A Century of American Whiskey

Henry Clay 1980 Rare Bourbon 16 Year Old

When United Distillers was formed by the merger of the Distillers Company Ltd (DCL), Arthur Bell & Sons and Guinness in 1987, the company initially had grand plans to invest heavily in bourbon. The product of many multiple mergers over the years, it was asset rich in the US, counting Stitzel-Weller and Bernheim among its distilleries, as well as their associated brands, such as Old Weller and Old Fitzgerald. In addition to a mass refurbishment of the Bernheim distillery, the company planned several new premium bourbon lines in order to make use of its depth of ageing stock. The first of these was the Bourbon Heritage Collection in 1996, shortly followed by this, the Rare Bourbon range.

Now incredibly rare, the Rare Bourbon series never really found its feet and was quickly shelved when United Distillers became Diageo in 1997, subsequently divesting from the American whiskey market. Only two bottlings were ever-produced, this Henry Clay, and a Joseph Finch. Both are named after historic figures and distilleries which, although closed, were part of the United Distillers portfolio.

The Henry Clay distillery was built in the early 1800s and was best known by its later title, James E. Pepper. It was acquired by Schenley following the repeal of Prohibtition in 1934. Although a new James E. Pepper distillery now exists on the site, it has nothing to do with Diageo (as United Distillers is now known), and the Schenley-owned distillery was shut down by the company in 1958.

Distilled in 1980, it is not clear where this bourbon is actually from. However, the \"doing business as\" address of the bottle states that it was distilled in Louisville, Kentucky, suggesting Stitzel-Weller as a prime candidate. The bottling is known to have taken place there too.

I.W Harper 1916 Bottled in Bond 17 Year Old Pint / Prohibition Era Bottling

Distilled in 1917, this whiskey was protected in bond from the Prohibition Act of 1920, which made alcohol production and consumption illegal. This was bottled in 1933, just before the repeal of the act.

The I.W. prefix in this whiskey's name derives from Isaac Wolfe Bernheim, who founded the brand. With his brother he helped establish Louisville in Kentucky as a centre for Bourbon production. Sadly, he felt Harper was a more marketable name than his own to apply to the bottles.

This was distilled at Bernheim distillery, which the Bernheim brothers had sold to United American Co. a few years earlier, anticipating the coming Prohibition legislation. After the passing of the act, this whiskey was procured by Otto Wathen's American Medicinal Spirits Company, who bottled this.

The American Medicinal Spirits Company was one of only six distilling companies to survive Prohibition of the 434 that existed prior. Exploiting the medicinal loophole was the brainchild of Otto Wathen, then president of his father's R.E. Wathen distillery and it was an idea that continues to prove its value today in the persisting image of his still ever-popular portfolio, which included the bourbon classic, Old Grand-dad. The AMS Co was eventually taken over by National Distillers who reorganised it in 1927, incorporating their Kentucky Distilleries & Warehouse Co, R.E. Wathen & Co, Hill & Hill, and E.H. Taylor & Sons. National Distillers then went on to become one of the \"Big Four\" post-Prohibition whiskey companies in the US, along with Schenley, Hiram Walker and Seagram.

The I.W. Harper brand and the Bernheim distillery were purchased by Schenley in 1937, and they produced it until 1987 when they were acquired by United Distillers (now Diageo). The Schenley product was labelled 'Gold Medal,' a reference to the many the brand received, including at the 1915 San Francisco Fair, two years before this was produced.

United Distillers discontinued the I.W. Harper brand in the US in the 1980s, however Diageo revived the brand in 2015.  Bernheim was sold to Heaven Hill in 1999, although it is believed the bourbon is still sourced by from it by Diageo.

I.W Harper 1916 Bottled in Bond 17 Year Old Pint / Prohibition Era Bottling

Distilled in 1917, this whiskey was protected in bond from the Prohibition Act of 1920, which made alcohol production and consumption illegal. This was bottled in 1933, just before the repeal of the act.

The I.W. prefix in this whiskey's name derives from Isaac Wolfe Bernheim, who founded the brand. With his brother he helped establish Louisville in Kentucky as a centre for Bourbon production. Sadly, he felt Harper was a more marketable name than his own to apply to the bottles.

This was distilled at Bernheim distillery, which the Bernheim brothers had sold to United American Co. a few years earlier, anticipating the coming Prohibition legislation. After the passing of the act, this whiskey was procured by Otto Wathen's American Medicinal Spirits Company, who bottled this.

The American Medicinal Spirits Company was one of only six distilling companies to survive Prohibition of the 434 that existed prior. Exploiting the medicinal loophole was the brainchild of Otto Wathen, then president of his father's R.E. Wathen distillery and it was an idea that continues to prove its value today in the persisting image of his still ever-popular portfolio, which included the bourbon classic, Old Grand-dad. The AMS Co was eventually taken over by National Distillers who reorganised it in 1927, incorporating their Kentucky Distilleries & Warehouse Co, R.E. Wathen & Co, Hill & Hill, and E.H. Taylor & Sons. National Distillers then went on to become one of the \"Big Four\" post-Prohibition whiskey companies in the US, along with Schenley, Hiram Walker and Seagram.

The I.W. Harper brand and the Bernheim distillery were purchased by Schenley in 1937, and they produced it until 1987 when they were acquired by United Distillers (now Diageo). The Schenley product was labelled 'Gold Medal,' a reference to the many the brand received, including at the 1915 San Francisco Fair, two years before this was produced.

United Distillers discontinued the I.W. Harper brand in the US in the 1980s, however Diageo revived the brand in 2015.  Bernheim was sold to Heaven Hill in 1999, although it is believed the bourbon is still sourced by from it by Diageo.

Club Bourbon 5 Year Old Kentucky Straight Bourbon 1950 / Stitzel-Weller

The Club Bourbon brand was produced by the Stitzel-Weller for The Pacific-Union Club in San Francisco and was bottled several times through the 1950s.

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.

Colonel E.H. Taylor Cured Oak

Edmund Haynes Taylor Jr is considered one of the true bourbon pioneers. Born in 1830, he was orphaned at the age of five and was adopted by his uncle, Edmund Haynes Taylor Snr, who rechristened him as his junior. E.H. Taylor Jr is also referred to as Colonel Taylor due to his holding of the honourary title of Kentucky Colonel, something he shares with a number of state's distinguished sons, most notably a certain fried chicken vendor. Throughout his career, Taylor set up and owned seven different distilleries, and his lobbying for the Bottled in Bond Act of 1897 has seen him considered as \"the father of modern bourbon.\" Ten years earlier, having sold his stake in the OFC distillery (now Buffalo Trace), to George T. Stagg, he set up the Old Taylor distillery near Frankfort in Kentucky. The distillery featured a faux-Castle and sunken gardens on-site, and was the birthplace of bourbon tourism. Here he established the Old Taylor brand, which following Prohibition passed into the hands of National Distillers, one of the \"big four\" distilling company's who dominated the post-repeal market. The distillery itself closed in 1972, but production was moved to the neighbouring Old Grand-dad site until National Distillers were acquired by Jim Beam in 1987, who converted it into a warehousing and bottling facility. Beam marketed the brand alongside the other \"Olds\" from the National Distiller portfolio (Old Crow and Old Grand-dad) until 2009 when the Sazerac Company acquired it, returning Taylor's name to his early spiritual home at Buffalo Trace.

The Buffalo Trace version of the brand is known as Colonel E.H. Taylor. With the exception of the Barrel Strength releases, they are all Bottled in Bond at the 100 US proof required by the law that Taylor heroically campaigned for. This 2016 limited edition was produced using barrels created from staves that were immersed in an \"enzyme rich bath\" with water heated to 100 degrees. Following this, the staves were then placed into a kiln and dried until they reached an ideal humidity level for coopering. Other staves were seasoned outdoors for between six and twelve months before being made into barrels.

Harry E Wilken 1917 AMS Co Special Old Reserve Bourbon Pint / Prohibition Era Bottling

Distilled in 1917, this bourbon was protected in bond by the American Medicinal Spirits Company from the Prohibition Act of 1920, which made alcohol production and consumption illegal.

This was bottled in 1932, a year before the Prohibition was repealed. The whiskey was produced by Harry E. Wilken, distillery no. 368 in the 5th district of Kentucky.

The American Medicinal Spirits Company was one of only six distilling companies to survive Prohibition of the 434 that existed prior. Exploiting the medicinal loophole was the brainchild of Otto Wathen, then president of his father's R.E. Wathen distillery and it was an idea that continues to prove its value today in the persisting image of his still ever-popular portfolio, which included the bourbon classic, Old Grand-dad. The AMS Co was eventually taken over by National Distillers who reorganised it in 1927, incorporating their Kentucky Distilleries & Warehouse Co, R.E. Wathen & Co, Hill & Hill, and E.H. Taylor & Sons. National Distillers then went on to become one of the \"Big Four\" post-Prohibition whiskey companies in the US, along with Schenley, Hiram Walker and Seagram. The Harry E. Wilken distillery did not survive.

This 1 pint bottle was filled by the AMS Co at distillery bonded warehouse no. 19, also in the 5th district of Kentucky, permit no. Ky P-19.

Unusually, these were created as gifts for the shareholders at National Distillers, although presumably they were required to obtain a prescription for them first!

Classic Cask 1981 Single Batch 17 Year Old Kentucky Bourbon

This is a single batch bourbon, distilled in 1989 and bottled in 2005. Classic Cask was a brand produced for Spirit Imports by Kentucky Bourbon Distillers.

Kentucky Bourbon Distillers are the owners of the Willett distillery in Bardstown. Willett distillery was built in 1936, just a few years after the repeal of National Prohibition by Lambert Willett, a former distiller for Max Selliger & Co. The distillery was initially a success, principally through its Old Bardstown and Johnny Drum brands, however it was hit hard by the bourbon slump of the 1970s. The result was an ill-advised move into producing ethanol for the production of \"gasohol,\" spurred by the 1979 energy crises. When that market re-stabilised, Willett was left floundering and eventually closed in the early 1980s. Lambert's granddaughter, Martha Willett and her husband, Even Kulsveen, then purchased the distillery and established Kentucky Bourbon Distillers in 1984. They originally bottled the remaining barrels of 1970s-distilled stock, however as that gradually diminished, they began sourcing barrels from other producers in order to replenish it, becoming one of the most important independent bottlers in Kentucky. The majority of their barrels were believed to have come from neighbouring Heaven Hill, and with these casks they developed a wealth of important brands, including the Willett Family Estate, Noah's Mill and Rowan's Creek. In addition, they contract-bottled brands for other companies, such as the Very Olde St Nick and Black Maple Hill brands. Revered for the quality of their whiskey, their products have become some of the most collectible to come out of Kentucky. On January 21st, 2012, the company re-opened Willett distillery, and have been slowly replenishing its warehouses with its own whiskey ever since.

Heaven Hill 15 Year Old William Heavenhill Cask Strength

This was the fourth release in the William Heavenhill series, and has been aged for 15 years. It is a cask strength dumping of larger-than-usual barrels from Warehouse I.

The casks were filled at Bernheim and bottled for release in 2015.

Bernheim is a historic Kentucky distillery. It was established by the Bernheim Brothers in the late 19th century, before passing into the hands of the Schenley company following the repeal of Prohibition. When Schenley were bought over by United Distillers in 1987, the distillery was rebuilt as the new owners looked to consolidate their production to a single facility. When United Distillers became Diageo in 1997, the new parent company were interested in bourbon, and sold the distillery to Heaven Hill. Heaven Hill were established in 1935, but their long-serving Bardstown distillery was lost in a devastating fire in 1996. Homeless for three years, the company acquired Bernheim in 1999, and have produced all of their whiskey there ever since.

Colonel E.H. Taylor Four Grain 2017 Release

Edmund Haynes Taylor Jr is considered one of the true bourbon pioneers. Born in 1830, he was orphaned at the age of five and was adopted by his uncle, Edmund Haynes Taylor Snr, who rechristened him as his junior. E.H. Taylor Jr is also referred to as Colonel Taylor due to his holding of the honourary title of Kentucky Colonel, something he shares with a number of state's distinguished sons, most notably a certain fried chicken vendor. Throughout his career, Taylor set up and owned seven different distilleries, and his lobbying for the Bottled in Bond Act of 1897 has seen him considered as \"the father of modern bourbon.\" Ten years earlier, having sold his stake in the OFC distillery (now Buffalo Trace), to George T. Stagg, he set up the Old Taylor distillery near Frankfort in Kentucky. The distillery featured a faux-Castle and sunken gardens on-site, and was the birthplace of bourbon tourism. Here he established the Old Taylor brand, which following Prohibition passed into the hands of National Distillers, one of the \"big four\" distilling company's who dominated the post-repeal market. The distillery itself closed in 1972, but production was moved to the neighbouring Old Grand-dad site until National Distillers were acquired by Jim Beam in 1987, who converted it into a warehousing and bottling facility. Beam marketed the brand alongside the other \"Olds\" from the National Distiller portfolio (Old Crow and Old Grand-dad) until 2009 when the Sazerac Company acquired it, returning Taylor's name to his early spiritual home at Buffalo Trace.

The Buffalo Trace version of the brand is known as Colonel E.H. Taylor. With the exception of the Barrel Strength releases, they are all Bottled in Bond at the 100 US proof required by the law that Taylor heroically campaigned for. 

This particular example is a Four Grain Bourbon meaning after the mandatory 51% corn, the mashbill is made up of 3 other grains - rye, wheat and barley are the most common - rather than the usual one or two.

Distilled in 2005, this was bottled at 12 years old, and again as a 13 year old in 2018.

Colonel E.H. Taylor Single Barrel Bourbon 2014 / Yankee Spirits

Edmund Haynes Taylor Jr is considered one of the true bourbon pioneers. Born in 1830, he was orphaned at the age of five and was adopted by his uncle, Edmund Haynes Taylor Snr, who rechristened him as his junior. E.H. Taylor Jr is also referred to as Colonel Taylor due to his holding of the honourary title of Kentucky Colonel, something he shares with a number of state's distinguished sons, most notably a certain fried chicken vendor. Throughout his career, Taylor set up and owned seven different distilleries, and his lobbying for the Bottled in Bond Act of 1897 has seen him considered as \"the father of modern bourbon.\" Ten years earlier, having sold his stake in the OFC distillery (now Buffalo Trace), to George T. Stagg, he set up the Old Taylor distillery near Frankfort in Kentucky. The distillery featured a faux-Castle and sunken gardens on-site, and was the birthplace of bourbon tourism. Here he established the Old Taylor brand, which following Prohibition passed into the hands of National Distillers, one of the \"big four\" distilling company's who dominated the post-repeal market. The distillery itself closed in 1972, but production was moved to the neighbouring Old Grand-dad site until National Distillers were acquired by Jim Beam in 1987, who converted it into a warehousing and bottling facility. Beam marketed the brand alongside the other \"Olds\" from the National Distiller portfolio (Old Crow and Old Grand-dad) until 2009 when the Sazerac Company acquired it, returning Taylor's name to his early spiritual home at Buffalo Trace.

The Buffalo Trace version of the brand is known as Colonel E.H. Taylor. With the exception of the Barrel Strength releases, they are all Bottled in Bond at the 100 US proof required by the law that Taylor heroically campaigned for. This is a single barrel release from cask #37, selected by Yankee Spirits as part of the Sazerac company's Single Barrel Select programme.

This was one of just five casks selected for the inaugural 2014 E.H. Taylor private barrels.

Colonel E.H. Taylor Four Grain 2017 Release

Edmund Haynes Taylor Jr is considered one of the true bourbon pioneers. Born in 1830, he was orphaned at the age of five and was adopted by his uncle, Edmund Haynes Taylor Snr, who rechristened him as his junior. E.H. Taylor Jr is also referred to as Colonel Taylor due to his holding of the honourary title of Kentucky Colonel, something he shares with a number of state's distinguished sons, most notably a certain fried chicken vendor. Throughout his career, Taylor set up and owned seven different distilleries, and his lobbying for the Bottled in Bond Act of 1897 has seen him considered as \"the father of modern bourbon.\" Ten years earlier, having sold his stake in the OFC distillery (now Buffalo Trace), to George T. Stagg, he set up the Old Taylor distillery near Frankfort in Kentucky. The distillery featured a faux-Castle and sunken gardens on-site, and was the birthplace of bourbon tourism. Here he established the Old Taylor brand, which following Prohibition passed into the hands of National Distillers, one of the \"big four\" distilling company's who dominated the post-repeal market. The distillery itself closed in 1972, but production was moved to the neighbouring Old Grand-dad site until National Distillers were acquired by Jim Beam in 1987, who converted it into a warehousing and bottling facility. Beam marketed the brand alongside the other \"Olds\" from the National Distiller portfolio (Old Crow and Old Grand-dad) until 2009 when the Sazerac Company acquired it, returning Taylor's name to his early spiritual home at Buffalo Trace.

The Buffalo Trace version of the brand is known as Colonel E.H. Taylor. With the exception of the Barrel Strength releases, they are all Bottled in Bond at the 100 US proof required by the law that Taylor heroically campaigned for. 

This particular example is a Four Grain Bourbon meaning after the mandatory 51% corn, the mashbill is made up of 3 other grains - rye, wheat and barley are the most common - rather than the usual one or two.

Distilled in 2005, this was bottled at 12 years old, and again as a 13 year old in 2018.

Heaven Hill 27 Year Old Barrel Proof Kentucky Bourbon

A special release of barrel proof Heaven Hill bourbon, this was distilled at the original Heaven Hill distillery in Bardstown. This is a very well-aged product from the company, rarely seen bottled using the Heaven Hill brand.

One of 2820 bottles.

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.

Cream of Kentucky Double Rich Bourbon 1966 / Rinaldi Import

An old 1960s bottling of Cream of Kentucky bourbon, produced by the Schenley company. 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 was distilled at James E. Pepper distillery and bottled at Bernheim , nowadays the home of Heaven Hill. Schenley closed James E. Pepper in 1958, moving production of the brand to George T. Stagg distillery. 

The James E. Pepper distillery was a historic site, formerly known as the Henry Clay distillery, which was resurrected following the repeal of Prohibition by Schenley. They renamed it James E. Pepper after the famous 19th century Master Distiller (the Old Fashioned cocktail is said to have been created in his honour). A new James E. Pepper distillery was opened on the site in 2017.

Imported to the Italian market by Fratelli Rinaldi.

Colonel E.H. Taylor Amaranth Grain of the Gods

Edmund Haynes Taylor Jr is considered one of the true bourbon pioneers. Born in 1830, he was orphaned at the age of five and was adopted by his uncle, Edmund Haynes Taylor Snr, who rechristened him as his junior. E.H. Taylor Jr is also referred to as Colonel Taylor due to his holding of the honourary title of Kentucky Colonel, something he shares with a number of state's distinguished sons, most notably a certain fried chicken vendor. Throughout his career, Taylor set up and owned seven different distilleries, and his lobbying for the Bottled in Bond Act of 1897 has seen him considered as \"the father of modern bourbon.\" Ten years earlier, having sold his stake in the OFC distillery (now Buffalo Trace), to George T. Stagg, he set up the Old Taylor distillery near Frankfort in Kentucky. The distillery featured a faux-Castle and sunken gardens on-site, and was the birthplace of bourbon tourism. Here he established the Old Taylor brand, which following Prohibition passed into the hands of National Distillers, one of the \"big four\" distilling company's who dominated the post-repeal market. The distillery itself closed in 1972, but production was moved to the neighbouring Old Grand-dad site until National Distillers were acquired by Jim Beam in 1987, who converted it into a warehousing and bottling facility. Beam marketed the brand alongside the other \"Olds\" from the National Distiller portfolio (Old Crow and Old Grand-dad) until 2009 when the Sazerac Company acquired it, returning Taylor's name to his early spiritual home at Buffalo Trace.

The Buffalo Trace version of the brand is known as Colonel E.H. Taylor. With the exception of the Barrel Strength releases, they are all Bottled in Bond at the 100 US proof required by the law that Taylor heroically campaigned for. This 2019 limited edition was produced using the distillery's low-rye mashbill #1, however the rye was replaced by Amaranth as the flavouring grain. Amaranth is a wheat-like crop, known to the Aztecs as the \"grain of the gods.\"

Heaven Hill 12 Year Old William Heavenhill Barrel Proof

This 12 year old William Heavenhill was distilled at Benheim. It is the seventh release in the series and was bottled in 2019.

Bernheim is a historic Kentucky distillery. It was established by the Bernheim Brothers in the late 19th century, before passing into the hands of the Schenley company following the repeal of Prohibition. When Schenley were bought over by United Distillers in 1987, the distillery was rebuilt as the new owners looked to consolidate their production to a single facility. When United Distillers became Diageo in 1997, the new parent company were interested in bourbon, and sold the distillery to Heaven Hill. Heaven Hill were established in 1935, but their long-serving Bardstown distillery was lost in a devastating fire in 1996. Homeless for three years, the company acquired Bernheim in 1999, and have produced all of their whiskey there ever since.

Colonel E.H. Taylor Amaranth Grain of the Gods

Edmund Haynes Taylor Jr is considered one of the true bourbon pioneers. Born in 1830, he was orphaned at the age of five and was adopted by his uncle, Edmund Haynes Taylor Snr, who rechristened him as his junior. E.H. Taylor Jr is also referred to as Colonel Taylor due to his holding of the honourary title of Kentucky Colonel, something he shares with a number of state's distinguished sons, most notably a certain fried chicken vendor. Throughout his career, Taylor set up and owned seven different distilleries, and his lobbying for the Bottled in Bond Act of 1897 has seen him considered as \"the father of modern bourbon.\" Ten years earlier, having sold his stake in the OFC distillery (now Buffalo Trace), to George T. Stagg, he set up the Old Taylor distillery near Frankfort in Kentucky. The distillery featured a faux-Castle and sunken gardens on-site, and was the birthplace of bourbon tourism. Here he established the Old Taylor brand, which following Prohibition passed into the hands of National Distillers, one of the \"big four\" distilling company's who dominated the post-repeal market. The distillery itself closed in 1972, but production was moved to the neighbouring Old Grand-dad site until National Distillers were acquired by Jim Beam in 1987, who converted it into a warehousing and bottling facility. Beam marketed the brand alongside the other \"Olds\" from the National Distiller portfolio (Old Crow and Old Grand-dad) until 2009 when the Sazerac Company acquired it, returning Taylor's name to his early spiritual home at Buffalo Trace.

The Buffalo Trace version of the brand is known as Colonel E.H. Taylor. With the exception of the Barrel Strength releases, they are all Bottled in Bond at the 100 US proof required by the law that Taylor heroically campaigned for. This 2019 limited edition was produced using the distillery's low-rye mashbill #1, however the rye was replaced by Amaranth as the flavouring grain. Amaranth is a wheat-like crop, known to the Aztecs as the \"grain of the gods.\"

Cream of Kentucky Double Rich Bourbon 1966 / Rinaldi Import

An old 1960s bottling of Cream of Kentucky bourbon, produced by the Schenley company. 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 was distilled at James E. Pepper distillery and bottled at Bernheim , nowadays the home of Heaven Hill. Schenley closed James E. Pepper in 1958, moving production of the brand to George T. Stagg distillery. 

The James E. Pepper distillery was a historic site, formerly known as the Henry Clay distillery, which was resurrected following the repeal of Prohibition by Schenley. They renamed it James E. Pepper after the famous 19th century Master Distiller (the Old Fashioned cocktail is said to have been created in his honour). A new James E. Pepper distillery was opened on the site in 2017.

Imported to the Italian market by Fratelli Rinaldi.

Colonel E.H. Taylor Amaranth Grain of the Gods

Edmund Haynes Taylor Jr is considered one of the true bourbon pioneers. Born in 1830, he was orphaned at the age of five and was adopted by his uncle, Edmund Haynes Taylor Snr, who rechristened him as his junior. E.H. Taylor Jr is also referred to as Colonel Taylor due to his holding of the honourary title of Kentucky Colonel, something he shares with a number of state's distinguished sons, most notably a certain fried chicken vendor. Throughout his career, Taylor set up and owned seven different distilleries, and his lobbying for the Bottled in Bond Act of 1897 has seen him considered as \"the father of modern bourbon.\" Ten years earlier, having sold his stake in the OFC distillery (now Buffalo Trace), to George T. Stagg, he set up the Old Taylor distillery near Frankfort in Kentucky. The distillery featured a faux-Castle and sunken gardens on-site, and was the birthplace of bourbon tourism. Here he established the Old Taylor brand, which following Prohibition passed into the hands of National Distillers, one of the \"big four\" distilling company's who dominated the post-repeal market. The distillery itself closed in 1972, but production was moved to the neighbouring Old Grand-dad site until National Distillers were acquired by Jim Beam in 1987, who converted it into a warehousing and bottling facility. Beam marketed the brand alongside the other \"Olds\" from the National Distiller portfolio (Old Crow and Old Grand-dad) until 2009 when the Sazerac Company acquired it, returning Taylor's name to his early spiritual home at Buffalo Trace.

The Buffalo Trace version of the brand is known as Colonel E.H. Taylor. With the exception of the Barrel Strength releases, they are all Bottled in Bond at the 100 US proof required by the law that Taylor heroically campaigned for. This 2019 limited edition was produced using the distillery's low-rye mashbill #1, however the rye was replaced by Amaranth as the flavouring grain. Amaranth is a wheat-like crop, known to the Aztecs as the \"grain of the gods.\"

Heaven Hill 2003 William Heavenhill 14 Year Old Single Barrel #7

This is the fifth release in the William Heavenhill series, and has been aged for 14 years. It is one of 30 barrels aged on the 3rd floor of Rickhouse U, each selected for this release and all bottled unblended as single casks.

Barrel number 7 was filled on the 6th of February 2003 at Bernheim and bottled on the the 20th of April 2017.

Bernheim is a historic Kentucky distillery. It was established by the Bernheim Brothers in the late 19th century, before passing into the hands of the Schenley company following the repeal of Prohibition. When Schenley were bought over by United Distillers in 1987, the distillery was rebuilt as the new owners looked to consolidate their production to a single facility. When United Distillers became Diageo in 1997, the new parent company were interested in bourbon, and sold the distillery to Heaven Hill. Heaven Hill were established in 1935, but their long-serving Bardstown distillery was lost in a devastating fire in 1996. Homeless for three years, the company acquired Bernheim in 1999, and have produced all of their whiskey there ever since.

Classic Cask 1989 Single Batch 15 Year Old Kentucky Bourbon

This is a single batch bourbon, distilled in 1989 and bottled in 2005. Classic Cask was a brand produced for Spirit Imports by Kentucky Bourbon Distillers.

Kentucky Bourbon Distillers are the owners of the Willett distillery in Bardstown. Willett distillery was built in 1936, just a few years after the repeal of National Prohibition by Lambert Willett, a former distiller for Max Selliger & Co. The distillery was initially a success, principally through its Old Bardstown and Johnny Drum brands, however it was hit hard by the bourbon slump of the 1970s. The result was an ill-advised move into producing ethanol for the production of \"gasohol,\" spurred by the 1979 energy crises. When that market re-stabilised, Willett was left floundering and eventually closed in the early 1980s. Lambert's granddaughter, Martha Willett and her husband, Even Kulsveen, then purchased the distillery and established Kentucky Bourbon Distillers in 1984. They originally bottled the remaining barrels of 1970s-distilled stock, however as that gradually diminished, they began sourcing barrels from other producers in order to replenish it, becoming one of the most important independent bottlers in Kentucky. The majority of their barrels were believed to have come from neighbouring Heaven Hill, and with these casks they developed a wealth of important brands, including the Willett Family Estate, Noah's Mill and Rowan's Creek. In addition, they contract-bottled brands for other companies, such as the Very Olde St Nick and Black Maple Hill brands. Revered for the quality of their whiskey, their products have become some of the most collectible to come out of Kentucky. On January 21st, 2012, the company re-opened Willett distillery, and have been slowly replenishing its warehouses with its own whiskey ever since.

Heaven Hill 19 Year Old Cadenhead's World Whiskies

A 19 year old single barrel bourbon from the Wm. Cadenhead World Whiskies series in 2016.

Wm. Cadenhead is Scotland’s oldest independent bottler, founded in 1842 by George Duncan. His brother William Cadenhead joined the company in 1952, taking over after George’s death in 1958. The company got into the whisky bottling business after 1904, when his nephew Robert Duthie took over, and since its sale to J&A Mitchell in 1972, Wm. Cadenhead has become on of the most sought after names in whisky. Its Authentic Collection is the flagship brand, but the portfolio of the company has expanded in recent years with labels like this.

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. 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 the company had no distillery for the next three years. They were however permitted to rent stills at Jim Beam and Brown-Forman in order to maintain production, and this is some of the rare bourbon distilled in that period. They eventually acquired the newly refurbished Bernheim distillery from Diageo in 1999, which has been their home ever since.

Harry E Wilken 1917 AMS Co Special Old Reserve Bourbon Pint / Prohibition Era Bottling

Distilled in 1917, this bourbon was protected in bond by the American Medicinal Spirits Company from the Prohibition Act of 1920, which made alcohol production and consumption illegal.

This was bottled in 1932, a year before the Prohibition was repealed. The whiskey was produced by Harry E. Wilken, distillery no. 368 in the 5th district of Kentucky.

The American Medicinal Spirits Company was one of only six distilling companies to survive Prohibition of the 434 that existed prior. Exploiting the medicinal loophole was the brainchild of Otto Wathen, then president of his father's R.E. Wathen distillery and it was an idea that continues to prove its value today in the persisting image of his still ever-popular portfolio, which included the bourbon classic, Old Grand-dad. The AMS Co was eventually taken over by National Distillers who reorganised it in 1927, incorporating their Kentucky Distilleries & Warehouse Co, R.E. Wathen & Co, Hill & Hill, and E.H. Taylor & Sons. National Distillers then went on to become one of the \"Big Four\" post-Prohibition whiskey companies in the US, along with Schenley, Hiram Walker and Seagram. The Harry E. Wilken distillery did not survive.

This 1 pint bottle was filled by the AMS Co at distillery bonded warehouse no. 19, also in the 5th district of Kentucky, permit no. Ky P-19.

Unusually, these were created as gifts for the shareholders at National Distillers, although presumably they were required to obtain a prescription for them first!

Heaven Hill 2003 William Heavenhill 14 Year Old Single Barrel #25

This is the fifth release in the William Heavenhill series, and has been aged for 14 years. It is one of 30 barrels aged on the 3rd floor of Rickhouse U, each selected for this release and all bottled unblended as single casks.

Barrel number 25 was filled on the 6th of February 2003 at Bernheim and bottled on the the 11th July 2017.

Bernheim is a historic Kentucky distillery. It was established by the Bernheim Brothers in the late 19th century, before passing into the hands of the Schenley company following the repeal of Prohibition. When Schenley were bought over by United Distillers in 1987, the distillery was rebuilt as the new owners looked to consolidate their production to a single facility. When United Distillers became Diageo in 1997, the new parent company were interested in bourbon, and sold the distillery to Heaven Hill. Heaven Hill were established in 1935, but their long-serving Bardstown distillery was lost in a devastating fire in 1996. Homeless for three years, the company acquired Bernheim in 1999, and have produced all of their whiskey there ever since.

Colonel Lee Kentucky Straight Bourbon 1968

The Barton 1792 distillery is one of Kentucky's oldest, established in Bardstown back in 1889 by Tom Moore, formerly of Mattingly & Moore. The distillery was a small but profitable operation, filling ten barrels a day before it closed down due to Prohibition in 1920. Tom's son, Con Moore, re-opened the distillery following repeal, but in 1944 it was sold to Oscar Getz, who renamed it Barton and produced several brands there including Kentucky Gentleman, Tom Moore, and Kentucky Tavern. Getz's Barton Brands was eventually sold to Glenmore distillery in 1970s, and again to Constellation Brands in 1993. The latter actually changed the name back to Tom Moore distillery in 2008, however the change was only fleeting as the Sazerac company acquired it the following year and renamed in Barton 1792.

This is an old version of the Colonel Lee brand from the late 1960s. Sazerac still produce this today.

I.W. Harper 1945 Bottled in Bond Bourbon

The I.W. prefix in this whiskey's name derives from Isaac Wolfe Bernheim, who founded the brand. With his brother he helped establish Louisville in Kentucky as a centre for Bourbon production. Sadly, he felt Harper was a more marketable name than his own to apply to the bottles.

A Bottled in Bond release, this was distilled at Bernheim by Schenley in 1945 and bottled in 1952.

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.

Heaven Hill 20 Year Old Cadenhead's World Whiskies

A 20 year old single barrel bourbon from the Wm. Cadenhead World Whiskies series in 2017.

Wm. Cadenhead is Scotland’s oldest independent bottler, founded in 1842 by George Duncan. His brother William Cadenhead joined the company in 1952, taking over after George’s death in 1958. The company got into the whisky bottling business after 1904, when his nephew Robert Duthie took over, and since its sale to J&A Mitchell in 1972, Wm. Cadenhead has become on of the most sought after names in whisky. Its Authentic Collection is the flagship brand, but the portfolio of the company has expanded in recent years with labels like this.

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. 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 the company had no distillery for the next three years. They were however permitted to rent stills at Jim Beam and Brown-Forman in order to maintain production, and this is some of the rare bourbon distilled in that period. They eventually acquired the newly refurbished Bernheim distillery from Diageo in 1999, which has been their home ever since.

Heaven Hill 16 Year Old William Heavenhill Small Batch

A small batch Heaven Hill Kentucky straight bourbon. This is the sixth release in the William Heavenhill series, and was made from 15 barrels, distilled at Bernheim and aged on the 5th floor of Rickhouse Y.

Bernheim is a historic Kentucky distillery. It was established by the Bernheim Brothers in the late 19th century, before passing into the hands of the Schenley company following the repeal of Prohibition. When Schenley were bought over by United Distillers in 1987, the distillery was rebuilt as the new owners looked to consolidate their production to a single facility. When United Distillers became Diageo in 1997, the new parent company were interested in bourbon, and sold the distillery to Heaven Hill. Heaven Hill were established in 1935, but their long-serving Bardstown distillery was lost in a devastating fire in 1996. Homeless for three years, the company acquired Bernheim in 1999, and have produced all of their whiskey there ever since.

Cabin Still 5 Year Old Kentucky Straight Bourbon Ducks Unlimited Decanter 1973 / Stitzel-Weller

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.

This Cabin Still decanter was bottled in 1973, and is some of the last of the Cabin Still brand to contain whiskey distilled at Stitzel-Weller. While Somerset Imports has every intention on maintaining production of Stitzel-Weller's flagship Old Fitzgerald and Weller brands, their driving motivation for purchasing the distillery was this Cabin Still label. A brand with a strong reputation, their aim was to use it to bottle vast quantities of ageing stock in theit others warehouses that they were struggling to sell. With the exception of this decanter for the American wetlands conservation charity, Ducks Unlimited, Cabin Still from this period was not longer Stitzel-Weller whiskey.

Cabin Still is still available today. It was initially purchased by Heaven Hill in 1993, who later sold it on to Luxco who produce it today. This Van Winkle era Stitzel-Weller distilled version is a truly rare opportunity to own an example of the brand in its prime.

This is the second exclusive Ducks Unlimited decanter, and features artwork by Larry Toshik.

Heaven Hill 2003 Select Stock Cognac Finish / Bourbon Heritage Centre

A Select Stock small batch bottling from Heaven Hill, this was distilled at Bernheim in September 2003 using the distillery's wheated bourbon mashbill. It was aged 8 years before being finished in Cognac barrels for a further 21 months.

Bernheim is a historic Kentucky distillery. It was established by the Bernheim Brothers in the late 19th century, before passing into the hands of the Schenley company following the repeal of Prohibition. When Schenley were bought over by United Distillers in 1987, the distillery was rebuilt as the new owners looked to consolidate their production to a single facility. When United Distillers became Diageo in 1997, the new parent company were interested in bourbon, and sold the distillery to Heaven Hill. Heaven Hill were established in 1935, but their long-serving Bardstown distillery was lost in a devastating fire in 1996. Homeless for three years, the company acquired Bernheim in 1999, and have produced all of their whiskey there ever since.

Bottled in 2016, this was exclusive to Heaven Hill's Bourbon Heritage Centre in Bardstown.

I.W. Harper 150 Month Old Collector's Figurine Decanter 1966

The I.W. prefix in this brand name derives from Isaac Wolfe Bernheim, who founded the brand. With his brother he helped establish Louisville in Kentucky as a centre for Bourbon production. Sadly, he felt Harper was a more marketable name than his own to apply to the bottles. 

This was distilled and bottled at the Bernheim distillery in Louisville by the Schenley company.

Schenley were eventually bought over by United Distillers in 1987 who discontinued the I.W. Harper brand in the US shortly after, selling it only abroad. The modern iteration of United Distillers, Diageo, revived the US version of the brand in 2015, although it is no longer bottled at Bernheim, which was sold to Heaven Hill in 1999.

Heaven Hill 13 Year Old William Heavenhill Bottled in Bond

Released in 2020, this is the eighth edition of the William Heavenhill range. A 13 year old, it was distilled at Benheim and bottled in bond in Bardstown. According to Heaven Hill, this is an homage to the popular third edition of the series, also a Bottled in Bond bourbon.

Bernheim is a historic Kentucky distillery. It was established by the Bernheim Brothers in the late 19th century, before passing into the hands of the Schenley company following the repeal of Prohibition. When Schenley were bought over by United Distillers in 1987, the distillery was rebuilt as the new owners looked to consolidate their production to a single facility. When United Distillers became Diageo in 1997, the new parent company were interested in bourbon, and sold the distillery to Heaven Hill. Heaven Hill were established in 1935, but their long-serving Bardstown distillery was lost in a devastating fire in 1996. Homeless for three years, the company acquired Bernheim in 1999, and have produced all of their whiskey there ever since.

Heaven Hill 16 Year Old William Heavenhill Small Batch

A small batch Heaven Hill Kentucky straight bourbon. This is the sixth release in the William Heavenhill series, and was made from 15 barrels, distilled at Bernheim and aged on the 5th floor of Rickhouse Y.

Bernheim is a historic Kentucky distillery. It was established by the Bernheim Brothers in the late 19th century, before passing into the hands of the Schenley company following the repeal of Prohibition. When Schenley were bought over by United Distillers in 1987, the distillery was rebuilt as the new owners looked to consolidate their production to a single facility. When United Distillers became Diageo in 1997, the new parent company were interested in bourbon, and sold the distillery to Heaven Hill. Heaven Hill were established in 1935, but their long-serving Bardstown distillery was lost in a devastating fire in 1996. Homeless for three years, the company acquired Bernheim in 1999, and have produced all of their whiskey there ever since.