Van Winkle Lot B 12 Year 2025 Bourbon

Van Winkle Special Reserve 12 Year Old "Lot B" Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey — 90.4 Proof (2025 Release)

Price

$879.95

✔ Authenticated by the house — seal, fill level, and label inspected before release
✔ Documented provenance on every bottle
✔ Climate-safe, collector-grade packaging

Age: 12 Years | Region: Frankfort, Kentucky, USA | Proof: 90.4 Proof

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Vault-to-door shipping

Adult signature (21+) at delivery

90.4

Proof

45.2%

ABV

750 mL

Format

12 Yrs

Age Statement

Wheated

Recipe

Kentucky

Region

Van Winkle Special Reserve 12 Year, the bottling collectors call Lot B, is the 12-year rung of the Van Winkle collection: a wheated Kentucky straight bourbon from Buffalo Trace Distillery bottled at 90.4 proof (45.2% ABV), the lowest strength in the six-bottle set and a figure it shares with the 20 Year. The 2025 release, announced September 10, 2025, is described in Buffalo Trace's batch notes as woodier than usual for this expression: oak, dried mango, cocoa and spiced peach on the nose, honey, tobacco and dark fruit on the palate, and a dry finish of oak, cherry and gentle spice.

Nº 01

The Elemental Distinction

The 12-year middle rung between Old Rip Van Winkle 10 and Pappy Van Winkle 15; the Lot B name dates to 1991, when Lot A and Lot B bottlings appeared and only Lot B continued.

90.4 proof (45.2% ABV): the lowest bottling strength in the Van Winkle collection, matched only by the 20 Year.

Wheated recipe: wheat stands where rye sits in most bourbons, beside corn and malted barley, which is what softens the oak at twelve years.

Produced at Buffalo Trace Distillery, Frankfort, for Old Rip Van Winkle Distillery under the partnership formed in 2002.

One of six expressions in the 2025 Van Winkle collection, on shelves from September 2025; 750 mL.

Nº 02

Old Rip Van Winkle & Buffalo Trace Heritage

Frankfort Wheated Bourbon Maturation

Distilled at Buffalo Trace Distillery in Frankfort, Kentucky, under the joint partnership with the Van Winkle family established in 2002. Van Winkle Special Reserve 12 Year "Lot B" preserves Stitzel-Weller wheated bourbon heritage, aged twelve full years in new charred oak and bottled at a deliberately moderate 90.4 proof.

Nº 03

Craftsmanship & Cask Architecture

12-Year Oak Aging & Restrained Proof

Wheated Mash Bill

Wheat Secondary Grain

Replaces traditional rye with soft wheat to deliver a rounded sweetness, stone fruit notes, and gentle oak tannins.

12-Year Oak Aging

Central Rickhouse Aging

Matured for 12 full years in new charred American oak in Buffalo Trace's central brick warehouses for soft, balanced wood character.

90.4 Proof Bottling

Deliberate Restraint

Bottled at 45.2% ABV (90.4 proof), allowing soft wheat sweetness and vanilla cream notes to lead without aggressive ethanol heat.

Historical "Lot B" Heritage

1991 Lineup Transition

Traces to 1991 when Special Reserve was released as Lot A and Lot B, with Lot B becoming the permanent 12-year expression.

Nº 04

Sensory Profile & Strategy

Distillery Tasting Notes

Sensory Profile

Nose: Oak leads this batch, then dried mango, cocoa and spiced peach, with cherry and vanilla behind.
Palate: Honey, tobacco and dark fruit, moving toward stone fruit and cocoa.
Finish: Dry and balanced: oak, cherry and gentle spice.

Strategic Position

The bridge between the two 107-proof bottlings that flank it. Below sits the near-barrel-proof Old Rip 10 Year; above, the first bottle to wear the Pappy name, the 15 Year. The rest of the line is shelved in every whiskey in the Midnight Whiskey vault.

Nº 05

Collector Note & Index

Vault Provenance

→

Special Reserve Milestone

Represents the essential 12-year bridge connecting the younger Old Rip 10-Year to the Pappy Family Reserve tier.

→

The Lowest Proof in the Set

At 90.4 proof Lot B sits under every other Van Winkle bottling except the 20 Year, which shares the figure. On a wheated bourbon at twelve years that restraint is the point: the wheat and the oak are audible without ethanol over the top of them.

Collector IndexLOT B 12Y 90.4P

Distillery: Buffalo Trace / Old Rip Van Winkle
Series Position: Van Winkle 12 Year "Lot B"
Category: Wheated Kentucky Straight Bourbon
Proof / ABV: 90.4 Proof (45.2% ABV)
Age Statement: 12 Years
Format: 750 mL

Explore the bourbon collection this Van Winkle Special Reserve 12 Year belongs to.

Nº 06

Technical Specifications

Specification	Detail
BRAND / LINE	Old Rip Van Winkle; Van Winkle Special Reserve 12 Year "Lot B"
DISTILLED & BOTTLED	Buffalo Trace Distillery (Sazerac), Frankfort, Kentucky
CATEGORY	Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey (Wheated)
AGE STATEMENT	12 Years
PROOF / ABV	90.4 Proof / 45.2% ABV
MASH BILL	Corn, Wheat, Malted Barley (Wheated Recipe)
BARREL SELECTION	Buffalo Trace Central Brick Rickhouses; New Charred Oak
HISTORICAL DEBUT	1991 (Lot A & Lot B Pairing; Lot B Retained)
REGION	Frankfort, Kentucky, USA
FORMAT	750 mL
SKU	089319123730

Nº 07

Records & Assurance

Production Methodology

Lot B is drawn from the same Buffalo Trace wheated mash bill as every Van Winkle bourbon, corn, wheat and malted barley with wheat in the position rye occupies in most bourbons. Barrels bottled at twelve years become the Special Reserve, taken down to 90.4 proof rather than left near barrel strength as the 10 Year is. Since the 2002 partnership all distilling, aging and bottling has taken place at Buffalo Trace Distillery in Frankfort, Kentucky, under the oversight of Old Rip Van Winkle Distillery.

Authentication & Vault Preservation

Every bottle sold through Midnight Whiskey is sourced as an authentic, sealed product and inspected before it ships. Orders are packed with padded, glass-rated handling and require an adult signature (21+) on delivery; we do not ship to anyone unable to verify legal drinking age. For our full sourcing and handling protocols, see our editorial and authentication standards.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does Lot B mean on Van Winkle Special Reserve 12 Year?

Lot B is the collector name for Van Winkle Special Reserve 12 Year, a wheated Kentucky straight bourbon bottled at 90.4 proof (45.2% ABV). The designation traces to 1991, when the 12-year Special Reserve was released as two lots, Lot A and Lot B, and only Lot B continued as the regular bottling. It is produced at Buffalo Trace Distillery for the Van Winkle family and released each year as part of the Van Winkle collection.

Is Van Winkle 12 Year Lot B the lowest-proof Van Winkle?

Van Winkle Special Reserve 12 Year Lot B is bottled at 90.4 proof (45.2% ABV), the lowest bottling strength in the six-bottle Van Winkle collection, a figure it shares with Pappy Van Winkle 20 Year. The other bourbons are stronger: Old Rip Van Winkle 10 and Pappy 15 are 107 proof and Pappy 23 is 95.6 proof.

How does Lot B compare to Old Rip Van Winkle 10 Year?

Van Winkle Special Reserve 12 Year Lot B is aged two years longer than Old Rip Van Winkle 10 Year and bottled lower, at 90.4 proof against the 10 Year's 107. Both come from the same wheated Buffalo Trace mash bill and both are released in the annual Van Winkle collection, so the difference is age and bottling strength rather than recipe.

Midnight Whiskey · The Vault Buffalo Trace / Old Rip Van Winkle · Lot B 12 Year (2025 Release)

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Van Winkle

The Elemental Distinction

Old Rip Van Winkle & Buffalo Trace Heritage