With over five thousand different bottles of bourbon tracked on the Bourbon Blue Book®, it just goes to show that there’s no shortage of bourbon on the market. A handful of the thousands of bottles however stand out for various reasons, and if Pappy wasn’t already collectible enough, the 2017 Pappy Van Winkle 15 Year expression, referred to by collectors as the “Santa Pappy” holds enhanced prestige.
For us to appreciate the allure of the 2017 Santa Pappy, one has to appreciate what the brand means to bourbon and the legacy of the Pappy Van Winkle brand. The Pappy Van Winkle name is after all synonymous with bourbon, and you’d be hard pressed to find someone who would turn away the opportunity to have a pour, nab a bottle, or ogle at one found out in the wild – yes, that does happen from time to time, albeit less frequently now than ever before. The heritage of the brand started with the founding of Old Rip Van Winkle Distillery in the late nineteenth century by Julian “Pappy” Van Winkle, Sr. Julian’s art of creating bourbons whose hallmark is smooth, rich and complex flavor profiles makes them some of the most desired whiskey there is and is often thought of as the pinnacle of the bourbon world.
Much like finding a three-legged 1937 buffalo nickel mint error – albeit without the $100,000 added value – the 2017 release of 15 Year Pappy Van Winkle came with its own error. In 2017 during the bottling process Buffalo Trace mistakenly used red foil capsules instead of the traditional black ones. With a whole different look to the bottle having a red instead of black top, and the timing of the release being late fall near Christmastime, the bottles quickly earned the nickname Santa Pappy given the holiday season and the adornment with what many felt like was a Santa hat. The exact number of bottles with red foil tops isn’t known – but with all Pappy releases, they’re limited and the combination of this error and rarity made it an instant collectible.
Sure is. As with anything that’s unique and has some gravitas to it, it’s going to command a greater price. According to the Bourbon Blue Book® the current value of the 2017 Pappy Van Winkle 15 Year bourbon is $2,205 on average based on recent secondary sales. Pappy is already expensive, and as you look at older bottles the price continues to go up, however, the 2017 red foil error adds approximately $500 extra onto the value of the bottle. Who knew that foil could be so expensive?
Despite recent rather significant expansions at the Buffalo Trace Distillery totaling billions of dollars of investment adding a purported fifty percent increase in production, new rickhouses, etc. it doesn’t necessarily equate that Pappy is going to become any easier to find. The long aging process, coupled with the significant amount of evaporation that occurs as the angels take their share of the barrel will still keep Pappy rather limited.
This year’s release surprisingly saw a “surplus” of 20-Year-Old and 23-Year-Old Family Reserve Bourbons a note from the distillery highlighted. Of course, what a normal person would refer to as a surplus is likely far from what this undefined metric from the distillery likely means. Surplus or not, I don’t expect I’ll be seeing anything out on the shelves this holiday season or any holiday season if I’m being honest with myself in the years or decades ahead.
Data matters and having up-to-date and reliable information to make informed decisions about buying, selling or trading coveted bottles of brownwater is critical. The secondary market doesn’t stand still and neither do we in cataloguing and providing the web’s most accurate, reliable and up-to-date pricing around. As new bottles hit the market, their pricing changes daily…finding a ceiling, and eventually a floor. The market shifts up and down, commensurate with the economy – with the bourbon secondary market down nearly nine percent year-to-date. If you’re looking for a resource that’s based on real data grounded in actual sales on the secondary market, is updated regularly, and has values for over 5,500 bottles and growing at your fingertips, you need to look no further than the Bourboneur App for iOS and Android. The app does require a paid subscription, only $3 per month or $25 a year, which easily pays for itself!
.png)
The 2017 Pappy Van Winkle 15-Year-Old bourbon, also known in some circles as the “Santa Pappy,” is a great example of how some random mishap, red foil being used by the distillery instead of black, can create a collectible that drives added value for some bourbon enthusiasts. If you’re got a Pappy Van winkle 15-Year-Old bourbon sitting on the shelf and aren’t sure what year it is, give it a quick look – if it’s got red foil, you’ve got yourself a Santa Pappy – and $500 more rolling around in your pocket than what you’d have otherwise! As we celebrate the joy of the season, we here at Bourbonuer wish you Happy Holidays – cheers to you and the elusive Santa Pappy!
Stay informed and connected with our community at Bourboneur by scrolling down and subscribing to our weekly email list where you’ll get the latest updates, insider tips, and exclusive content on rare bourbons and whiskey trends. Visit bourboneur.com for the latest blog posts, in-depth reviews, and exclusive bourbon insights. Follow us on social media to stay updated on all thing's bourbon; you can also find us on Instagram, Facebook, and yes, even TikTok. Show us some love and give us a like on your favorite platform, or all of them and keep up with all the Bourboneur happenings!
0 Comments