A Century of American Whiskey

A.H. Hirsch Reserve 1974 15 Year Old / 1st Release

A legendary bottle of bourbon that has had a whole book written about itself: The Best Bourbon You'll Never Taste by Charles K Cowdery.

Distilled in Spring 1974, this bourbon was bottled from a single 400 barrel batch commissioned by Adolph H. Hirsch and distilled under contract at Michter's distillery (then known as Pennco), just outside Schaefferstown, Pennsylvania. Hirsch was a former Schenley executive who had dealings with Michter's during his time there, and it is believed he commissioned the whiskey as financial favour to the distillery, and actually had little plans for its use. So, it lay ageing in the warehouses for much longer than generally expected for a bourbon at the time. 

When Michter’s distillery finally closed in 1989, Hirsch was well into his nineties, and rather than engage in exigency of rehoming what no longer served its purpose to him, he instead sought to find a buyer for it. Fearing the arduous task of finding a buyer for what was considered an “over-aged” batch of whiskey, Hirsch was fortunate in that one of his old Schenley contacts called Bob Gottesman knew a man in Kentucky who was looking for exactly that, Gordon Hue.

Responsibility for the early bottling was entrusted to Julian Van Winkle III at his Old Commonwealth site in Lawrenceburg. However, his creation of the Pappy Van Winkle brand and subsequent partnership with the Sazerac Company in 2002 also saw bottling of the Hirsch Reserve moved briefly to Buffalo Trace. This is one of Van Winkle's first Lawrenceburg bottlings, produced on 26th February 1990. Van Winkle's ledgers show that he was drip-fed orders for the A.H. Hirsch Reserve, and only produced limited case numbers to order when requested by Hue. This has lead to a variety of different bottlings at different ages. This is one of two bottlings of the A.H. Hirsch Reserve as 15 year old (although the second was actually 16 by the time it was bottled). This release features the label with block text, similar to the Van Winkle Special Reserve releases produced around the same time (the second has a script style label). The majority of the the bourbon was later placed into steel tanks shortly after this, in order to prevent futher ageing. Van Winkle bottled some leftover casks at advanced ages, but the majority of the A.H. Hirsch Reserve was bottled from the tanks as a 16 year old in 2003.

Gordon Hue, who had maintained exclusive distribution rights to the Hirsch product despite the Van Winkle and Sazerac connections, eventually sold the brand to Preiss Imports who moved the subsequent and final bottling (technically re-bottling) to Kentucky Bourbon Distillers' Willett facility.

In his book Cowdery refers to the bourbon as one of the \"best whiskeys I've ever tasted.\"

Mash bill contains 75% corn, 13% rye, and 12% malted barley.

A.H. Hirsch Finest Reserve 1974 20 Year Old 1990s

A legendary bottle of bourbon that has had a whole book written about itself: The Best Bourbon You'll Never Taste by Charles K Cowdery.

Distilled in Spring 1974, this bourbon is bottled from a single 400 barrel batch commissioned by Adolph H. Hirsch and distilled under contract at Michter's distillery (then known as Pennco), just outside Schaefferstown, Pennsylvania. Hirsch was a former Schenley executive who had dealings with Michter's during his time there, and it is believed he commissioned the whiskey as financial favour to the distillery, and actually had little plans for its use. So, it lay ageing in the warehouses for much longer than generally expected for a bourbon at the time. 

When Michter’s distillery finally closed in 1989, Hirsch was well into his nineties, and rather than engage in exigency of rehoming what no longer served its purpose to him, he instead sought to find a buyer for it. Fearing the arduous task of finding a buyer for what was considered an “over-aged” batch of whiskey, Hirsch was fortunate in that one of his old Schenley contacts called Bob Gottesman knew a man in Kentucky who was looking for exactly that, Gordon Hue.

Responsibility for the early bottling was entrusted to Julian Van Winkle III at his Old Commonwealth site in Lawrenceburg. However, his creation of the Pappy Van Winkle brand and subsequent partnership with the Sazerac Company in 2002 also saw bottling of the Hirsch Reserve moved briefly to Buffalo Trace. This is one of Van Winkle's earlier 1990s bottlings. Van Winkle's ledgers show that he was drip-fed orders for the Hirsch Reserve, and only produced limited case numbers to order when requested by Hue. This has lead to a variety of different bottlings at different ages. This is the 20 year old red wax bottling in Van Winkle's trademark green-glass cognac-style bottles. This is the only release bottled from the spirit when it was 20 years old, and the oldest too.

Gordon Hue, who had maintained exclusive distribution rights to the Hirsch product despite the Van Winkle and Sazerac connections, eventually sold the brand to Preiss Imports who moved the subsequent and final bottling (technically re-bottling) to Kentucky Bourbon Distillers' Willett facility.

In his book Cowdery refers to the bourbon as one of the \"best whiskeys I've ever tasted.\"

Mash bill contains 75% corn, 13% rye, and 12% malted barley.

Rittenhouse 20 Year Old Straight Rye 1974

Rittenhouse was once the flagship product of of Pennsylvania's Continental Distilling Corp. Continental were a subsidiary of Publicker, who would go on to invest heavily in the Scotch market, founding Inver House distillers.

This 20 year was a limited ediiton release from 1974 and was distilled at the Kinsey distillery in Linfield. Although the distillery nowadays sits in ruin, the name lives on as a bourbon brand produced nearby at New Liberty Distillery in Philadelphia, PA.

Modern iterations of the Rittenhouse brand are produced by Heaven Hill.

A.H. Hirsch Reserve 1974 16 Year Old Bourbon / pre-2003 Gold Wax

A legendary bottle of bourbon that has had a whole book written about itself: The Best Bourbon You'll Never Taste by Charles K Cowdery.

Distilled in Spring 1974, this bourbon is bottled from a single 400 barrel batch commissioned by Adolph H. Hirsch and distilled under contract at Michter's distillery (then known as Pennco), just outside Schaefferstown, Pennsylvania. Hirsch was a former Schenley executive who had dealings with Michter's during his time there, and it is believed he commissioned the whiskey as financial favour to the distillery, and actually had little plans for its use. So, it lay ageing in the warehouses for much longer than generally expected for a bourbon at the time. 

When Michter’s distillery finally closed in 1989, Hirsch was well into his nineties, and rather than engage in exigency of rehoming what no longer served its purpose to him, he instead sought to find a buyer for it. Fearing the arduous task of finding a buyer for what was considered an “over-aged” batch of whiskey, Hirsch was fortunate in that one of his old Schenley contacts called Bob Gottesman knew a man in Kentucky who was looking for exactly that, Gordon Hue.

Responsibility for the early bottling was entrusted to Julian Van Winkle III at his Old Commonwealth site in Lawrenceburg. However, his creation of the Pappy Van Winkle brand and subsequent partnership with the Sazerac Company in 2002 also saw bottling of the Hirsch Reserve moved briefly to Buffalo Trace. This is one of Van Winkle's last Lawrenceburg bottlings, from the early 2000s. Van Winkle's ledgers show that he was drip-fed orders for the Hirsch Reserve, and only produced limited case numbers to order when requested by Hue. This has lead to a variety of different bottlings at different ages. This is the second batch of the A.H. Hirsch Reserve bottled as a 16 year old, and is affectionately known as the \"Gold Wax.\" The same label was used by Buffalo Trace for the 2003 release, although that time featured a gold foil seal. Van Winkle was a fan of the dripping wax aesthetic, but this was a registered trademark of Maker's Mark in the US. He commonly used the motif on special export releases for a markets where this law did not apply.

Gordon Hue, who had maintained exclusive distribution rights to the Hirsch product despite the Van Winkle and Sazerac connections, eventually sold the brand to Preiss Imports who moved the subsequent and final bottling (technically re-bottling) to Kentucky Bourbon Distillers' Willett facility.

In his book Cowdery refers to the bourbon as one of the \"best whiskeys I've ever tasted.\"

Mash bill contains 75% corn, 13% rye, and 12% malted barley.

Rittenhouse 21 Year Old Single Barrel Rye #6

Rittenhouse was once the flagship product of of Pennsylvania's Continental Distilling Corp, produced at their Publicker distillery. Modern iterations of the brand, such as this one, are produced by Heaven Hill. 

Heaven Hill was established by a group of private investors in 1935, following the repeal of Prohibition a few years earlier. Among the founders was distiller, Joseph L. Beam, and a member of the Shapira family. As the company grew, the Shapira's eventually acquired sole ownership of it, and their descendants still run it today. In a similar dynastic vein, Joe Beam remained master distiller despite the Shapira takeover, and members of his family have occupied the role ever since. This was produced at the Old Heavenhill Springs distillery, later renamed simply as Heaven Hill, which was located in Bardstown, Kentucky. It was sadly lost in a devastating fire in 1996, and bourbon made there has become increasingly sought after as the years pass. The company had no distillery for the next three years, but were permitted to rent stills at Jim Beam and Brown-Forman in order to maintain production. They eventually acquired the newly refurbished Bernheim distillery from Diageo in 1999, which has been their home ever since.

Rittenhouse 25 Year Old Single Barrel Rye #8

Rittenhouse was once the flagship product of of Pennsylvania's Continental Distilling Corp, produced at their Publicker distillery. Modern iterations of the brand, such as this one, are produced by Heaven Hill. 

Heaven Hill was established by a group of private investors in 1935, following the repeal of Prohibition a few years earlier. Among the founders was distiller, Joseph L. Beam, and a member of the Shapira family. As the company grew, the Shapira's eventually acquired sole ownership of it, and their descendants still run it today. In a similar dynastic vein, Joe Beam remained master distiller despite the Shapira takeover, and members of his family have occupied the role ever since. This was produced at the Old Heavenhill Springs distillery, later renamed simply as Heaven Hill, which was located in Bardstown, Kentucky. It was sadly lost in a devastating fire in 1996, and bourbon made there has become increasingly sought after as the years pass. The company had no distillery for the next three years, but were permitted to rent stills at Jim Beam and Brown-Forman in order to maintain production. They eventually acquired the newly refurbished Bernheim distillery from Diageo in 1999, which has been their home ever since.

A.H. Hirsch Reserve 1974 16 Year Old Bourbon / 2009 Humidor Release

A legendary bottle of bourbon that has had a whole book written about itself: The Best Bourbon You'll Never Taste by Charles K Cowdery.

Distilled in Spring 1974, this bourbon is bottled from a single 400 barrel batch commissioned by Adolph H. Hirsch and distilled under contract at Michter's distillery (then known as Pennco), just outside Schaefferstown, Pennsylvania. Hirsch was a former Schenley executive who had dealings with Michter's during his time there, and it is believed he commissioned the whiskey as financial favour to the distillery, and actually had little plans for its use. So, it lay ageing in the warehouses for much longer than generally expected for a bourbon at the time. 

When Michter’s distillery finally closed in 1989, Hirsch was well into his nineties, and rather than engage in exigency of rehoming what no longer served its purpose to him, he instead sought to find a buyer for it. Fearing the arduous task of finding a buyer for what was considered an “over-aged” batch of whiskey, Hirsch was fortunate in that one of his old Schenley contacts called Bob Gottesman knew a man in Kentucky who was looking for exactly that, Gordon Hue.

Responsibility for the early bottling was entrusted to Julian Van Winkle III at his Old Commonwealth site in Lawrenceburg. However, his creation of the Pappy Van Winkle brand and subsequent partnership with the Sazerac Company in 2002 also saw bottling of the Hirsch Reserve moved briefly to Buffalo Trace. Those bottles were filled in 2003 for the new owners of the Hirsch Reserve, Preiss Imports, who purchased it from Gordon Hue that year. This is technically a re-bottling of one of those 2003 releases. Produced in 2009, Preiss Imports had their remaining stock of the Buffalo Trace bottles decanted into these hand-blown glasses and presented them mahogany humidor boxes. There were only 1000 made, and the bottling was done at Willett by Kentucky Bourbon Distillers.

In his book Cowdery refers to the bourbon as one of the \"best whiskeys I've ever tasted.\"

Mash bill contains 75% corn, 13% rye, and 12% malted barley.

Rittenhouse 23 Year Old Single Barrel Rye #16

Rittenhouse was once the flagship product of of Pennsylvania's Continental Distilling Corp, produced at their Publicker distillery. Modern iterations of the brand, such as this one, are produced by Heaven Hill. 

Heaven Hill was established by a group of private investors in 1935, following the repeal of Prohibition a few years earlier. Among the founders was distiller, Joseph L. Beam, and a member of the Shapira family. As the company grew, the Shapira's eventually acquired sole ownership of it, and their descendants still run it today. In a similar dynastic vein, Joe Beam remained master distiller despite the Shapira takeover, and members of his family have occupied the role ever since. This was produced at the Old Heavenhill Springs distillery, later renamed simply as Heaven Hill, which was located in Bardstown, Kentucky. It was sadly lost in a devastating fire in 1996, and bourbon made there has become increasingly sought after as the years pass. The company had no distillery for the next three years, but were permitted to rent stills at Jim Beam and Brown-Forman in order to maintain production. They eventually acquired the newly refurbished Bernheim distillery from Diageo in 1999, which has been their home ever since.

Rittenhouse 21 Year Old Single Barrel Rye #10

Rittenhouse was once the flagship product of of Pennsylvania's Continental Distilling Corp, produced at their Publicker distillery. Modern iterations of the brand, such as this one, are produced by Heaven Hill. 

Heaven Hill was established by a group of private investors in 1935, following the repeal of Prohibition a few years earlier. Among the founders was distiller, Joseph L. Beam, and a member of the Shapira family. As the company grew, the Shapira's eventually acquired sole ownership of it, and their descendants still run it today. In a similar dynastic vein, Joe Beam remained master distiller despite the Shapira takeover, and members of his family have occupied the role ever since. This was produced at the Old Heavenhill Springs distillery, later renamed simply as Heaven Hill, which was located in Bardstown, Kentucky. It was sadly lost in a devastating fire in 1996, and bourbon made there has become increasingly sought after as the years pass. The company had no distillery for the next three years, but were permitted to rent stills at Jim Beam and Brown-Forman in order to maintain production. They eventually acquired the newly refurbished Bernheim distillery from Diageo in 1999, which has been their home ever since.

Rittenhouse 21 Year Old Single Barrel Rye #3

Rittenhouse was once the flagship product of of Pennsylvania's Continental Distilling Corp, produced at their Publicker distillery. Modern iterations of the brand, such as this one, are produced by Heaven Hill. 

Heaven Hill was established by a group of private investors in 1935, following the repeal of Prohibition a few years earlier. Among the founders was distiller, Joseph L. Beam, and a member of the Shapira family. As the company grew, the Shapira's eventually acquired sole ownership of it, and their descendants still run it today. In a similar dynastic vein, Joe Beam remained master distiller despite the Shapira takeover, and members of his family have occupied the role ever since. This was produced at the Old Heavenhill Springs distillery, later renamed simply as Heaven Hill, which was located in Bardstown, Kentucky. It was sadly lost in a devastating fire in 1996, and bourbon made there has become increasingly sought after as the years pass. The company had no distillery for the next three years, but were permitted to rent stills at Jim Beam and Brown-Forman in order to maintain production. They eventually acquired the newly refurbished Bernheim distillery from Diageo in 1999, which has been their home ever since.

A.H. Hirsch Reserve 1974 16 Year Old Bourbon / 2003 Release

A legendary bottle of bourbon that has had a whole book written about itself: The Best Bourbon You'll Never Taste by Charles K Cowdery.

Distilled in Spring 1974, this bourbon was bottled from a single 400 barrel batch commissioned by Adolph H. Hirsch and distilled under contract at Michter's distillery (then known as Pennco), just outside Schaefferstown, Pennsylvania. Hirsch was a former Schenley executive who had dealings with Michter's during his time there, and it is believed he commissioned the whiskey as financial favour to the distillery, and actually had little plans for its use. So, it lay ageing in the warehouses for much longer than generally expected for a bourbon at the time. 

When Michter’s distillery finally closed in 1989, Hirsch was well into his nineties, and rather than engage in exigency of rehoming what no longer served its purpose to him, he instead sought to find a buyer for it. Fearing the arduous task of finding a buyer for what was considered an “over-aged” batch of whiskey, Hirsch was fortunate in that one of his old Schenley contacts called Bob Gottesman knew a man in Kentucky who was looking for exactly that, Gordon Hue.

Responsibility for the early bottling was entrusted to Julian Van Winkle III at his Old Commonwealth site in Lawrenceburg. However, his creation of the Pappy Van Winkle brand and subsequent partnership with the Sazerac Company in 2002 also saw bottling of the Hirsch Reserve moved briefly to Buffalo Trace. This is one of the Buffalo Trace bottles, filled in 2003 for the new owners of the Hirsch Reserve, Preiss Imports, who purchased it from Gordon Hue that year.

Preiss Imports moved the subsequent and final bottling (technically re-bottling) to Kentucky Bourbon Distillers' Willett facility.

In his book Cowdery refers to the bourbon as one of the \"best whiskeys I've ever tasted.\"

Mash bill contains 75% corn, 13% rye, and 12% malted barley.

Russell's Reserve 2002 Barrel Proof Kentucky Straight Bourbon

The original batch of Russel's Reserve was bottled in 1998 in celebration of Wild Turkey Master Distiller, Jimmy Russell's 45th anniversary with the company, and it has since become a popular permanent brand of non-chill filtered bourbon from the distillery.

This was distilled in 2002 and bottled at barrel proof in 2018. It is one of 3640 bottles.

The Wild Turkey distillery, then known as Boulevard, was built in 1935 by the Ripy Brothers in Lawrenceburg, Kentucky. The Wild Turkey brand name originated around 1941 when some, shared on a hunting trip, was referred to as \"some of that wild turkey whiskey.\" It is distilled at bottled by the Austin Nicholls company and for many years they had sourced the whiskey from the Ripy's, but eventually bought the distillery from them in 1972, renaming it in the process. Of almost equal importance, the purchase of the distillery included the contract of legendary master distillery, Jimmy Russell, who started working there in 1954. His name is synonymous with the brand, and his son succeeded him 2015. In 2011 a new Wild Turkey distillery was built on the same site, replacing the original Ripy plant after 76 years.

Russell's Reserve 1998 Kentucky Straight Bourbon

An exceptional one time release, this Russell's Reserve was distilled in 1998 at Wild Turkey, matured until 2015. It is one of 2070 drawn from 23 barrels.

The original batch of Russel's Reserve was bottled in 1998 in celebration of Wild Turkey Master Distiller, Jimmy Russell's 45th anniversary with the company. The barrels for this release were warehoused that same year with the specific intention of releasing a second Russel's Reserve with the 1998 vintage to honour the achievement again.

The Wild Turkey distillery, then known as Boulevard, was built in 1935 by the Ripy Brothers in Lawrenceburg, Kentucky. The Wild Turkey brand name originated around 1941 when some, shared on a hunting trip, was referred to as \"some of that wild turkey whiskey.\" It is distilled at bottled by the Austin Nicholls company and for many years they had sourced the whiskey from the Ripy's, but eventually bought the distillery from them in 1972, renaming it in the process. Of almost equal importance, the purchase of the distillery included the contract of legendary master distillery, Jimmy Russell, who started working there in 1954. His name is synonymous with the brand, and his son succeeded him 2015. In 2011 a new Wild Turkey distillery was built on the same site, replacing the original Ripy plant after 76 years.

Four Roses Fine Blended Whiskey 1948

The origins of the Four Roses brand are historically hazy, with some speculating that it has been sold since the 1860s. The brand name itself was trademarked in 1888 by the Paul Jones company. At the onset of Prohibition, Paul Jones purchased the Frankfort Distillery, reorganising their company as part of it in order to use its medicinal license to continue to bottle Four Roses bourbon. The Four Roses distillery we know today was built in Lawrenceburg in 1910 by JTS Brown & Sons. Known back then as the Old Prentice, it is one of the Kentucky distilleries on the National Register of Historic Buildings for its distinctive Spanish mission style architecture. It was re-opened in 1933 after the repeal of Prohibition, Seagram purchased the Frankfort Distillery in 1943, and the Old Prentice distillery three years later, moving the production on the Four Roses brand there, renaming the plant after it in the process. When Seagram was wound up in the early 2000s, the distillery and its brands were bought by Japanese firm, Kirin, who continue to produce Four Roses to great acclaim.

This is an old 1940s bottling of a Four Roses blended whiskey. It was blended by Seagram using whiskey and spirit from their Louisville, KY and Dundalk, MD distilleries.

Amazingly, Seagram preferred to promote their own whiskies, such as 7 Crown, as the American consumer whiskey of choice, limiting Four Roses to blends like this domestically, reserving the straight bourbon only for export. It was not until Kirin Brewing Co procured it in the early 2000s that this was changed.

Four Roses Barrel Strength Small Batch / Al Young 50th Anniversary​

The origins of the Four Roses brand are historically hazy, with some speculating that it has been sold since the 1860s. The brand name itself was trademarked in 1888 by the Paul Jones company. At the onset of Prohibition, Paul Jones purchased the Frankfort Distillery, reorganising their company as part of it in order to use its medicinal license to continue to bottle Four Roses bourbon. The Four Roses distillery we know today was built in Lawrenceburg in 1910 by JTS Brown & Sons. Known back then as the Old Prentice, it is one of the Kentucky distilleries on the National Register of Historic Buildings for its distinctive Spanish mission style architecture. It was re-opened in 1933 after the repeal of Prohibition, Seagram purchased the Frankfort Distillery in 1943, and the Old Prentice distillery three years later, moving the production on the Four Roses brand there, renaming the plant after it in the process. When Seagram was wound up in the early 2000s, the distillery and its brands were bought by Japanese firm, Kirin, who continue to produce Four Roses to great acclaim.

This sought-after bottling is part of a 10,000 bottle small batch release to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the brand's senior ambassador, Al Young.

Rare Perfection 25 Year Old Bourbon / KBD

Rare Perfection is a boutique bourbon brand owned by InterBev, a subsidiary of Allied Lomar in California, who's other products include Very Olde St. Nick and Wattie Boone. Its president, Marci Palatella has been sourcing barrels and bottling them for several decades. She was Julian Van Winkle III's agent in the Japanese market in the 1980 and 1990s, and devised the Very Olde St Nick brand to capitalise on the Japanese demand for well-aged bourbon, which fortuitously was not popular in the US. Her first bottles were produced for her by Van Winkle at his Old Commonwealth bottling facility in the late 1980s.

At that time however, Van Winkle did not have a wealth of aged stock in his warehouses, and Palatella instead turned to Evan Kulsveen's Kentucky Bourbon Distillers (KBD), who bottled a number of sought after whiskies for her in the 1990s and early 2000s at the then-silent Willett distillery in Bardstown. KBD sourced most of their barrels from neighbours, Heaven Hill, although Kulsveen had joked in the past that their warehouses contained bourbon from every distillery in Kentucky except his own. 

When KBD fired up the stills at Willett again in 2012, they began sourcing less casks from elsewhere, reserving the best stock for their own Willett Family Reserve label. Essentially cut off, the production of InterBev brands moved to California where some of the tanked Stitzel-Weller casks were bottled by Frank-Lin Distillers for the Very Olde St Nick label. Rare Perfection however lay dormant until 2018 however, when Palatella opened the Preservation Distillery in Bardstown, Kentucky. A small craft-distillery operating a pot still, its produces only a few barrels each day. The bottling of Rare Perfection now takes place there, and will eventually contain the distillery's own whiskey.

This 25 year old is one of the original Rare Perfection release, bottled by KBD in the 2000s and exported to Japan.

Four Roses 17 Year Old Single Barrel #78-3E 'OBSV'

The origins of the Four Roses brand are historically hazy, with some speculating that it has been sold since the 1860s. The brand name itself was trademarked in 1888 by the Paul Jones company. At the onset of Prohibition, Paul Jones purchased the Frankfort Distillery, reorganising their company as part of it in order to use its medicinal license to continue to bottle Four Roses bourbon. The Four Roses distillery we know today was built in Lawrenceburg in 1910 by JTS Brown & Sons. Known back then as the Old Prentice, it is one of the Kentucky distilleries on the National Register of Historic Buildings for its distinctive Spanish mission style architecture. It was re-opened in 1933 after the repeal of Prohibition, Seagram purchased the Frankfort Distillery in 1943, and the Old Prentice distillery three years later, moving the production on the Four Roses brand there, renaming the plant after it in the process. When Seagram was wound up in the early 2000s, the distillery and its brands were bought by Japanese firm, Kirin, who continue to produce Four Roses to great acclaim.

A single barrel bottling from Four Roses, hand selected by Master Distiller, Jim Rutledge. Bottled in 2012 from barrel #78-3E, which was matured in warehouse QS for over 17 years.

The Four Roses recipe used for this barrel was OBSV, meaning 'Delicate fruity (pear, apricot), spicy, creamy.' OBSV is a 35% rye mashbill.

Rebel Yell 6 Year Old Kentucky Straight Bourbon Half Pint 1971 / Stitzel-Weller

The Rebel Yell brand was created for Stitzel-Weller distillery in the late 1940s by Charles R. Farnsely, a former mayor of Louisville, KY. The brand was first bottled around the distillery's 100th anniversary, with the intention of producing and distributing it in small batches, exclusively in the Southern states.

This is a 1971 bottling and will contains bourbon distilled by the Van Winkle family.

The Stitzel-Weller company was officially established in 1933 at the repeal of National Prohibition in the US. It was the result of a merger between the A. Ph. Stitzel distillery and its biggest customer, W.L. Weller & Sons. The Stitzel-Weller distillery opened on Kentucky Derby day in 1935, and quickly developed a reputation for its high quality wheated bourbon, and its main brands were Old Weller, Old Fitzgerald and Cabin Still. The original ownership was shared between Alex T. Farnsley, Arthur Philip Stitzel and Julian Van Winkle. The former passed-away in 1941 and 1947, respectively, leaving the Van Winkle family as the sole heirs to the business. 'Pappy' died in 1965, having handed the reigns to his son, Julian II the year prior, who ran it until 1972 when the board of directors forced him to sell it to the Norton-Simon subsidiary, Somerset Imports. When they were bought over by the American arm of Scottish distillers, DCL, its subsequent iteration invested heavily in bourbon. So much so in fact, that their newly rebuilt Bernheim distillery had such capacity that Stitzel-Weller was rendered surplus to requirements. It was shut down in 1992. Still part of the Diageo portfolio, it has never re-opened and instead now houses the visitor experience for their Bulleit brand.

Following the sale of Stitzel-Weller and subsequently many of its associated brands in 1972, Rebel Yell was eventually purchased by what is now Luxco in 1999, who continue to produce it today using sourced whiskey from Heaven Hill.

Rossville 1916 Bottled in Bond Whiskey / Prohibition Era Bottling

A fantastic example of a Prohibition era bottling of American whiskey. Although the Volstead Act of 1920 had banned all production, sale an consumption of alcohol in the US, a few select companies were able to acquire medicinal licenses that allowed them to continue bottling their warehoused stock. These medicinal bottlings could be prescribed by medical professionals, and bakers were also entitled to a weekly ration to cook with.

It is not clear which of the six companies who were granted a medicinal license went on to bottle this one in 1925. The whiskey was produced in 1916 at Rossville distillery in Lawrenceburg, Indiana. Although that distillery is no longer there, the site is important as it was procured by Seagram in 1933 who went on to build huge new facility on it, nowadays known as MGP after its current ownership. In 2018 the distillery paid homage to these roots by launching its Rossville Union brand of rye whiskey.

Four Roses Barrel Strength Small Batch 2013 / 125th Anniversary

The 2013 barrel strength, small batch release from Four Roses.

The origins of the Four Roses brand are historically hazy, with some speculating that it has been sold since the 1860s. The brand name itself was trademarked in 1888 by the Paul Jones company. At the onset of Prohibition, Paul Jones purchased the Frankfort Distillery, reorganising their company as part of it in order to use its medicinal license to continue to bottle Four Roses bourbon. The Four Roses distillery we know today was built in Lawrenceburg in 1910 by JTS Brown & Sons. Known back then as the Old Prentice, it is one of the Kentucky distilleries on the National Register of Historic Buildings for its distinctive Spanish mission style architecture. It was re-opened in 1933 after the repeal of Prohibition, Seagram purchased the Frankfort Distillery in 1943, and the Old Prentice distillery three years later, moving the production on the Four Roses brand there, renaming the plant after it in the process. When Seagram was wound up in the early 2000s, the distillery and its brands were bought by Japanese firm, Kirin, who continue to produce Four Roses to great acclaim.

One of 12,468 bottles released in the 75cl size. 

Four Roses Barrel Strength Small Batch 2013 70cl / 125th Anniversary

The 2013 barrel strength, small batch release from Four Roses.

The origins of the Four Roses brand are historically hazy, with some speculating that it has been sold since the 1860s. The brand name itself was trademarked in 1888 by the Paul Jones company. At the onset of Prohibition, Paul Jones purchased the Frankfort Distillery, reorganising their company as part of it in order to use its medicinal license to continue to bottle Four Roses bourbon. The Four Roses distillery we know today was built in Lawrenceburg in 1910 by JTS Brown & Sons. Known back then as the Old Prentice, it is one of the Kentucky distilleries on the National Register of Historic Buildings for its distinctive Spanish mission style architecture. It was re-opened in 1933 after the repeal of Prohibition, Seagram purchased the Frankfort Distillery in 1943, and the Old Prentice distillery three years later, moving the production on the Four Roses brand there, renaming the plant after it in the process. When Seagram was wound up in the early 2000s, the distillery and its brands were bought by Japanese firm, Kirin, who continue to produce Four Roses to great acclaim.

One of 12,468 bottles released in the 70cl size. 

Anderson Club 15 Year Old Kentucky Straight Bourbon 1996

An old bottle of Anderson Club bourbon from the 1990s, distilled and bottled in Bardstown, Kentucky.

Heaven Hill was established by a group of private investors in 1935, following the repeal of Prohibition a few years earlier. Among the founders was distiller, Joseph L. Beam, and a member of the Shapira family. As the company grew, the Shapira's eventually acquired sole ownership of it, and their descendants still run it today. In a similar dynastic vein, Joe Beam remained master distiller despite the Shapira takeover, and members of his family have occupied the role ever since. This was produced at the Old Heavenhill Springs distillery, later renamed simply as Heaven Hill, which was located in Bardstown, Kentucky. It was sadly lost in a devastating fire in 1996, and bourbon made there has become increasingly sought after as the years pass. The company had no distillery for the next three years, but were permitted to rent stills at Jim Beam and Brown-Forman in order to maintain production. They eventually acquired the newly refurbished Bernheim distillery from Diageo in 1999, which has been their home ever since.

Anderson Club is a charcoal filtered whiskey, a practice known as the Lincoln County Process and often better associated with Tennessee Whiskies such as Jack Daniel's. This often leads to a common misconception, likely deliberately promoted by some distillers, that whiskey produced in this fashion cannot be called bourbon. 

Anderson Club 15 Year Old Kentucky Straight Bourbon 1996

An old bottle of Anderson Club bourbon from the 1990s, distilled and bottled in Bardstown by Heaven Hill.

Heaven Hill was established by a group of private investors in 1935, following the repeal of Prohibition a few years earlier. Among the founders was distiller, Joseph L. Beam, and a member of the Shapira family. As the company grew, the Shapira's eventually acquired sole ownership of it, and their descendants still run it today. In a similar dynastic vein, Joe Beam remained master distiller despite the Shapira takeover, and members of his family have occupied the role ever since. This was produced at the Old Heavenhill Springs distillery, later renamed simply as Heaven Hill, which was located in Bardstown, Kentucky. It was sadly lost in a devastating fire in 1996, and bourbon made there has become increasingly sought after as the years pass. The company had no distillery for the next three years, but were permitted to rent stills at Jim Beam and Brown-Forman in order to maintain production. They eventually acquired the newly refurbished Bernheim distillery from Diageo in 1999, which has been their home ever since.

Anderson Club is a charcoal filtered whiskey, a practice known as the Lincoln County Process and often better associated with Tennessee Whiskies such as Jack Daniel's. This often leads to a common misconception, likely deliberately promoted by some distillers, that whiskey produced in this fashion cannot be called bourbon. 

Four Roses Blended Whiskey Half Gallon 1966

The origins of the Four Roses brand are historically hazy, with some speculating that it has been sold since the 1860s. The brand name itself was trademarked in 1888 by the Paul Jones company. At the onset of Prohibition, Paul Jones purchased the Frankfort Distillery, reorganising their company as part of it in order to use its medicinal license to continue to bottle Four Roses bourbon. The Four Roses distillery we know today was built in Lawrenceburg in 1910 by JTS Brown & Sons. Known back then as the Old Prentice, it is one of the Kentucky distilleries on the National Register of Historic Buildings for its distinctive Spanish mission style architecture. It was reopened in 1933 after the repeal of Prohibition, Seagram purchased the Frankfort Distillery in 1943, and the Old Prentice distillery three years later, moving the production on the Four Roses brand there, renaming the plant after it in the process. When Seagram was wound up in the early 2000s, the distillery and its brands were bought by Japanese firm, Kirin, who continue to produce Four Roses to great acclaim.

This is an old 1966 bottling from the Seagram era..

At this point the Four Roses straight bourbon was unavailable in the US market and was produced exclusively for export, primarily the Japanese and European markets. Instead, Seagram bottled this blended whiskey for its American consumers, preferring to promote their Seven Crown as the whiskey of choice in America. This Four Roses blend was produced and bottled at a combination of their Dundalk distillery in Maryland (closed since the early 1990s), and their famous Indiana distillery, nowadays known as MGP.

Rebel Yell Kentucky Straight Bourbon 1990 / Stitzel-Weller

The Rebel Yell brand was created for Stitzel-Weller distillery in the late 1940s by Charles R. Farnsely, a former mayor of Louisville, KY. The brand was first bottled around the distillery's 100th anniversary, with the intention of producing and distributing it in small batches, exclusively in the Southern states.

Following the sale of Stitzel-Weller by the Van Winkle family 1972, it eventually came into the hands of United Distillers (now Diageo) who opted to make the brand available more widely. This bottle dates from that period, and was produced in the very early 1990s. The decision not to remove the Confederate flag from the packaging saw the brand struggle to sell in export markets however, and when United Distillers closed Stitzel-Weller in 1992, the decision was made to discontinue the brand. It was then sold to the David Sherman company (now known as Luxco), who did not make the same mistake. They continue to produce it today using bourbon sourced from Heaven Hill.

Four Roses Barrel Strength Small Batch 2015 70cl

The 2015 limited edition release of the barrel proof, small batch from Four Roses, bottled at a high strength of 54.3%.

The origins of the Four Roses brand are historically hazy, with some speculating that it has been sold since the 1860s. The brand name itself was trademarked in 1888 by the Paul Jones company. At the onset of Prohibition, Paul Jones purchased the Frankfort Distillery, reorganising their company as part of it in order to use its medicinal license to continue to bottle Four Roses bourbon. The Four Roses distillery we know today was built in Lawrenceburg in 1910 by JTS Brown & Sons. Known back then as the Old Prentice, it is one of the Kentucky distilleries on the National Register of Historic Buildings for its distinctive Spanish mission style architecture. It was re-opened in 1933 after the repeal of Prohibition, Seagram purchased the Frankfort Distillery in 1943, and the Old Prentice distillery three years later, moving the production on the Four Roses brand there, renaming the plant after it in the process. When Seagram was wound up in the early 2000s, the distillery and its brands were bought by Japanese firm, Kirin, who continue to produce Four Roses to great acclaim.

This edition was produced by dumping a blend of whiskies aged 11-16 years old, distilled using the OBSK, OESK and OBSV recipes.

One of 12,672 bottles in the 70cl size.

Four Roses Barrel Strength Small Batch 2015 

The 2015 limited edition release of the barrel proof, small batch from Four Roses, bottled at a high strength of 54.3%.

The origins of the Four Roses brand are historically hazy, with some speculating that it has been sold since the 1860s. The brand name itself was trademarked in 1888 by the Paul Jones company. At the onset of Prohibition, Paul Jones purchased the Frankfort Distillery, reorganising their company as part of it in order to use its medicinal license to continue to bottle Four Roses bourbon. The Four Roses distillery we know today was built in Lawrenceburg in 1910 by JTS Brown & Sons. Known back then as the Old Prentice, it is one of the Kentucky distilleries on the National Register of Historic Buildings for its distinctive Spanish mission style architecture. It was re-opened in 1933 after the repeal of Prohibition, Seagram purchased the Frankfort Distillery in 1943, and the Old Prentice distillery three years later, moving the production on the Four Roses brand there, renaming the plant after it in the process. When Seagram was wound up in the early 2000s, the distillery and its brands were bought by Japanese firm, Kirin, who continue to produce Four Roses to great acclaim.

This edition was produced by dumping a blend of whiskies aged 11-16 years old, distilled using the OBSK, OESK and OBSV recipes.

One of 12,672 bottles in the 75cl size.

Four Roses Barrel Strength Small Batch 2018 / 130th Anniversary

The origins of the Four Roses brand are historically hazy, with some speculating that it has been sold since the 1860s. The brand name itself was trademarked in 1888 by the Paul Jones company. At the onset of Prohibition, Paul Jones purchased the Frankfort Distillery, reorganising their company as part of it in order to use its medicinal license to continue to bottle Four Roses bourbon. The Four Roses distillery we know today was built in Lawrenceburg in 1910 by JTS Brown & Sons. Known back then as the Old Prentice, it is one of the Kentucky distilleries on the National Register of Historic Buildings for its distinctive Spanish mission style architecture. It was re-opened in 1933 after the repeal of Prohibition, Seagram purchased the Frankfort Distillery in 1943, and the Old Prentice distillery three years later, moving the production on the Four Roses brand there, renaming the plant after it in the process. When Seagram was wound up in the early 2000s, the distillery and its brands were bought by Japanese firm, Kirin, who continue to produce Four Roses to great acclaim.

The 2018 limited edition barrel strength, small batch release from Four Roses and celebrates the 130th anniversary of the Four Roses trademark.

One of 13,140 bottles filled in the 75cl size.

Four Roses Barrel Strength Small Batch 2018 / 130th Anniversary

The origins of the Four Roses brand are historically hazy, with some speculating that it has been sold since the 1860s. The brand name itself was trademarked in 1888 by the Paul Jones company. At the onset of Prohibition, Paul Jones purchased the Frankfort Distillery, reorganising their company as part of it in order to use its medicinal license to continue to bottle Four Roses bourbon. The Four Roses distillery we know today was built in Lawrenceburg in 1910 by JTS Brown & Sons. Known back then as the Old Prentice, it is one of the Kentucky distilleries on the National Register of Historic Buildings for its distinctive Spanish mission style architecture. It was re-opened in 1933 after the repeal of Prohibition, Seagram purchased the Frankfort Distillery in 1943, and the Old Prentice distillery three years later, moving the production on the Four Roses brand there, renaming the plant after it in the process. When Seagram was wound up in the early 2000s, the distillery and its brands were bought by Japanese firm, Kirin, who continue to produce Four Roses to great acclaim.

The 2018 limited edition barrel strength, small batch release from Four Roses and celebrates the 130th anniversary of the Four Roses trademark.

One of 13,140 bottles filled in the 75cl size.

Rock Hill Farms Single Barrel Kentucky Bourbon 2015

Rock Hill Farms is a bourbon brand from the portfolio of Age International, the company formed by former Fleischmann's Distilling director's, Bob Baranaskas and Ferdie Falke. They had approached Schenley in the early 1980s with a view to purchasing its Old Charter brand, but were instead offered Ancient Age and the George T. Stagg distillery where it was produced. The deal was completed in 1983, two years before the retirement of George T. Stagg master distiller, Elmer T. Lee, who had served there for 36 years, working his way from the bottom up. One of his final pioneering triumphs before doing so was the introduction of mass produced single barrel bourbon through the creation of the Blanton's brand in 1984. In a fitting tribute, the following year saw the distillery launch the Elmer T. Lee single barrel in his honour and Rock Hill Farms, named after a stretch of farmland in Kentucky was introduced in 1990.

The popularity of these products was particularly high in Japan, coinciding with a market boom for American whiskey there in the 1980s. In 1991, with Age International in some financial trouble, a Japanese company called Takaro Shuzo stepped in and acquired a 22.5% stake in the company. In an unusual series of events, they then scuppered a deal the following year that was to see the remaining shares sold to Heublein (a subsidiary of Grand Metropolitan). Their deal the year before had included a 30 day right of refusal to purchase the shares for themselves should they be put up for sale. With the deal all but done, the Japanese company stepped in on the final day of the window to acquire full control of the company. As it turned out, their only interest was in the brands, and they had used the 30 days to negotiate a deal with the Sazerac Company of  New Orleans. This saw the American company take ownership of the distillery (which they renamed Buffalo Trace in 1999), as well as the exclusive production and US distribution rights for the Age International labels. This is an arrangement that is still in place today.

Four Roses Barrel Strength Small Batch 2018 / 130th Anniversary

The origins of the Four Roses brand are historically hazy, with some speculating that it has been sold since the 1860s. The brand name itself was trademarked in 1888 by the Paul Jones company. At the onset of Prohibition, Paul Jones purchased the Frankfort Distillery, reorganising their company as part of it in order to use its medicinal license to continue to bottle Four Roses bourbon. The Four Roses distillery we know today was built in Lawrenceburg in 1910 by JTS Brown & Sons. Known back then as the Old Prentice, it is one of the Kentucky distilleries on the National Register of Historic Buildings for its distinctive Spanish mission style architecture. It was re-opened in 1933 after the repeal of Prohibition, Seagram purchased the Frankfort Distillery in 1943, and the Old Prentice distillery three years later, moving the production on the Four Roses brand there, renaming the plant after it in the process. When Seagram was wound up in the early 2000s, the distillery and its brands were bought by Japanese firm, Kirin, who continue to produce Four Roses to great acclaim.

The 2018 limited edition barrel strength, small batch release from Four Roses and celebrates the 130th anniversary of the Four Roses trademark.

One of 13,140 bottles filled in the 75cl size.

Russell's Reserve 10 Year Old Kentucky Straight Bourbon 90 Proof 2005

A small batch expression from Wild Turkey, this 10 year old was bottled under the Russell's Reserve brand, named after their Master Distillers, Jimmy Russell and his son, Eddie.

This 90 proof version of the 10 year old was launched in 2005 and this is one of the first bottles.

The Wild Turkey distillery, then known as Boulevard, was built in 1935 by the Ripy Brothers in Lawrenceburg, Kentucky. The Wild Turkey brand name originated around 1941 when some, shared on a hunting trip, was referred to as \"some of that wild turkey whiskey.\" It is distilled at bottled by the Austin Nicholls company and for many years they had sourced the whiskey from the Ripy's, but eventually bought the distillery from them in 1972, renaming it in the process. Of almost equal importance, the purchase of the distillery included the contract of legendary master distillery, Jimmy Russell, who started working there in 1954. His name is synonymous with the brand, and his son succeeded him 2015. In 2011 a new Wild Turkey distillery was built on the same site, replacing the original Ripy plant after 76 years.