I received this letter a few weeks ago, but I can finally post it here.
Dear Lover of Fine Bourbon,
As one of our most valued, elite friends in the media, we wanted you to be one of the first to try an exciting new product we have created. Allow us to introduce you to Pappy Van Winkle’s Reserve Bourbon Liqueur. As you probably know, this is the first bourbon liqueur we have ever created, but it is firmly in Van Winkle tradition. It is bottled at 87 proof, made with 15 year old wheat-recipe bourbon from the legendary Stitzel-Weller distillery, Jefferson County Kentucky honey produced just feet from Stitzel-Weller and the finest herbs and spices. The whiskey liqueur segment has been growing by leaps and bounds in recent years, and the success of products like Drambuie 15 year oldhave shown that there is a large market for premium liqueurs. We think Pappy would be very proud. Please accept this sample with our compliments. All we askis that you keep this exciting new product to yourself until April. Thanks for your support!
Sincerely,
Julian Van Winkle III
Some tasting notes on the sample I received:
Appearance: Dark copper,thick sticky legs.
Nose: Bit of oak, honey, thyme, grass.
On the palate: Sweet, thick,wildflower honey, oak, orange peel, anise.
Finish: sweet with a hint of oak. Leaves my mouth all sticky.
Not bad as liqueurs go.
Sipology 
Haha, nice try Josh.
Interesting. I have actually spent quite a bit of time perfecting my own liqueur using pre-2007 bottles of Pappy 15 as a base. I’m at a bit of a disadvantage to this official version, since my honey did not come from Stitzel-Weller bees, but I like to think I’ve concocted a pretty lively brew!
First, I dump a whole bottle of Pappy 15 into a stove-top pan. Then I add a few jars of maraschino cherries, three cups of brown sugar and 5 cups powdered sugar. I bring the whole concoction to a boil then let it simmer for a few hours, adding cinnamon sticks and a slight amount of cayenne pepper. After it has reduced to about 1/2 or 1/3 of its original volume, I remove it from heat and put it in the freezer. After 20 minutes it’s ready to throw back. Add honey to taste!
I’ve seen a bottle of this on e-Bay going for $189 at the moment. The seller said that some of the herbs were picked right from the yard of the original Stitzel-Weller distillery, which gives the liqueur the signature Stitzel-Weller smoothness and depth. Thanks for sharing the news, Sip, what a great way to start the month of April!
Not a chance.
That’s great news! Can’t wait to try it with Coke!