This $35 Bourbon Is An Affordably Delicious Version Of A Legendary (And Expensive) Bottle

If you're familiar with bourbons at all, then you'll know that there's one name that stands above all others as the preeminent distiller on the market, and that's Old Rip Van Winkle. The distiller is known for making the most expensive bourbon out there, Pappy Van Winkle, but did you know that the bottles that are aged for various Van Winkle products share an origin with another, much cheaper bourbon?

Pappy Van Winkle certainly has a standalone reputation, but the distiller is actually owned by the Buffalo Trace distillery company. It just so happens that Buffalo Trace makes Weller Special Reserve, which supposedly starts life exactly the same as Pappy. Better yet, a bottle of Weller Special Reserve will only set you back about $35, making it a cheap whiskey that's definitely worth the try. So, if you're eyeing up a bottle of Pappy Van Winkle but don't know if you can justify the frankly lofty price tag, see if you can snag a bottle of Weller first to treat the old palate.

Weller and Pappy are similar for one very basic reason: they're both made from the same stuff. Bourbon has to be made from certain ingredients — namely corn, which must be at least 51% of a bourbon's mash bill (the composite of various grains in the whiskey). Weller and Pappy Van Winkle are both instances of a subcategory of bourbon called wheated bourbons, which have wheat as their second most used grain. This results in a bourbon that's less "spicy" and more sweet and soft in comparison. 

Weller and Pappy Van Winkle use the exact same mash bill, meaning they're ostensibly the same whiskey. However, there are a couple of key factors that make a difference. The first thing that separates these two products is a selection process from the distillery. At some point during the aging process, tasters representing Pappy Van Winkle test each barrel, selecting those they deem fit to become Van Winkle products down the line. The rest are kept there and eventually turned into Weller. 

The second factor is the aging process itself. While bottles of Pappy can range from 10 to 23 years old, Weller is aged much less comparatively. It's unknown exactly how long Weller ages, but it's suspected that it's between four and seven years. This extra aging gives Pappy more nuance and refinement, as well as less quantity, making it a more sought-after product. Luckily, Weller will still give you a very good idea of what you'd be getting yourself into.