Pappy Van Winkle

Type: Brand made at a named distillery

On Derby Day 1935, Julian “Pappy” Van Winkle Sr. opened Stitzel-Weller in Shively, Louisville, with what Whisky Magazine describes as one of the city’s grandest parties.[1][11] The whiskey bearing his nickname came much later, created by his grandson, Julian III, after Pappy’s death.[2][11]

Today, Pappy Van Winkle is the Van Winkle family’s whiskey brand, made at Buffalo Trace Distillery in Frankfort, Kentucky. Its Family Reserve bottlings carry age statements of 15, 20 and 23 years. The wider Van Winkle collection also includes Old Rip Van Winkle, Special Reserve and a rye whiskey.[2][8]

What Pappy Van Winkle is known for

Three strands of Kentucky whiskey history meet in this brand: the Weller wholesale business, Stitzel-Weller’s wheat recipe and the Van Winkle family’s later bottling business. Its production home today is Buffalo Trace, not the old Stitzel-Weller distillery.[1][3][11]

Pappy worked for W.L. Weller and Sons before becoming an owner. He later opened Stitzel-Weller, whose brands included W.L. Weller, Old Fitzgerald, Rebel Yell and Cabin Still. His grandson subsequently created the Pappy Van Winkle label, carrying the family name into a new chapter.[3][11]

The connection to W.L. Weller runs deep, though the names identify different brands. Buffalo Trace bought the Weller label in 1999 and already made its wheated mash bill before the Van Winkle production agreement began in 2002.[1][8]

From salesman to Stitzel-Weller

A salesman’s name outlives his distillery

Pappy became an owner in 1908. He and fellow salesman Alex Farnsley bought the Weller firm and acquired the A. Ph. Stitzel distillery, which dated from 1872. During Prohibition, the business held a licence to sell medicinal whiskey, according to Buffalo Trace’s account.[3]

The opening of Stitzel-Weller followed on Derby Day 1935, with a grand party recorded in Whisky Magazine’s history.[1][11] Claim and verdict: Documented. Pappy’s career and the distillery’s opening form the history behind the brand; the bottling bearing his nickname came later.[2][11]

At Stitzel-Weller, wheat took the place of rye in the recipe. Whisky Magazine’s history also records a practical feature of the old warehouses: windows that could be opened.[11] Both details describe the historical plant, rather than present production at Buffalo Trace.

The next generation took responsibility while Pappy was still alive. Julian Van Winkle Jr. became president in 1947; Pappy died in 1965, aged 91.[2][3][9] The later bottling brand honours him, but it was not a whiskey he personally launched.

Source note: The producer’s Pappy biography supports the salesman account; the family’s heritage account supports the opening date, and the Whisky Magazine history supports the opening and describes the party. The earliest source for the party account is not reliably established in the supplied record. Last checked: 7 November 2026.

The sale and the family’s return to bottling

In 1972, stockholders forced Julian Jr. to sell Stitzel-Weller to Norton Simon. He kept the Van Winkle name and the right to buy old stock, preserving the family’s connection to whiskey after it lost the distillery.[3][11][12] Norton Simon renamed the plant Old Fitzgerald Distillery. From there, the distillery and the family bottling business followed separate paths.

The Old Hoffman acquisition belongs to the company’s history; it does not establish that distillery as the source of its whiskey.

Verdict: Disputed. Accounts differ over the Old Rip Van Winkle revival: one credits Julian Jr. in the early 1980s, while Buffalo Trace credits Julian III in 1981.[2][12] Neither the year nor the person responsible is reliably established, and the earliest source of the conflicting accounts is not established in the supplied record.

Family Reserve 20 Year was the first Pappy release, and the label drew mostly on whiskey from Stitzel-Weller.[1][11][12] Verdict: Disputed. Accounts date that first release to 1992, 1994 or the mid 1990s; the exact year is not reliably established.[9][10][12][1] The earliest source of these conflicting accounts is not established in the supplied record. Those early stocks explain the Stitzel-Weller association, rather than describing where the whiskey is made today.

The Pappy Van Winkle range

Only three of the six expressions in the 2026 annual Van Winkle collection carry the Pappy Van Winkle Family Reserve name.[2][8] The full name and age statement distinguish them from the other family bottlings:

These names and ages follow Buffalo Trace’s published range. “Van Winkle” covers the broader collection; the rye is a separate expression, not another age of Pappy Family Reserve.[2]

The release history extends beyond this annual selection. A 25 Year release in 2017 comprised 700 bottles, according to Tasting Table.[10] It sits outside the six expressions identified for the 2026 annual collection.[8]

How Buffalo Trace fits into the story

The joint venture brought together the Van Winkle family and Buffalo Trace.[1][2] Reporting on the 2026 collection identifies the distillery as the production home of all Van Winkle whiskey and names Harlen Wheatley as the person selecting barrels.[8]

The family says the wheated recipe is the same as the original.[12] That claim concerns recipe continuity, not the presence of Stitzel-Weller whiskey in present bottlings.

Pappy’s recipe advice also reaches into the history of Maker’s Mark. According to Tasting Table, Bill Samuels Sr. consulted him about the wheated recipe that became Maker’s Mark.[10] It is a documented link between the recipes’ histories, while the brands and their production arrangements remain distinct.

Fame and the documented theft

Chefs Anthony Bourdain and David Chang helped introduce the brand to a wider audience, according to Grub Street.[9] As its recognition grew, another story drew attention: the theft commonly called “Pappygate”.

Whiskey was stolen from Buffalo Trace in 2013. Verdict: Documented. Reports described about 65 missing cases, including 195 bottles of 20 Year and 27 bottles of rye.[5][6][9] Franklin County Sheriff Pat Melton led the investigation. Nine people were indicted in April 2015, and Toby Curtsinger, identified as the ringleader, pleaded guilty on 20 September 2017.[5][6]

Those criminal proceedings stand apart from the rumours surrounding the theft. Grub Street’s October 2014 article is the earliest dated account in the supplied source list; the earliest reporting overall is not established. The supplied sheet was checked in November 2026.

Common mistakes about Pappy

“Pappy is still Stitzel-Weller whiskey.” Early reliance on Stitzel-Weller stock explains the association. But Stitzel-Weller stopped distilling in 1992, and Van Winkle production moved to Buffalo Trace in 2002.[1][11]

“Pappy created the bottling himself.” Julian III created the Pappy label after his grandfather’s death in 1965. The name commemorates Pappy rather than identifying a bottling he launched.[2][11]

“The family lost everything in the 1972 sale.” The distillery changed hands, but Julian Jr. retained the Van Winkle name and the right to buy old stock.[3][12]

“The Van Winkles own the distillery making it.” The family owns the brand. Buffalo Trace makes the whiskey under the joint venture.[2][8]

Where to go next

• Buffalo Trace: the distillery where Van Winkle whiskey is made.
• W.L. Weller: the name connecting Pappy’s early career with later wheated whiskey production.
• Maker's Mark: another family history with a documented connection to Pappy’s recipe advice.

Sources

[1] Old Rip Van Winkle. Heritage. Producer’s account, undated web edition. https://oldripvanwinkle.com/heritage/

[2] Buffalo Trace Distillery. Van Winkle. Producer’s account, undated web edition. https://www.buffalotracedistillery.com/our-brands/van-winkle/

[3] Buffalo Trace Distillery. Pappy Van Winkle. Producer’s account, undated web edition. https://www.buffalotracedistillery.com/our-distillery/legendary-people/pappy-van-winkle/

[4] Buffalo Trace Distillery. Julian Van Winkle III. Producer’s account, undated web edition. https://www.buffalotracedistillery.com/our-distillery/legendary-people/julian-van-winkle-III/

[5] WhiskyCast. 9 Indicted in Pappy Van Winkle, Wild Turkey Thefts. April 2015 reporting, as recorded in the supplied fact sheet. https://whiskycast.com/9-indicted-in-pappy-van-winkle-wild-turkey-thefts/

[6] Lexington Herald-Leader. Pappy theft case. September 2017 reporting, title as supplied in the fact sheet. https://www.kentucky.com/news/local/crime/article174347506.html

[8] The State Journal. Van Winkle family announces release of its annual whiskey collection. September 2026. https://state-journal.com/2026/09/13/van-winkle-family-announces-release-of-its-annual-whiskey-collection

[9] Grub Street. The Rise of Pappy Van Winkle. October 2014. https://www.grubstreet.com/2014/10/the-rise-of-pappy-van-winkle.html

[10] Tasting Table. Pappy Van Winkle facts you didn't know. Undated edition supplied in the fact sheet. https://www.tastingtable.com/1577676/pappy-van-winkle-facts-didnt-know/

[11] Whisky Magazine. A short history of Stitzel-Weller. Undated edition supplied in the fact sheet. https://www.whiskymag.com/articles/short-history-of-stitzel-weller/

[12] VinePair. The Pappy Van Winkle cult bourbon story. Undated edition supplied in the fact sheet. https://vinepair.com/articles/pappy-van-winkle-cult-bourbon-story/

This desk-researched article uses verified fact sheet TOP-A291, distinguishing producer histories from independent reporting and retaining its story verdicts.

Last checked: November 2026