K BAR LAUNCHES PAPPY VAN WINKLE TASTING
Try one of the world's most elusive whiskeys, without having to fork out for a whole bottle...
PAPPY. VAN. WINKLE. Even the mention of that name is enough to send whiskey lovers into a fluster. Those vintage, sepia labels; the faded image of Mr Van Winkle chugging on a cigar; the ancient font curved around an amber, wine-shaped bottle. They might look like the kind of dusty receptacles you'd find at the back of your dad's drinks cabinet, but these things are mythical.
To the uninitiated, Pappy Van Winkle is the holy grail of bourbon drinkers. The Old Rip Van Winkle Distillery (it's not actually a distillery - it's made by Buffalo Trace - but let's not split hairs) only releases around 7,000 cases of its Family Reserve every year, which means getting your hands on a bottle is like finding a winning lottery ticket. To make matters worse, with whiskey collecting at an all-time high, a good number of people who manage to bag one never end up opening it, because its value will only rise as it becomes older - meaning there are precious few drops available for people to taste.
Browse the internet and you'll find bottles of 23 Year Old Family Reserve 2019 listed for just short of £7,000 and the cheapest option - a 10 Year Old 107 Proof - for close to £500, but most have been snapped up within seconds of listing. If you want a real idea of how crazy people are for the stuff, at the time of writing there were EMPTY bottles of 23 Year Old selling for £500 on eBay. That's like buying a Ferrari without an engine, but damn it'll look good on the drive and make the neighbours jealous.
Step forward, the K Bar in Kensington Hotel, which prides itself on having one of the finest collections of Brown water in London. Not only are they offering Pappy Van Winkle TO ACTUALLY DRINK, they're serving the stuff up with food included, for a special night on November 27th.
If you're lucky enough to grab a ticket, you'll begin your evening with an expertly crafted Eagle Rare Old Fashioned, setting the tone for what promises to be an unforgettable experience. Then, journey through the finest expressions of Pappy Van Winkle’s craftmanship, starting with 25ml tastings of Old Rip Van Winkle 10 Year; 25ml of Van Winkle Special Reserve 12 Year and 25ml of Pappy Van Winkle 15 Year.
Next up, bourbon connoisseurs will try 25ml of the Pappy Van Winkle 20 – crowned the world’s best bourbon – scoring an astounding 99 out of 100 at the World Spirits Championship. Finally, indulge in the iconic Pappy Van Winkle 23 (25ml), a rare treat usually priced at £135 per pour at The K Bar. Each exquisite bourbon will be paired with a small bite to enhance every sip.
If you missed the details, that's FIVE pours of the world's most elusive whiskey, and if you're eyeing that up and thinking of remortgaging the house, fear not - the K Bar is offering all this for just £180pp. How? We're not sure. But we'll be begging to take the empty bottle home at the end of the night...
Tickets cost £180pp, Book Now
6:30pm - 9pm, November 27th
K Bar, The Kensington Hotel, 109-113 Queen's Gate London SW7 5LP
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