Pappy Van Winkle 12 vs Weller 12 vs Poor Man’s Pappy

Dec 19

The Myth, the Legend, and the Side-by-Side Truth

For years, Pappy Van Winkle has lived in a strange space between bourbon and religion.

It’s whispered about in liquor store lines. Hoarded in safes. Flaunted on Instagram. Used as a measuring stick for every wheated bourbon that comes after it. And for most drinkers, it’s something you hear about far more often than you actually taste.

On Tortured Bourbon, we don’t believe in leaving myths untested.

So when a truly heroic viewer sent us a sample of Pappy Van Winkle 12 Year, we did what any reasonable bourbon show would do:

we put it on camera, poured it honestly, and lined it up against the two bottles it’s most often compared to — Weller 12 Year and the legendary DIY blend known as Poor Man’s Pappy.

This wasn’t a flex.

This was a reality check.

📺 Watch the Episode

👉 Full video here: https://youtu.be/iLp8jyEu5uw

🧠 The Legend of Pappy Van Winkle (History with Heather)

Before Pappy became shorthand for “unobtainable,” there was Julian “Pappy” Van Winkle Sr., a traveling whiskey salesman who believed in one simple idea:

“We make fine bourbon… at a profit if we can, at a loss if we must, but always fine bourbon.”

Pappy helped build the Stitzel-Weller distillery, where the use of wheat instead of rye created a softer, sweeter, more age-worthy style of bourbon. That wheated mashbill allowed barrels to rest longer — 12, 15, even 23 years — without becoming bitter or over-oaked.

When Stitzel-Weller closed in the 1990s, the Van Winkle family partnered with Buffalo Trace to keep the legacy alive. Production remained intentionally limited. Quality stayed paramount. Demand exploded.

And just like that, Pappy became the most famous bourbon most people would never drink.

🥃 Why Is Pappy Van Winkle So Hard to Find?

The scarcity isn’t an accident.

Long aging means huge losses to evaporation
Limited production keeps quality high
Secondary market insanity inflates prices far beyond MSRP
ABC state lotteries make winning feel mythical
Pappygate literally involved stolen barrels

In short: supply stays small, hype stays enormous.

Which brings us to the big question…

🥃 The Lineup: What We Tasted

🟫 Pappy Van Winkle 12 Year

Style: Wheated bourbon
Producer: Buffalo Trace (Van Winkle Family)
Reputation: Legendary, unicorn-tier

Tasting Notes

Nose: Rich caramel, toffee, soft oak, dried cherry, vanilla custard, pipe tobacco
Palate: Silky caramel, honeyed apricot, baking spice, dark cherry, gentle tobacco
Finish: Long, warm, sweet oak with a soft wheat glow that lingers

This is what people mean when they say “elegant bourbon.” Nothing shouts. Everything hums.

🟨 Weller 12 Year

Style: Wheated bourbon
Producer: Buffalo Trace
Internet Reputation: “Pappy without the name”

Weller 12 delivers classic wheated softness, gentle oak, and sweetness — but side-by-side, the differences matter. The structure is lighter. The finish is shorter. The depth doesn’t quite stack up the same way.

Is it excellent? Absolutely.

Is it identical? No.

🥃 Poor Man’s Pappy (Weller 12 + Weller Antique 107)

The legendary DIY blend.

Typical Ratio: 60% Weller 12 / 40% Weller Antique 107
Goal: Add proof, spice, and backbone to the softness of Weller 12

This blend brings heat, richness, and intensity — and it gets closer than most people expect. But when tasted next to the real thing, the illusion eventually cracks. The balance is different. The integration isn’t as seamless.

Great bourbon? Yes.

Actual Pappy? Not quite.

🧪 So… Is Pappy Worth the Hype?

Here’s the honest Tortured Bourbon answer:

At MSRP? Absolutely. No question.
At secondary prices? That depends on your wallet and your priorities.

Pappy 12 isn’t about power. It’s about restraint, balance, and time. It’s a bourbon that doesn’t beg for attention — it earns it slowly.

And no blend, rumor, or internet shortcut fully replaces that.

🥃 Final Thoughts from Tortured Bourbon

This episode wasn’t about flexing bottles or chasing hype.

It was about testing myths, respecting craft, and drinking bourbon honestly.

Whether you’re hunting unicorns, blending your own Poor Man’s Pappy, or enjoying a pour of Weller with friends — the real win is knowing why these bottles matter.

And now?

We finally do.