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Bardstown Bourbon Company Discovery Series #13 vs Pappy Van Winkle’s Family Reserve 15 Year
Bardstown Bourbon Company Discovery Series #13 and Pappy Van Winkle’s Family Reserve 15 Year sit on opposite sides of a familiar divide: a blender-built, classically built bottling versus an old-guard, wheat-forward classic.
Key Specifications
| Feature | Bardstown Bourbon Company Discovery Series #13 | Pappy Van Winkle’s Family Reserve 15 Year |
|---|---|---|
| Type / Style | Traditional Bourbon | Wheated Bourbon |
| Mash Bill 1 | Not disclosed | Not disclosed |
| Age | 8 years | 15 years +7 yr |
| Proof | 110.8 proof (55.4% ABV) +4 proof | 107 proof (53.5% ABV) |
| Approx. Price 2 | ~$130 – $150 ~$980 less | ~$240 – $2000 |
| Availability | Limited easier to find | Allocated |
- Bardstown Bourbon Company Discovery Series #13 and Pappy Van Winkle’s Family Reserve 15 Year do not publish an official mash bill.
- US shelf prices as of 2026-10; they vary widely by market.
AG’s Rating and AG’s Notes
Bardstown Bourbon Company Discovery Series #13
Not rated yetNo notes yet.
Pappy Van Winkle’s Family Reserve 15 Year
Not rated yetNo notes yet.
Flavor Profile
Bardstown Bourbon Company Discovery Series #13 Pappy Van Winkle’s Family Reserve 15 Year
Axis by axis, biggest gap first
spice 6/3 spice: Bardstown Bourbon Company Discovery Series #13 6 out of 10, Pappy Van Winkle’s Family Reserve 15 Year 3 out of 10
fruit 8/6 fruit: Bardstown Bourbon Company Discovery Series #13 8 out of 10, Pappy Van Winkle’s Family Reserve 15 Year 6 out of 10
oak 7/8 oak: Bardstown Bourbon Company Discovery Series #13 7 out of 10, Pappy Van Winkle’s Family Reserve 15 Year 8 out of 10
nuttiness 3/4 nuttiness: Bardstown Bourbon Company Discovery Series #13 3 out of 10, Pappy Van Winkle’s Family Reserve 15 Year 4 out of 10
sweetness 8/8 sweetness: Bardstown Bourbon Company Discovery Series #13 8 out of 10, Pappy Van Winkle’s Family Reserve 15 Year 8 out of 10
heat 6/6 heat: Bardstown Bourbon Company Discovery Series #13 6 out of 10, Pappy Van Winkle’s Family Reserve 15 Year 6 out of 10
Flavor Profile Differences
Rye spice is the dividing line here.
- Bardstown Bourbon Company Discovery Series #13: Bardstown's annual blend of older sourced bourbons. Rich and dessert-like, with creme brulee, toffee and dark fruit over peppery oak.
- Pappy Van Winkle’s Family Reserve 15 Year: Fifteen-year wheated bourbon from the Van Winkle line, made at Buffalo Trace. Rich toffee, leather and dried fruit with the oak well blended in.
Which One Should You Choose?
- Go with Bardstown Bourbon Company Discovery Series #13 if you want a rich, dessert-like annual blend of older Kentucky bourbons at a significantly lower price point and without hunting for it.
- Go with Pappy Van Winkle’s Family Reserve 15 Year if you want a famously hard-to-find, rich, 15-year wheater with an older age statement.
Best enjoyed neat (Bardstown Bourbon Company Discovery Series #13); neat (Pappy Van Winkle’s Family Reserve 15 Year).