Old Rip Van Winkle Old Time Rye Whiskey 12 Year Old Squat Bottle / Lawrenceburg

Old Rip Van Winkle Old Time Rye Whiskey 12 Year Old Squat Bottle / Lawrenceburg

This exceptionally rare bottle of Old Rip Van Winkle 12 Year Old Old Time Rye comes in the classic squat bottle design and has a very rich history.

Bottled in 1997 by Julian Van Winkle III, this rye whiskey comes from the Medley distillery. This distillery is renowned for its high-quality spirits. By 1998, the same batch was rebottled as the 13 Year Old Van Winkle Family Reserve Rye in taller cognac-style bottles for international markets. The U.S. release of this reserve followed in 1999 under the same 13-year Family Reserve label.

Even though it was labeled as 13 years old, the whiskey continued to mature in casks and reached 19 years before being tanked in 2004. The later iterations of the Van Winkle Family Reserve Rye combined Medley’s stock with Bernheim’s Cream of Kentucky. The original batch of this whiskey stock finally ran out in 2017. This is why it’s considered a collector’s item and is incredibly sought-after.

This bottle, dating back to around 2001, is from the prized Medley stock and is labeled as 12 years old (though its actual age at bottling was closer to 15-16 years).

Here’s why you should have it:

• Don’t think of this bottle as only a collector’s item – it’s a piece of whiskey history.
• It brings back a rare era when Medley’s distilling practices set the bar for premium rye whiskey. The squat bottle design is iconic and immediately recognizable.
• The extended aging imparts rich, complex flavors that newer iterations simply cannot replicate. So, if you’re a whiskey enthusiast, owning this bottle is a mark of refined taste and appreciation for a legacy that’s no longer produced.