A Dram to Remember Part 4

 Pappy Van Winkle.  One of the quintessential catch phrases of the ultra-modern bourbon hunters.  Of course, it is NOTHING like it used to be, but it still holds a mythical unicorn status among amateur bourbon aficionados.  And some discerning palates love it too, it's not as if it became insanely popular and allocated because the juice sucked.  Now, technically, the 10-year expression is more properly called "Old Rip Van Winkle" or ORVW for short.  Some might call it Pappy 10.  They'd be wrong, but everyone knows what they are talking about anyway.  It's just good juice that in my humble opinion is extremely overpriced on the secondary market.  But what bourbon collector doesn't want this in their collection?

Eagle eyes will note that the ORVW on the left has a little bit of stainage on the label.  The seal was intact but the cork was leaking - An occupational hazard of shipping high proof alcohol.  Unlike wine, spirits should be stored straight up so as to not degrade the cork.  There is considerable debate about whether or not to rotate and wet the cork every so often.  I find that I like to circumvent this problem by just drinking the whiskey.