Pappyland: A Story of Family, Fine Bourbon, and the Things That Last

The Pappy Van Winkle family embraced this author and I embraced their struggles and successes, with bourbon in hand, of course.

I am fortunate enough to be from a family with an amazing past,present and hopefully future. The story of the Van Winkles contrasted with an extremely well told storyteller is totally enjoyable. My recent interest in Bourbon (we have some relatives that ran a speak easy) prompted me to read Pappyland. Now on to more written by their family.

If I were able, I'd give this a 4.5 star. Great story on the Van Winkle family; on whiskey; and I appreciated Wright's weaving his own story into it. That's how the story evolved. But the overall story of the south, whiskey, and the Van Winkle family history was exceptional. The only complaint I would have, and only legitimate one (the rest are overblown, imo), is that in an attempt to jump around and not make the story a simple straight narrative (which is not as entertaining in today's storytelling world) some of the stories were disjointed with some esoteric elements in the story, to the point that trying to follow could be confusing here and there. Some parts and people were introduced so subtly, then later re-introduced, that it created a more confusing element. Otherwise, great book and a great wordsmith. The insights into the problems of the whiskey industry (which perhaps may be a reason behind some dislike of this book) were eye-opening. Lastly, to speak to the complaints about politics. This is a massive over-reaction. This is not a political book nor is it laced with political elements as it appears to be from many of the reviews. It strikes me as a product of an overly sensitive environment. There were hardly any political elements and a minuscule reference to the former president that is blown out of proportion. There were a few and only brief references to the problematic issues of southern heritage; one which has both great tradition (which Wright touched on) and the dark spot of Jim Crow over past generations. If we are denying that element of past generations in the south and its impact - again, only touched on for a few seconds here and there, then not much more to say; other than such are a product of being overly sensitive and reading too much into the book.

BEWARE! This book has deckle edges which appears like a press reject or rough / shredded paper edge look on the pages. This is by design choice by the publisher and not a printing defect.

Entertaining, insightful and intriguing. Good, low key read that provokes quite a bit of internal emotion and thought. First of his books I have read. Eager to read others.

Very interesting book, especially if you are a bourbon collector!

I just started learning to enjoy bourbon in 2020, and of course I heard about Pappy. I've never tried it, probably never will, but I was very interested in this book. It's got a lot of sentiment, some sad moments (never thought I'd shed a tear about a horse's burial), and a lot of good stories. And I like that the author isn't afraid to talk about bourbon marketing, and the stories they like to tell (and steal), in order to get you to buy the product. So it's got a real dose of realism there, it's not just a fanboy biography. Highly recommended.

Reads a bit like a marketing device for Van Winkles and the sadness of their hanger ons than about bourbon and industry. The writing sometimes uses profanity when it could be avoided. Many people don’t care about that but some do. If you want to read about Van Winkles and don’t mind writing that seems to be a testament to hanger-ons, you’ll enjoy the book. But otherwise I’d recommend something by Veach if you want a deeper history of the Kentucky bourbon industry, but this does have some interesting sections. I did enjoy the section and writing about old horse farms and days gone by.

Brilliantly written, fascinating subject. Couldn’t put it down! An unexpected rollercoaster of emotions. Fantastic

A Beautifully Crafted Story of Family, Bourbon, and Legacy. Pappyland is so much more than a book about bourbon—it's a heartfelt journey into tradition, perseverance, and the bonds that tie us to our past. Wright Thompson's storytelling is as smooth and layered as a glass of Pappy Van Winkle itself. The way he weaves Julian Van Winkle III's dedication to preserving his family's legacy with reflections on his own life is masterful. It's not just about making whiskey; it's about what it means to build something meaningful and lasting. The anecdotes are rich, the history fascinating, and the prose is so evocative you can almost taste the bourbon. This book is a must-read for bourbon lovers and anyone who appreciates a deeply personal, well-told story. You'll come away inspired—and perhaps craving a good pour of Pappy!

Whilst this is a brand new book, it looks like a reject/ mis cut. The pages have been cut unevenly as per pictures which makes turning the pages harder and just looks bad.

Anyone who enjoys Bourbon should read this book! It gives you good insight into the Pappy story as well as historical context of Bourbon. It hasn't always been this popular and it is very interesting to read how you practically couldn't give it away 40 years ago.

For someone perfectly able to purchase the things that they want ...this gift gives insight into the history and ethos of a great product ! Can't wait to read it myself!