Old age should burn and rage at close of day;
Rage, rage against the dying of the light. - Dylan Thomas
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Unread postby Martian » Tue Aug 14, 2007 5:03 pm

Thanks for the tasting reviews, Mike. I've never seen either in these parts.
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Pappy and Tribute

Unread postby ggilbertva » Wed Aug 15, 2007 10:39 am

Mike,

Thanks for the review. I've had the Pappy 15 (and have 6 bottles bundkered) and find it to be an exceptional bourbon. I have a bottle of Tribute but have not opened it yet.

I met Jimmy Russell last year and talked with him for about 30 mins. He's a fine gentleman and a man who loves his work. It was fun talking with him and hearing some of the anecdotes of the bourbon business. I asked him if he ever thought about retirement...he just laughed out loud and stated "I have the greatest job in the world...why would I retire" that said with a twinkle in his eye.
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Unread postby ACDetroit » Wed Aug 15, 2007 10:41 am

Hey Mike can Tribute be found on shelves still? I have not looked in these parts but do not remember seeing it before.

Nice write up on both accounts. I have the PVW 15 yr. (great bottle) but no Tribute :cry:.

I'll keep looking though.
Tony Curtis

“So long as the presence of death lurks with anyone who goes through the simple act of swallowing, I will make mine whiskey.”
W.C. Fields
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Tribute

Unread postby ggilbertva » Wed Aug 15, 2007 11:47 am

Tribute was released in 2004 in "Tribute" to Jimmy. Finding it nowadays would be a stroke of luck. There were only about 5500 bottles produced so the chances of finding one sitting on the shelves is slim. Keep looking though, you never know.

I happened on a lone bottle last year while shopping in MD. I couldn't believe my eyes...didn't care what price they were asking (fortunately only $85).
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Unread postby Brewer » Wed Aug 15, 2007 12:18 pm

Mike,

Thanks for this great post on 2 great bourbons. I'll have to try a side by side with them one day for comparison purposes. It will be interesting to see if one comes out on top for me. It's been awhile since I've had a pour of the Tribute, but I remember the Festival when it was first released when a group of us opened a bottle at the Gazebo. We were quite mesmerized simply by the aroma for quite some time. We were all nosing it and enjoying that so much, that it was took awhile before anyone actually took a sip. Of course that was very enjoyable as well, but I'll never forget our collective reaction to the aroma...heavenly!
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