Buffalo Trace Distillery and the Van Winkle family have announced the 2026 release of the Van Winkle Whiskey Collection, featuring six highly sought-after American whiskeys. The annual line-up includes five wheated bourbons and one rye whiskey, with age statements ranging from 10 to 23 years.
The collection opens with Old Rip Van Winkle Bourbon 10 Year Old, bottled at an undisclosed strength in the supplied release information, with a suggested retail price of $169.99. It is joined by Old Rip Van Winkle Special Reserve Bourbon 12 Year Old, priced at $199.99, which combines a wheated bourbon profile with a longer period of maturation.
The only rye whiskey in the collection is Rip Van Winkle Family Reserve Rye 13 Year Old, carrying a suggested retail price of $299.99. The bourbon selection continues with Pappy Van Winkle’s Family Reserve 15 Year Old, also priced at $299.99, followed by the 20-year-old expression at $399.99.
At the top of the age range sits Pappy Van Winkle’s Family Reserve Bourbon 23 Year Old, with a suggested retail price of $499.99. Its extended maturation brings pronounced oak character alongside notes of caramel, tobacco, apple and cherry, according to the official tasting description.
The collection’s tasting profiles vary with age and maturation. The 10-year-old Old Rip highlights vanilla, caramel, pecan and seasoned oak, while the 12-year-old expression features dried fruit, honey, cocoa and tobacco. The 13-year-old rye brings together vanilla, chestnut and spice, with white pepper and dry oak on the finish.
The older Pappy Van Winkle bourbons place greater emphasis on mature oak, with the 15-year-old offering caramel, vanilla and leather, while the 20-year-old combines citrus zest, dried fruit and sherry notes. The 23-year-old is described as particularly oak-forward, balanced by caramel sweetness and mature fruit character.
Van Winkle whiskeys are produced through the partnership between the Van Winkle family and Buffalo Trace Distillery. Demand for the releases has consistently exceeded supply, making the annual collection difficult to find at its suggested retail prices.
The 2026 Van Winkle Whiskey Collection is being released in highly limited quantities. The prices listed above are US suggested retail prices and may differ from the prices charged by individual retailers or on the secondary market.
