Old Rip Van Winkle 10 vs. Van Winkle Lot B 12 Year: Complete Comparison
Every Pappy Van Winkle collection starts somewhere, and for most people it starts with one of two bottles: Old Rip Van Winkle 10 Year or Van Winkle Special Reserve 12 Year Lot B.
They're the youngest members of the Van Winkle family, separated by just two years of age. But put them side by side and you'll swear they were raised in different households. One is bold, high-proof and full of energy. The other is calm, refined and dangerously easy to sip.
Here's everything you need to know to choose between them, or to make the case for owning both.
Old Rip 10 vs. Lot B 12 at a glance
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Full name |
Old Rip Van Winkle Handmade Bourbon 10-Year-Old |
Van Winkle Special Reserve Bourbon 12-Year-Old |
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Age |
10 years |
12 years |
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Proof |
107 |
90.4 |
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Mash bill |
Wheated bourbon |
Wheated bourbon |
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Style |
Bold, spicy, sweet |
Soft, round, elegant |
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Key notes |
Caramel, cherry, toasted nuts, cinnamon |
Honey, vanilla, dried fruit, light oak |
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Best for |
High-proof fans, adding a drop of water |
Newer drinkers, easy neat sipping |
Same family, same recipe
Both bottles are wheated bourbons from the Van Winkle family, distilled and aged at Buffalo Trace Distillery in Frankfort, Kentucky. Wheat replaces rye as the secondary grain, giving both a soft, sweet backbone without the peppery bite of a high-rye bourbon. Each year the barrels are hand-selected by the Van Winkle family and Buffalo Trace's master distiller.
So why do they taste so different? Two reasons: proof and age. And as you'll see, proof is doing most of the heavy lifting.
New to the Van Winkle family tree? Start with our Complete Pappy Van Winkle Guide.
Old Rip Van Winkle 10 Year: the firecracker
Proof: 107 · Age: 10 years
Old Rip 10 carries the original family name, honoring the Old Rip Van Winkle label Pappy's son revived after the family sold the Stitzel-Weller distillery. It's the youngest bottle in the lineup and shares its 107 proof with the legendary Pappy 15.
Nose: Caramel, cherry cola, vanilla, toasted pecan and a touch of orange zest. Palate: Big and sweet up front, with brown sugar, baked cherry and cinnamon, then a warming wave of spice. Finish: Medium-long, with sweet oak, a bit of pepper and lingering caramel.
That 107 proof gives Old Rip 10 real intensity. It's punchy, sweet, and full of personality, but the wheat keeps the heat from turning harsh. A few drops of water calm it down and pull out more fruit and vanilla.
Think of Old Rip 10 as a preview of Pappy 15: a similar proof and a similar flavor profile, just with five fewer years of oak.
Choose Old Rip 10 if: you love high-proof bourbon, you want the closest thing to Pappy 15's profile, or you enjoy experimenting with water to see how a whiskey changes.
Van Winkle Lot B 12 Year: the smooth operator
Proof: 90.4 · Age: 12 years
Lot B's official name is Van Winkle Special Reserve, but almost nobody calls it that. The "Lot B" name is a holdover from the family's early days of releasing 12-year bourbon in separate lots, and it's become one of the most recognizable nicknames in bourbon.
Nose: Honey, vanilla, butterscotch, dried apricot and a whisper of oak. Palate: Soft and creamy, with caramel, stone fruit, light baking spice and gentle wood. Finish: Smooth and medium-length, with honeyed sweetness and a soft, dry oak note.
Where Old Rip 10 grabs your attention, Lot B earns it quietly. The lower proof and extra two years make it remarkably balanced. It's the easiest bourbon in the Van Winkle family to sip neat, and many longtime fans consider it the most underrated bottle in the lineup.
Choose Lot B 12 if: you prefer smooth, mellow bourbon, you're newer to whiskey, or you want a Pappy that's easy to share with guests of any experience level.
Head-to-head
Proof: Old Rip 10 wins on intensity
At 107 proof versus 90.4, Old Rip 10 is significantly stronger. That extra strength concentrates the flavors and adds warmth. Lot B is softer and lighter on the palate.
Smoothness: Lot B 12 wins on ease
The lower proof makes Lot B the gentler pour by a wide margin. If someone tells you they "don't really like bourbon," hand them Lot B. They may change their mind.
Complexity: closer than you'd think
The extra two years give Lot B a bit more oak and polish, while Old Rip 10's proof gives it a bigger, louder flavor. Neither is simpler than the other; they're complex in different ways.
Rarity: both are allocated
Both bottles are released once a year in limited quantities, and both are hard to find on a shelf. They're typically the most accessible way into the Van Winkle family, but "accessible" is relative when it comes to Pappy.
Which one should you buy?
- Buy Old Rip 10 if you like your bourbon bold, sweet and spicy, or if Pappy 15 is the bottle you're eventually chasing.
- Buy Lot B 12 if you want refined, easy sipping, or you're buying for someone just getting into bourbon.
- Buy both if you want to understand how proof shapes flavor. The Old Rip 10 & Lot B 12 Value Bundle is the easiest way to taste them side by side.
Ready to go one step further? The Old Rip 10, Lot B 12 & Pappy 15 bundle adds the fan-favorite Pappy 15, making it a perfect three-bottle tasting of how the Van Winkle style evolves with age. And when you're ready for the older bottles, our Pappy 15 vs. 20 vs. 23 comparison picks up where this one leaves off.
Making it a gift
Old Rip 10 and Lot B 12 are two of the most popular Van Winkle bottles for gifting, and both are available with custom engraving. Add a name, a date or a message through our engraving service, or choose a ready-made design like the engraved Lot B "America's 250th" edition. For a cigar lover, pair either bottle with a Pappy Van Winkle Barrel Fermented Cigar.
How to serve them
Old Rip 10: Pour it neat in a tulip-shaped glass, take a sip, then add a few drops of water and taste again. You'll notice the spice softens and the cherry and vanilla come forward. It also holds up beautifully over a single large ice cube.
Lot B 12: Neat is the way. It doesn't need water, and its gentle profile shines best at room temperature in a proper tasting glass from our barware collection.
What about cocktails? Both bottles would make an outstanding Old Fashioned, but most Pappy owners prefer to save them for sipping. If you want a wheated bourbon for mixing, the W.L. Weller collection shares the same wheated heritage and is a natural fit.
Browse every bottle in the Pappy Van Winkle collection, or read more about the brand's roots in Discovering the Timeless Allure of Old Rip Van Winkle Bourbon.
Frequently asked questions
What's the difference between Old Rip Van Winkle 10 and Lot B? Old Rip 10 is aged 10 years and bottled at 107 proof, giving it a bold, sweet, spicy profile. Lot B is aged 12 years and bottled at 90.4 proof, making it softer, smoother and more mellow.
Is Old Rip Van Winkle the same as Pappy? It's part of the same family. Old Rip Van Winkle 10 Year, Van Winkle Special Reserve Lot B 12 Year and Pappy Van Winkle's Family Reserve 15, 20 and 23 Year are all Van Winkle bourbons, and most people refer to all of them as "Pappy."
Which is better, Old Rip 10 or Lot B? It depends on your taste. High-proof fans usually prefer Old Rip 10, while drinkers who like smooth, gentle bourbon lean toward Lot B.
Why is it called Lot B? The name is a holdover from the family's early practice of releasing its 12-year bourbon in separate lots. The "Lot B" name stuck and became the bottle's signature.
Is Old Rip Van Winkle 10 similar to Pappy 15? Yes. Both are bottled at 107 proof and share a rich, sweet, wheated profile. Pappy 15 has five more years of aging, which adds more oak, leather and depth.