A Century of American Whiskey

Twisted Spoke 16 Year Old 105 Proof 1999 / Stitzel-Weller

When the Van Winkle family were forced to sell their Stitzel-Weller distillery by its board of directors, new owners, Somerset Imports, granted Julian Van Winkle II (son of the famous 'Pappy') the continued use of an office at the distillery, and first option on purchasing casks to bottle his new brand with. When he died and the business passed to his son, Julian III, this courtesy was no longer extended, and he moved bottling to the old Hoffman distillery in Lawrenceburg in 1983, renaming it Old Commonwealth. He was still able to buy Stitzel-Weller stock though, and introduced the famous Pappy Van Winkle range in homage to his grandfather, using well-aged barrels from the distillery the now-legendary figure once so lovingly ran.

This rare 1999 bottling was produced by Van Winkle for the Twisted Spoke bar in Chicago, IL. It contains a 16 year old Stitzel-Weller bourbon (although the distillery was renamed Old Fitzgerald by this point), bottled at 105 proof. Although more commonly known for the Old Rip Van Winkle brand, Julian III did bottle a number of other indepedent labels like this at Old Commonwealth. This was one of the last, as his partnership with the Sazerac company to bottle Pappy Van Winkle in 2002 saw his independent contracts come to an end.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Gallant Knight 1917 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.

One of these companies was the Frankfort distillery. Built in 1902, the distillery was one of six companies to be granted a medicinal license in 1920, along with Brown-Forman, Schenley, the A. Ph. Stitzel distillery, the American Medicinal Spirits Company, and James Thompson & Brother. Like the others, Frankfort Distillery secured its stocks for the next decade by buying up the stocks from many of those who did not. In 1922, they company was bought by Paul Jones & Co, which subsumed itself into the newly named Frankfort Distilleries in order to use its license to continue production of its now legendary Four Roses brand. The distillery did not re-open after Prohibition, and with stock stretched thin due to its expanded portfolio by the end of 1920s, they contracted A. Ph. Stitzel to supply them with more from their ageing stock. This partnership saw Frankfort Distilleries eventually acquire the Stitzel plant in 1933, with its former owners opening the legendary Stitzel-Weller in Louisville two years later. In 1943 the Frankfort Distilleries company was acquired by Canadian giants, Seagram, who ran it a a subsidiary until dissolving it in the 1960s.

This whiskey was distilled in Indiana at the Greendale distillery. Warehouse transactions date the distillery to around the late 19th century, and like most it did not re-open again after closing in 1920. The whiskey was bottled in 1933.

Grommes and Ullrich 1942 Black Label Kentucky Straight Bourbon

Grommes and Ullrich was a grocer's business founded  in Chicago by Hubert Grommes and Michael Ullrich in the late 19th century. As was the common pre-Prohibition, the store had agreements with various distillers to produce and bottle house labels for it, one of which was this Black Label brand. When Prohibition ended, labels like this were mostly owned by larger corporations as these were the only companies with enough seed capital to get the whiskey trade back on its feet, with the majority of brands owned by just four producers.

This example contains pre-war (by the American timeline) whiskey, distilled in 1942. Bottled in the 1960s, the Grommes & Ullrich name was the property of another Chicago company called Marquette Distributors.

George T Stagg 2016 Release

A historic distillery, Buffalo Trace was built in 1812 Harrison Blanton. It was then purchased by the legendary Edmund Haynes Taylor Jr in 1870, who named it OFC (Old Fashioned Copper) and invested heavily in its modernisation. So much so in fact that he declared himself bankrupt after just seven years, and George T. Stagg stepped in to rescue it, becoming its owner in 1878. He ran the distillery until his retirement in the 1890s, and it was renamed in his honour in 1904. Having survived Prohibition, it was bought up by the Schenley company in 1933, who ran it as part of their extensive portfolio for the next fifty years, eventually selling it to Age International. The latter's new Japanese ownership in 1992 had no interest in it (only in its brands), and immediately sold it to the Sazerac company, who renamed it Buffalo Trace in 1999.

Because Sazerac did not own the the existing distillery portfolio, they necessarily had to begin adding new brands to their range. Besides their eponymous flagship bourbon, perhaps the most important of these was this, the George T. Stagg. Although not part of the original Antique Collection , it was added in 2002 and is now the flag bearer for the range. The Antique Collection celebrates the heritage of the the Sazerac Company and the Buffalo Trace distillery, so it is only fitting that one of its products pay tribute to both the man who saved the distillery in the late 19th century, but also recognises Buffalo Trace's identity for all but five years of the previous century.

The 2016 edition is a 15 year old bourbon.

Geo A Dickel's Cascade Blended Whiskey Quart 1940

This blended American whiskey was produced by the Schenley company in 1940.

Schenley was organised in 1920 by Louis Rosenstiel as the Cincinnati Distributing Corp. It was one of just six companies granted a license by the US government to bottle medicinal whiskey, alongside Brown-Forman, Frankfort Distilleries, the A. Ph. Stitzel distillery, the American Medicinal Spirits Company, and James Thompson & Brother. In the same year, Rosenstiel acquired the Joseph S. Finch distillery in Pennsylvania, its stock and its Golden Wedding brand, which would go onto become one of the flagship labels of Schenley in the 20th century. In 1922, Rosenstiel met Winston Churchill while holidaying in France, and the future British Prime Minister advised him to begin preparing for the eventuality that the unpopular Prohibition act would be repealed. Rosenstiel then spent the next decade accruing assets in the whiskey industry and by the time his foresight finally paid off in 1933, Schenley were the owners of numerous distilleries including George T. Stagg, James E. Pepper, and the Squibb distillery in Indiana. They added the famous Bernheim distillery to the portfolio in 1937, and the year prior made their first play in the Scotch market by becoming the US distributor for John Dewar & Sons. Rosenstiel's spirits empire dominated much of the market share of American whiskey for the next forty years through brands like I.W. Harper and Cream of Kentucky, before he sold his controlling stake to the Glen Alden company in 1968. He passed away eight years later, and in 1987, Schenley was bought over by United Distillers, newly formed through a merger of the Distillers Company Ltd (DCL) and Arthur Bell & Sons after both were acquired by Guinness that year.

Schenley had acquired the George Dickel brand at the close of Prohibition, marketing this blend produced using straight whiskey and grain neutral spirit from their Squibb distillery in Indiana. This all changed in 1964 however, when they opened the Cascade Hollow distillery in Tennessee, which has been the home of the George Dickel brand ever since, now owned and operated by Diageo.

Taylor Springs 1935 Bottled in Bond 5 Year Old Bourbon

This Kentucky straight bourbon was distilled and bottled by the Glencoe Distilling Co. The Glencoe distillery was established in the late 19th century by Jacob Stitzel and was run by his two sons, Frederick and Philip. The distillery was promptly acquired by Hollenbach Bros, and whiskey blender and wholesaler who kept the Stitzel brothers on to manage the operation. One company with regular dealings with the Stitzel's was W.L. Weller & Sons, who bought up the Hollenbach Brands when its owners divested from the company in the early 1900s. These included Fortuna, Pride of the West and Glencoe. 

When Prohibition was enacted in 1920, the distillery was dismantled. W.L. Weller & Sons eventually sold the sight and brands to National Distillers, who were the new face of the once-infamous Whiskey Trust, a pre-Prohibition consortium who rose to infamy in their attempts to centralise Kentucky distilling through strong-arming distillers into selling them their businesses. The Trust was revived as the legitimate National Distillers during Prohibition, buying into and eventually subsuming the considerable assets of the American Medicinal Whiskey Co.

Glencoe distillery was rebuilt in the 1930s and operated for many years during the mid-20th century. This Bottled in Bond bourbon was distilled in 1935 and bottled in 1940.

Greenbrier 1913 Bottled in Bond Whiskey Pint / Prohibition Era Bottling

A medicinal bottling of American whiskey. Medicinal whiskey was a legal loophole exploited by a select number of distillers who were able to acquire a license to do so, and allowed them to continue bottling their bonded stock as a prescription medication.

This was distilled in 1913 and bottled in 1924, four years after the Prohibition Act was enforced. The whiskey is from the Greenbrier distillery, which was built in 1883 by a certain Old Grand-dad, R.B. Hayden, after whom Jim Beam's Basil Hayden's bourbon is also named. The distillery was purchased by the Schenley company during Prohibition, one of their many acquisitions as they looked for full warehouses to bottle whiskey from using their medicinal license. The original distillery was closed, however the company, one of the largest post-Prohibition producers built a new one which operated briefly. 

Schenley was organised in 1920 by Louis Rosenstiel as the Cincinnati Distributing Corp. It was one of just six companies granted a license by the US government to bottle medicinal whiskey, alongside Brown-Forman, Frankfort Distilleries, the A. Ph. Stitzel distillery, the American Medicinal Spirits Company, and James Thompson & Brother. In the same year, Rosenstiel acquired the Joseph S. Finch distillery in Pennsylvania, its stock and its Golden Wedding brand, which would go onto become one of the flagship labels of Schenley in the 20th century. In 1922, Rosenstiel met Winston Churchill while holidaying in France, and the future British Prime Minister advised him to begin preparing for the eventuality that the unpopular Prohibition act would be repealed. Rosenstiel then spent the next decade accruing assets in the whiskey industry and by the time his foresight finally paid off in 1933, Schenley were the owners of numerous distilleries including George T. Stagg, James E. Pepper, and the Squibb distillery in Indiana. They added the famous Bernheim distillery to the portfolio in 1937, and the year prior made their first play in the Scotch market by becoming the US distributor for John Dewar & Sons. Rosenstiel's spirits empire dominated much of the market share of American whiskey for the next forty years through brands like I.W. Harper and Cream of Kentucky, before he sold his controlling stake to the Glen Alden company in 1968. He passed away eight years later, and in 1987, Schenley was bought over by United Distillers, newly formed through a merger of the Distillers Company Ltd (DCL) and Arthur Bell & Sons after both were acquired by Guinness that year.

This brand is not to be confused with the similarly named Green Brier distillery in Tennessee, which was recently revived.

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.

Greenbrier 1913 Bottled in Bond Whiskey Pint / Prohibition Era Bottling

A medicinal bottling of American whiskey. Medicinal whiskey was a legal loophole exploited by a select number of distillers who were able to acquire a license to do so, and allowed them to continue bottling their bonded stock as a prescription medication.

This was distilled in 1913 and bottled in 1924, four years after the Prohibition Act was enforced. The whiskey is from the Greenbrier distillery, which was built in 1883 by a certain Old Grand-dad, R.B. Hayden, after whom Jim Beam's Basil Hayden's bourbon is also named. The distillery was purchased by the Schenley company during Prohibition, one of their many acquisitions as they looked for full warehouses to bottle whiskey from using their medicinal license. The original distillery was closed, however the company, one of the largest post-Prohibition producers built a new one which operated briefly. 

Schenley was organised in 1920 by Louis Rosenstiel as the Cincinnati Distributing Corp. It was one of just six companies granted a license by the US government to bottle medicinal whiskey, alongside Brown-Forman, Frankfort Distilleries, the A. Ph. Stitzel distillery, the American Medicinal Spirits Company, and James Thompson & Brother. In the same year, Rosenstiel acquired the Joseph S. Finch distillery in Pennsylvania, its stock and its Golden Wedding brand, which would go onto become one of the flagship labels of Schenley in the 20th century. In 1922, Rosenstiel met Winston Churchill while holidaying in France, and the future British Prime Minister advised him to begin preparing for the eventuality that the unpopular Prohibition act would be repealed. Rosenstiel then spent the next decade accruing assets in the whiskey industry and by the time his foresight finally paid off in 1933, Schenley were the owners of numerous distilleries including George T. Stagg, James E. Pepper, and the Squibb distillery in Indiana. They added the famous Bernheim distillery to the portfolio in 1937, and the year prior made their first play in the Scotch market by becoming the US distributor for John Dewar & Sons. Rosenstiel's spirits empire dominated much of the market share of American whiskey for the next forty years through brands like I.W. Harper and Cream of Kentucky, before he sold his controlling stake to the Glen Alden company in 1968. He passed away eight years later, and in 1987, Schenley was bought over by United Distillers, newly formed through a merger of the Distillers Company Ltd (DCL) and Arthur Bell & Sons after both were acquired by Guinness that year.

This brand is not to be confused with the similarly named Green Brier distillery in Tennessee, which was recently revived.

Greenbrier 1913 Bottled in Bond Whiskey Pint / Prohibition Era Bottling

A medicinal bottling of American whiskey. Medicinal whiskey was a legal loophole exploited by a select number of distillers who were able to acquire a license to do so, and allowed them to continue bottling their bonded stock as a prescription medication.

This was distilled in 1913 and bottled in 1924, four years after the Prohibition Act was enforced. The whiskey is from the Greenbrier distillery, which was built in 1883 by a certain Old Grand-dad, R.B. Hayden, after whom Jim Beam's Basil Hayden's bourbon is also named. The distillery was purchased by the Schenley company during Prohibition, one of their many acquisitions as they looked for full warehouses to bottle whiskey from using their medicinal license. The original distillery was closed, however the company, one of the largest post-Prohibition producers built a new one which operated briefly. 

Schenley was organised in 1920 by Louis Rosenstiel as the Cincinnati Distributing Corp. It was one of just six companies granted a license by the US government to bottle medicinal whiskey, alongside Brown-Forman, Frankfort Distilleries, the A. Ph. Stitzel distillery, the American Medicinal Spirits Company, and James Thompson & Brother. In the same year, Rosenstiel acquired the Joseph S. Finch distillery in Pennsylvania, its stock and its Golden Wedding brand, which would go onto become one of the flagship labels of Schenley in the 20th century. In 1922, Rosenstiel met Winston Churchill while holidaying in France, and the future British Prime Minister advised him to begin preparing for the eventuality that the unpopular Prohibition act would be repealed. Rosenstiel then spent the next decade accruing assets in the whiskey industry and by the time his foresight finally paid off in 1933, Schenley were the owners of numerous distilleries including George T. Stagg, James E. Pepper, and the Squibb distillery in Indiana. They added the famous Bernheim distillery to the portfolio in 1937, and the year prior made their first play in the Scotch market by becoming the US distributor for John Dewar & Sons. Rosenstiel's spirits empire dominated much of the market share of American whiskey for the next forty years through brands like I.W. Harper and Cream of Kentucky, before he sold his controlling stake to the Glen Alden company in 1968. He passed away eight years later, and in 1987, Schenley was bought over by United Distillers, newly formed through a merger of the Distillers Company Ltd (DCL) and Arthur Bell & Sons after both were acquired by Guinness that year.

This brand is not to be confused with the similarly named Green Brier distillery in Tennessee, which was recently revived.

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.

George T Stagg 2018 Release

A historic distillery, Buffalo Trace was built in 1812 Harrison Blanton. It was then purchased by the legendary Edmund Haynes Taylor Jr in 1870, who named it OFC (Old Fashioned Copper) and invested heavily in its modernisation. So much so in fact that he declared himself bankrupt after just seven years, and George T. Stagg stepped in to rescue it, becoming its owner in 1878. He ran the distillery until his retirement in the 1890s, and it was renamed in his honour in 1904. Having survived Prohibition, it was bought up by the Schenley company in 1933, who ran it as part of their extensive portfolio for the next fifty years, eventually selling it to Age International. The latter's new Japanese ownership in 1992 had no interest in it (only in its brands), and immediately sold it to the Sazerac company, who renamed it Buffalo Trace in 1999.

Because Sazerac did not own the the existing distillery portfolio, they necessarily had to begin adding new brands to their range. Besides their eponymous flagship bourbon, perhaps the most important of these was this, the George T. Stagg. Although not part of the original Antique Collection , it was added in 2002 and is now the flag bearer for the range. The Antique Collection celebrates the heritage of the the Sazerac Company and the Buffalo Trace distillery, so it is only fitting that one of its products pay tribute to both the man who saved the distillery in the late 19th century, but also recognises Buffalo Trace's identity for all but five years of the previous century.

The 2018 edition is a 15 year old bourbon, distilled in the spring of 2003.

George T Stagg 2020 Release

A historic distillery, Buffalo Trace was built in 1812 Harrison Blanton. It was then purchased by the legendary Edmund Haynes Taylor Jr in 1870, who named it OFC (Old Fashioned Copper) and invested heavily in its modernisation. So much so in fact that he declared himself bankrupt after just seven years, and George T. Stagg stepped in to rescue it, becoming its owner in 1878. He ran the distillery until his retirement in the 1890s, and it was renamed in his honour in 1904. Having survived Prohibition, it was bought up by the Schenley company in 1933, who ran it as part of their extensive portfolio for the next fifty years, eventually selling it to Age International. The latter's new Japanese ownership in 1992 had no interest in it (only in its brands), and immediately sold it to the Sazerac company, who renamed it Buffalo Trace in 1999.

Because Sazerac did not own the the existing distillery portfolio, they necessarily had to begin adding new brands to their range. Besides their eponymous flagship bourbon, perhaps the most important of these was this, the George T. Stagg. Although not part of the original Antique Collection , it was added in 2002 and is now the flag bearer for the range. The Antique Collection celebrates the heritage of the the Sazerac Company and the Buffalo Trace distillery, so it is only fitting that one of its products pay tribute to both the man who saved the distillery in the late 19th century, but also recognises Buffalo Trace's identity for all but five years of the previous century.

The 2020 edition is a 15 year old bourbon, distilled in the spring of 2005.

George T Stagg 2017 Release

A historic distillery, Buffalo Trace was built in 1812 Harrison Blanton. It was then purchased by the legendary Edmund Haynes Taylor Jr in 1870, who named it OFC (Old Fashioned Copper) and invested heavily in its modernisation. So much so in fact that he declared himself bankrupt after just seven years, and George T. Stagg stepped in to rescue it, becoming its owner in 1878. He ran the distillery until his retirement in the 1890s, and it was renamed in his honour in 1904. Having survived Prohibition, it was bought up by the Schenley company in 1933, who ran it as part of their extensive portfolio for the next fifty years, eventually selling it to Age International. The latter's new Japanese ownership in 1992 had no interest in it (only in its brands), and immediately sold it to the Sazerac company, who renamed it Buffalo Trace in 1999.

Because Sazerac did not own the the existing distillery portfolio, they necessarily had to begin adding new brands to their range. Besides their eponymous flagship bourbon, perhaps the most important of these was this, the George T. Stagg. Although not part of the original Antique Collection , it was added in 2002 and is now the flag bearer for the range. The Antique Collection celebrates the heritage of the the Sazerac Company and the Buffalo Trace distillery, so it is only fitting that one of its products pay tribute to both the man who saved the distillery in the late 19th century, but also recognises Buffalo Trace's identity for all but five years of the previous century.

The 2017 edition is a 15 year old bourbon.

Whisky Advocate rated this 94 points!

George T Stagg 2017 Release

A historic distillery, Buffalo Trace was built in 1812 Harrison Blanton. It was then purchased by the legendary Edmund Haynes Taylor Jr in 1870, who named it OFC (Old Fashioned Copper) and invested heavily in its modernisation. So much so in fact that he declared himself bankrupt after just seven years, and George T. Stagg stepped in to rescue it, becoming its owner in 1878. He ran the distillery until his retirement in the 1890s, and it was renamed in his honour in 1904. Having survived Prohibition, it was bought up by the Schenley company in 1933, who ran it as part of their extensive portfolio for the next fifty years, eventually selling it to Age International. The latter's new Japanese ownership in 1992 had no interest in it (only in its brands), and immediately sold it to the Sazerac company, who renamed it Buffalo Trace in 1999.

Because Sazerac did not own the the existing distillery portfolio, they necessarily had to begin adding new brands to their range. Besides their eponymous flagship bourbon, perhaps the most important of these was this, the George T. Stagg. Although not part of the original Antique Collection , it was added in 2002 and is now the flag bearer for the range. The Antique Collection celebrates the heritage of the the Sazerac Company and the Buffalo Trace distillery, so it is only fitting that one of its products pay tribute to both the man who saved the distillery in the late 19th century, but also recognises Buffalo Trace's identity for all but five years of the previous century.

The 2017 edition is a 15 year old bourbon.

Whisky Advocate rated this 94 points!

Thomas H Handy Sazerac Rye 2020 Release

Thomas H. Handy is a rye whiskey named after the bartender and former owner of the Sazerac Coffee House. He acquired it in 1869, having previously run Taylor Sewell’s importing business, which had exclusive distribution of Sazerac-de-Forge et Fils brandy in the US. When the Phylloxera epidemic gripped mainland Europe in 1870, the brandy supplies in France dried up and Handy turned to rye whiskey as the alternative base for the classic Sazerac cocktail. He died in 1893, leaving the company in the hand of C.J. O’Reilly who promptly marketed the first Sazerac branded rye.

When the Sazerac Company acquired what is now called Buafflo Trace distillery in 1992, one of their long-term intentions was to see the eponymous rye brand return. They began distilling it for the first time in 1998, and the modern version of the Sazerac Rye was introduced in 2006.

The first Thomas H. Handy rye was bottled in 2006 as part of the Buffalo Trace Antique Collection, a selection of whiskies collated and in some cases created to pay homage to the history of the company and its brands.

A historic distillery, Buffalo Trace was built in 1812 Harrison Blanton. It was then purchased by the legendary Edmund Haynes Taylor Jr in 1870, who named it OFC (Old Fashioned Copper) and invested heavily in its modernisation. So much so in fact that he declared himself bankrupt after just seven years, and George T. Stagg stepped in to rescue it, becoming its owner in 1878. He ran the distillery until his retirement in the 1890s, and it was renamed in his honour in 1904. Having survived Prohibition, it was bought up by the Schenley company in 1933, who ran it as part of their extensive portfolio for the next fifty years, eventually selling it to Age International. The latter's new Japanese ownership in 1992 had no interest in it (only in its brands), and immediately sold it to the Sazerac company, who renamed it Buffalo Trace in 1999.

Thomas H Handy Sazerac Rye 2018 Release

Thomas H. Handy is a rye whiskey named after the bartender and former owner of the Sazerac Coffee House. He acquired it in 1869, having previously run Taylor Sewell’s importing business, which had exclusive distribution of Sazerac-de-Forge et Fils brandy in the US. When the Phylloxera epidemic gripped mainland Europe in 1870, the brandy supplies in France dried up and Handy turned to rye whiskey as the alternative base for the classic Sazerac cocktail. He died in 1893, leaving the company in the hand of C.J. O’Reilly who promptly marketed the first Sazerac branded rye.

When the Sazerac Company acquired what is now called Buafflo Trace distillery in 1992, one of their long-term intentions was to see the eponymous rye brand return. They began distilling it for the first time in 1998, and the modern version of the Sazerac Rye was introduced in 2006.

The first Thomas H. Handy rye was bottled in 2006 as part of the Buffalo Trace Antique Collection, a selection of whiskies collated and in some cases created to pay homage to the history of the company and its brands.

A historic distillery, Buffalo Trace was built in 1812 Harrison Blanton. It was then purchased by the legendary Edmund Haynes Taylor Jr in 1870, who named it OFC (Old Fashioned Copper) and invested heavily in its modernisation. So much so in fact that he declared himself bankrupt after just seven years, and George T. Stagg stepped in to rescue it, becoming its owner in 1878. He ran the distillery until his retirement in the 1890s, and it was renamed in his honour in 1904. Having survived Prohibition, it was bought up by the Schenley company in 1933, who ran it as part of their extensive portfolio for the next fifty years, eventually selling it to Age International. The latter's new Japanese ownership in 1992 had no interest in it (only in its brands), and immediately sold it to the Sazerac company, who renamed it Buffalo Trace in 1999.

Thomas H Handy Sazerac Rye 2019 Release

Thomas H. Handy is a rye whiskey named after the bartender and former owner of the Sazerac Coffee House. He acquired it in 1869, having previously run Taylor Sewell’s importing business, which had exclusive distribution of Sazerac-de-Forge et Fils brandy in the US. When the Phylloxera epidemic gripped mainland Europe in 1870, the brandy supplies in France dried up and Handy turned to rye whiskey as the alternative base for the classic Sazerac cocktail. He died in 1893, leaving the company in the hand of C.J. O’Reilly who promptly marketed the first Sazerac branded rye.

When the Sazerac Company acquired what is now called Buafflo Trace distillery in 1992, one of their long-term intentions was to see the eponymous rye brand return. They began distilling it for the first time in 1998, and the modern version of the Sazerac Rye was introduced in 2006.

The first Thomas H. Handy rye was bottled in 2006 as part of the Buffalo Trace Antique Collection, a selection of whiskies collated and in some cases created to pay homage to the history of the company and its brands.

A historic distillery, Buffalo Trace was built in 1812 Harrison Blanton. It was then purchased by the legendary Edmund Haynes Taylor Jr in 1870, who named it OFC (Old Fashioned Copper) and invested heavily in its modernisation. So much so in fact that he declared himself bankrupt after just seven years, and George T. Stagg stepped in to rescue it, becoming its owner in 1878. He ran the distillery until his retirement in the 1890s, and it was renamed in his honour in 1904. Having survived Prohibition, it was bought up by the Schenley company in 1933, who ran it as part of their extensive portfolio for the next fifty years, eventually selling it to Age International. The latter's new Japanese ownership in 1992 had no interest in it (only in its brands), and immediately sold it to the Sazerac company, who renamed it Buffalo Trace in 1999.

George T Stagg 2017 Release

A historic distillery, Buffalo Trace was built in 1812 Harrison Blanton. It was then purchased by the legendary Edmund Haynes Taylor Jr in 1870, who named it OFC (Old Fashioned Copper) and invested heavily in its modernisation. So much so in fact that he declared himself bankrupt after just seven years, and George T. Stagg stepped in to rescue it, becoming its owner in 1878. He ran the distillery until his retirement in the 1890s, and it was renamed in his honour in 1904. Having survived Prohibition, it was bought up by the Schenley company in 1933, who ran it as part of their extensive portfolio for the next fifty years, eventually selling it to Age International. The latter's new Japanese ownership in 1992 had no interest in it (only in its brands), and immediately sold it to the Sazerac company, who renamed it Buffalo Trace in 1999.

Because Sazerac did not own the the existing distillery portfolio, they necessarily had to begin adding new brands to their range. Besides their eponymous flagship bourbon, perhaps the most important of these was this, the George T. Stagg. Although not part of the original Antique Collection , it was added in 2002 and is now the flag bearer for the range. The Antique Collection celebrates the heritage of the the Sazerac Company and the Buffalo Trace distillery, so it is only fitting that one of its products pay tribute to both the man who saved the distillery in the late 19th century, but also recognises Buffalo Trace's identity for all but five years of the previous century.

The 2017 edition is a 15 year old bourbon.

Whisky Advocate rated this 94 points!

George T Stagg 2017 Release

A historic distillery, Buffalo Trace was built in 1812 Harrison Blanton. It was then purchased by the legendary Edmund Haynes Taylor Jr in 1870, who named it OFC (Old Fashioned Copper) and invested heavily in its modernisation. So much so in fact that he declared himself bankrupt after just seven years, and George T. Stagg stepped in to rescue it, becoming its owner in 1878. He ran the distillery until his retirement in the 1890s, and it was renamed in his honour in 1904. Having survived Prohibition, it was bought up by the Schenley company in 1933, who ran it as part of their extensive portfolio for the next fifty years, eventually selling it to Age International. The latter's new Japanese ownership in 1992 had no interest in it (only in its brands), and immediately sold it to the Sazerac company, who renamed it Buffalo Trace in 1999.

Because Sazerac did not own the the existing distillery portfolio, they necessarily had to begin adding new brands to their range. Besides their eponymous flagship bourbon, perhaps the most important of these was this, the George T. Stagg. Although not part of the original Antique Collection , it was added in 2002 and is now the flag bearer for the range. The Antique Collection celebrates the heritage of the the Sazerac Company and the Buffalo Trace distillery, so it is only fitting that one of its products pay tribute to both the man who saved the distillery in the late 19th century, but also recognises Buffalo Trace's identity for all but five years of the previous century.

The 2017 edition is a 15 year old bourbon.

Whisky Advocate rated this 94 points!

George T Stagg 2017 Release

A historic distillery, Buffalo Trace was built in 1812 Harrison Blanton. It was then purchased by the legendary Edmund Haynes Taylor Jr in 1870, who named it OFC (Old Fashioned Copper) and invested heavily in its modernisation. So much so in fact that he declared himself bankrupt after just seven years, and George T. Stagg stepped in to rescue it, becoming its owner in 1878. He ran the distillery until his retirement in the 1890s, and it was renamed in his honour in 1904. Having survived Prohibition, it was bought up by the Schenley company in 1933, who ran it as part of their extensive portfolio for the next fifty years, eventually selling it to Age International. The latter's new Japanese ownership in 1992 had no interest in it (only in its brands), and immediately sold it to the Sazerac company, who renamed it Buffalo Trace in 1999.

Because Sazerac did not own the the existing distillery portfolio, they necessarily had to begin adding new brands to their range. Besides their eponymous flagship bourbon, perhaps the most important of these was this, the George T. Stagg. Although not part of the original Antique Collection , it was added in 2002 and is now the flag bearer for the range. The Antique Collection celebrates the heritage of the the Sazerac Company and the Buffalo Trace distillery, so it is only fitting that one of its products pay tribute to both the man who saved the distillery in the late 19th century, but also recognises Buffalo Trace's identity for all but five years of the previous century.

The 2017 edition is a 15 year old bourbon.

Whisky Advocate rated this 94 points!

George T Stagg 2017 Release

A historic distillery, Buffalo Trace was built in 1812 Harrison Blanton. It was then purchased by the legendary Edmund Haynes Taylor Jr in 1870, who named it OFC (Old Fashioned Copper) and invested heavily in its modernisation. So much so in fact that he declared himself bankrupt after just seven years, and George T. Stagg stepped in to rescue it, becoming its owner in 1878. He ran the distillery until his retirement in the 1890s, and it was renamed in his honour in 1904. Having survived Prohibition, it was bought up by the Schenley company in 1933, who ran it as part of their extensive portfolio for the next fifty years, eventually selling it to Age International. The latter's new Japanese ownership in 1992 had no interest in it (only in its brands), and immediately sold it to the Sazerac company, who renamed it Buffalo Trace in 1999.

Because Sazerac did not own the the existing distillery portfolio, they necessarily had to begin adding new brands to their range. Besides their eponymous flagship bourbon, perhaps the most important of these was this, the George T. Stagg. Although not part of the original Antique Collection , it was added in 2002 and is now the flag bearer for the range. The Antique Collection celebrates the heritage of the the Sazerac Company and the Buffalo Trace distillery, so it is only fitting that one of its products pay tribute to both the man who saved the distillery in the late 19th century, but also recognises Buffalo Trace's identity for all but five years of the previous century.

The 2017 edition is a 15 year old bourbon.

Whisky Advocate rated this 94 points!

George T Stagg 2019 Release

A historic distillery, Buffalo Trace was built in 1812 Harrison Blanton. It was then purchased by the legendary Edmund Haynes Taylor Jr in 1870, who named it OFC (Old Fashioned Copper) and invested heavily in its modernisation. So much so in fact that he declared himself bankrupt after just seven years, and George T. Stagg stepped in to rescue it, becoming its owner in 1878. He ran the distillery until his retirement in the 1890s, and it was renamed in his honour in 1904. Having survived Prohibition, it was bought up by the Schenley company in 1933, who ran it as part of their extensive portfolio for the next fifty years, eventually selling it to Age International. The latter's new Japanese ownership in 1992 had no interest in it (only in its brands), and immediately sold it to the Sazerac company, who renamed it Buffalo Trace in 1999.

Because Sazerac did not own the the existing distillery portfolio, they necessarily had to begin adding new brands to their range. Besides their eponymous flagship bourbon, perhaps the most important of these was this, the George T. Stagg. Although not part of the original Antique Collection , it was added in 2002 and is now the flag bearer for the range. The Antique Collection celebrates the heritage of the the Sazerac Company and the Buffalo Trace distillery, so it is only fitting that one of its products pay tribute to both the man who saved the distillery in the late 19th century, but also recognises Buffalo Trace's identity for all but five years of the previous century.

The 2019 edition is a 15 year old bourbon, distilled in the spring of 2004.