Van Winkle Lot B 12 Year 2026 Bourbon

Van Winkle Special Reserve 12 Year Old "Lot B" Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey — 90.4 Proof (2026 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

12 Yrs

Age Statement

Wheated

Mash

2026

Release

Reviewers call it Lot B; the Van Winkle family names it Van Winkle Special Reserve Bourbon 12-Year-Old. With twelve years in barrel it is the second-youngest whiskey of the family’s 2026 release, after the ten-year Old Rip Van Winkle, and its strength is 90.4 proof (45.2% ABV).

Nº 01

The Elemental Distinction

Lowest strength, with the 20. No 2026 Van Winkle whiskey is bottled below the Special Reserve’s 90.4 proof, and only the 20-year Family Reserve shares it.

Wheated, to Pappy’s recipe. Buffalo Trace makes the Special Reserve from a wheated mash, the recipe the family attributes to Pappy.

Lot B, by reviewers’ usage. The twelve-year has gone by Lot B in reviews from Drinkhacker (May 2021) and The Whiskey Wash (June 2025).

Nº 02

A Family Partnership

2001 · 2002

Preston Van Winkle, Julian III’s son, came into the business in June 2001, and the family says his arrival doubled its sales force. A year later the Van Winkles went into partnership with Buffalo Trace Distillery in Frankfort, where Van Winkle bourbon has been made since May 2002. Preston is now the company’s vice-president, the fourth generation of Van Winkles in the business.

Nº 03

Sensory Profile & Strategy

Distiller notes & position

Sensory Profile

The family’s 2026 note opens on dried mango and spiced peach, with cocoa underneath for depth. Honey spreads across the palate with seasoned oak, tobacco and a rich sweetness, and the finish stays dry and balanced, leaving a little warmth behind.

Strategic Position

The ladder runs from the 107-proof Old Rip ten-year, two years younger, past the Special Reserve to the family’s 13-year rye at 95.6 proof, a year older and made from a rye mash rather than a wheated one. From the same distillery, W.L. Weller’s 12-year wheated bourbon at 90 proof carries the same age statement.

Nº 04

Collector Note & Index

Vault provenance

→

Raffles and lotteries

Many states and retailers sell Van Winkle whiskey by raffle or lottery, by the family’s account.

Collector IndexMW VAULT

Brand: Van Winkle Special Reserve
Known as: Lot B
Crafted at: Buffalo Trace Distillery
Class: Kentucky straight bourbon
Age: 12 years
Strength: 90.4 proof · 45.2% ABV
Mash: Wheated
Release: 2026 collection

Browse the ten-year, the rye and the Pappy bourbons in our Van Winkle and Pappy collection.

Nº 05

Technical Specifications

Specification	Detail
Brand	Van Winkle Special Reserve
Name in the 2026 Release	Van Winkle Special Reserve Bourbon 12-Year-Old
Known As	Lot B
Family Company	Old Rip Van Winkle Distillery
Crafted At	Buffalo Trace Distillery, Frankfort, Kentucky
Class	Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
Age Statement	12 Years
Proof	90.4 Proof
ABV	45.2% ABV
Mash Bill	Wheated
Release	2026 collection, announced September 10, 2026
Region	Kentucky
Format	750 mL - 700 mL

Nº 06

Records & Assurance

Production Methodology

Crafted at Buffalo Trace Distillery in Frankfort, the Special Reserve spends twelve years in barrel before bottling at 90.4 proof.

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

Is Van Winkle 12 Year considered Pappy?

No. Van Winkle Special Reserve 12 Year, often called Lot B, goes out under the Special Reserve name; in the family’s 2026 release, the Pappy Van Winkle’s Family Reserve bottlings are the bourbons aged fifteen years and more. The twelve-year is a 90.4-proof wheated Kentucky straight bourbon from the same release.

What proof is Van Winkle Special Reserve 12 Year?

At 90.4 proof, or 45.2% ABV, Van Winkle Special Reserve 12 Year is bottled at the lowest strength in the Van Winkle family’s 2026 collection. Pappy Van Winkle’s Family Reserve 20 Year is the other whiskey at that strength.

How does Van Winkle 12 Year differ from Old Rip Van Winkle 10?

Van Winkle Special Reserve 12 Year has two more years in barrel than Old Rip Van Winkle 10 Year but far less strength, 90.4 proof against 107. In the Van Winkle family’s 2026 collection they are the two youngest whiskeys, both wheated Kentucky straight bourbons.

Midnight Whiskey · The Vault Twelve Years at 90.4

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Van Winkle Special Reserve 12 Year

The Elemental Distinction

A Family Partnership