One Sibling Bourbon That Stands Toe-To-Toe With Pappy Van Winkle Is A Budget-Friendly Delight

If anyone tells you the Pappy Van Winkle range is to bourbon what Ferraris are to sports cars, tell them they're wrong. While you can buy a Ferrari if you have the money, a bottle of Pappy Van Winkle is both expensive and elusive. One other bourbon that has a similar soft and sweet character is the Weller Special Reserve, which comes from the same distillery, and is more easily available. The fact that it's a budget-friendly delight is an added bonus.

Weller Special Reserve comes highly recommended by expert Kenny Jarvis, who has tried and ranked every old Rip Van Winkle Whiskey. "There is a richness of flavor on the palate that you just don't find in bottom-shelf bourbons. The vanilla and toffee notes are particularly deep, joined by a creamy caramel," Jarvis wrote for Tasting Table. "A touch of cherry gives it additional depth, but the impressive aspect of this whiskey is not necessarily its range of notes, but just how lovely its flavors are."

While Jarvis does say that it's younger and less complex than the most mature bottles of Pappy Van Winkle, he adds that Weller Special Reserve has "much of the same qualities, just dialed down into a more budget-friendly version." While they're hard to find at retailers, you can get a bottle in the secondary market at around $50.

Like the Pappy Van Winkle range, the Weller Special Reserve is also a wheated bourbon. These bourbons, which use wheat in the mash bill instead of rye, are known to be soft and smooth; both Maker's Mark Kentucky Straight Bourbon and Maker's Mark Cask Strength are popular examples of affordable, wheated bourbons. While there are many wheated bourbons you can find under $50, Weller Special Reserve has built a reputation as a Pappy Van Winkle dupe.

"I think if you can get it for MSRP (which is under $30), it's a great deal," wrote one Reddit commenter. "Those used to high proof, complex bourbons won't like it but it's an easy sipper and for someone getting into bourbon, it's a great choice." Another replier on the same thread noted that they didn't understand why anyone would turn their nose up at this budget whiskey, saying, "Anyone trashing Weller SR doesn't like bourbon. It's one of the most palatable and affordable wheated bourbons available."

Like it or not, this is a bourbon that's storied enough to become a part of many family traditions. "My very large extended family has been drinking Weller since Grandpa came back from WWII and started drinking Old Weller 107," another fan wrote on Reddit, adding that the family regularly went through half a gallon at family get-togethers. "During holidays and special events like Summer and Autumn harvest parties, we'd have 50-80 people there and go through 2-3 half gallons of WSR."