17.05.12
Everyone loves what he makes--the bourbons are remarkably smooth and complex, and the family's point of difference has always been that they use wheat, not rye, in addition to the standard corn. But the product is such a hit that poor Julian spends much of his day being yelled at on the phone by people who are mad that they can't get more of it. He seemed a little wearied by this. Van Winkle only makes 6,000 to 7,000 cases a year, and they could probably sell ten times that, given the vogue for high-end spirits of the last 10 years.
Of the products made at the distillery, the rarest of all is the Reserve Rye 13 Year, the one non-Bourbon whiskey that Van Winkle makes. You can't get it, period. And of course, this was the one I fell in love with. This was the least sweet of all the drinks we had--it had a fiery peppy character, a great underlying vein of bitterness, and a smoky vanilla finish. The pork belly course we ate had some very sweet components, and the match with the rye created a perfect balance.
Source: Epicurious (blog)