This is a great time to be a bourbon drinker. In the past several decades, as the success of single-malt scotch has shown, it pays to distill a smoother, more interesting spirit–for which you can then charge a lot more money. One of the best and last of the independent distillers is family-owned, Louisville, Ky.-based Old Rip Van Winkle. “Pappy,” also known as Julian P. Van Winkle Sr., was the patriarch and the inspiration behind what is arguably one of the finest small-batch bourbons in the world. Like old Pappy, the 20-year-old, 90.4-proof Family Reserve is deep, smooth, powerful with a hint of fire and beautifully aged, not unlike Pappy himself.

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