Looking for Pappy Van Winkle? Try This Cheap, Award-Winning Whiskey Instead

I’ve spent the past two decades writing about alcohol with an emphasis on whiskey. In that time, I’ve learned a few things. Especially about American whiskey. There are a ton of over-the-top, highly coveted bourbons on the market. I’m talking about the likes of E.H. Taylor, Weller, and especially Pappy Van Winkle. The last of those is so beloved and hard to get that it sells on the secondary market for thousands of dollars.

Don’t believe there’s an obsession around this popular whiskey? Back in 2013, $100,00 worth of Pappy was stolen from the Buffalo Trace Distillery in Kentucky. The event has been referred to as “Pappygate.” It was eventually determined that a Buffalo Trace employee by the name of Gilbert “Toby” Curtsinger stole the barrels. Netflix even made a documentary about the robbery.

If you haven’t realized by now, Pappy Van Winkle is the type of whiskey most people reading this article will never get a chance to try. That might seem like a bummer, but there are ways to get the Pappy experience without emptying your bank account.

To make Pappy Van Winkle, Buffalo Trace uses a wheated mash. This means that after corn, wheat is the secondary grain. That gives Pappy Van Winkle a soft, sweet, and easy-drinking mouthfeel along with flavors like vanilla, sweet honey, toffee, and ripe bananas.

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Luckily, there are alternatives in the wheated whiskey world. You don’t even have to purchase a wheated bourbon to enjoy the mellow, soft, and sublime flavor profile associated with the likes of Pappy. I suggest Bernheim Original Wheat Whiskey.

Sometimes referred to as the “poor man’s Pappy,” this whiskey has won multiple awards over the years, including double gold at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition in 2023. It begins with a mash bill of 51 percent wheat, 37 percent corn, and 12 percent malted barley. The whiskey is matured for a full seven years before it’s bottled at 90-proof.

Bernheim is well-known for its soft, nuanced, and sublime flavor profile that begins with a nose of clover honey, vanilla beans, cinnamon candy, toffee, and light spices. The palate is a symphony of ripe berries, sticky toffee, toasted vanilla beans, sweet treacle, cinnamon sugar, orchard fruits, oak, and wintry spices. The finish is warming, dry, memorable, and ends with a mix of oak, spices, and caramel apples.

It’s a memorable whiskey that’s best enjoyed neat, on the rocks, or with a splash of water. It’s inexpensive enough to use as the base for drinks like the old fashioned or boulevardier. That type of versatility makes Bernheim the type of expression you’ll want to perpetually keep on your home bar.

Another reason Bernheim Original Wheat Whiskey should receive a permanent spot on your home bar or bar cart is the price. A 750ml bottle of this exceptional whiskey can be yours for under $35. Yes, you read that right.

Perhaps after you read this story, you’ll still try to get a bottle of Pappy Van Winkle. I don’t blame you. In the meantime, purchase a bottle of Bernheim Original Wheat Whiskey—because you’ll likely be waiting a long time for that Pappy. Start saving now or make friends with a liquor store owner or two. You’re going to need all the help you can get. 

Related: Pappy Van Winkle Reveals 2024 Collection Is Here. You Better Act Fast