A Century of American Whiskey

Michter's 25 Year Old Kentucky Straight Bourbon 2020 70cl

When the famous Michter's distillery was abandoned by its owners in 1989, they left everything from the equipment, near-millions of gallons of stock, and perhaps most importantly, the rights to the name. Michter's distillery developed a cult status in the subsequent years due to the release of the much-lauded A.H. Hirsch Reserve, distilled there in 1974 when it was still called Pennco.

The new owners of the Michter's name, Chatham Imports, started a new company called Michter's Distillery LLC, and operated as a Non-Distiller Producer (NDP) for a number of years, meaning they sourced their whisky from other distilleries and bottled it under their own name. Many of these releases have been incredibly sought after, with early batches of their single barrel bourbons rumoured to have been sourced from the legendary Stitzel-Weller.

In 2015 they constructed a new Michter's distillery in Shively, KY and have begun barrelling their own stock ever since. With the construction of a new warehousing facility in 2018, it is expected this new Michter's will soon be bottling all of its own whiskey, developing an important legacy of its own.

This is a small batch limited release from batch #L20I2076 which has been aged from an incredible 25 years.

Bottle number 7 of 348. 

Whiskey author Fred Minnick has confirmed in his book, Bourbon Curious that the source of Michter's Kentucky labelled products are sourced from Brown-Forman.

Michter's 20 Year Old Kentucky Straight Bourbon 2018 70cl

When the famous Michter's distillery was abandoned by its owners in 1989, they left everything from the equipment, near-millions of gallons of stock, and perhaps most importantly, the rights to the name. Michter's distillery developed a cult status in the subsequent years due to the release of the much-lauded A.H. Hirsch Reserve, distilled there in 1974 when it was still called Pennco.

The new owners of the Michter's name, Chatham Imports, started a new company called Michter's Distillery LLC, and operated as a Non-Distiller Producer (NDP) for a number of years, meaning they sourced their whisky from other distilleries and bottled it under their own name. Many of these releases have been incredibly sought after, with early batches of their single barrel bourbons rumoured to have been sourced from the legendary Stitzel-Weller.

In 2015 they constructed a new Michter's Fort Nelson distillery in Shively, KY and have begun barrelling their own stock ever since. With the construction of a new warehousing facility in 2018, it is expected this new Michter's will soon be bottling all of its own whiskey, developing an important legacy of its own.

This 20 year old is from batch #L18I1370. One of 463 bottles. 

While older editions of the 20 year old were presumed to be wheated Bernheim whiskey sourced from the Kentucky Bourbon Distillers warehouses at Willett, whiskey author Fred Minnick has confirmed in his book, Bourbon Curious, that the source of Michter's Kentucky labelled products are sourced from Brown-Forman. 

Michter's 20 Year Old Kentucky Straight Bourbon 2019 70cl

When the famous Michter's distillery was abandoned by its owners in 1989, they left everything from the equipment, near-millions of gallons of stock, and perhaps most importantly, the rights to the name. Michter's distillery developed a cult status in the subsequent years due to the release of the much-lauded A.H. Hirsch Reserve, distilled there in 1974 when it was still called Pennco.

The new owners of the Michter's name, Chatham Imports, started a new company called Michter's Distillery LLC, and operated as a Non-Distiller Producer (NDP) for a number of years, meaning they sourced their whisky from other distilleries and bottled it under their own name. Many of these releases have been incredibly sought after, with early batches of their single barrel bourbons rumoured to have been sourced from the legendary Stitzel-Weller.

In 2015 they constructed a new Michter's Fort Nelson distillery in Shively, KY and have begun barrelling their own stock ever since. With the construction of a new warehousing facility in 2018, it is expected this new Michter's will soon be bottling all of its own whiskey, developing an important legacy of its own.

This 20 year old is from batch #L19H1439. One of 440 bottles. 

While older editions of the 20 year old were presumed to be wheated Bernheim whiskey sourced from the Kentucky Bourbon Distillers warehouses at Willett, whiskey author Fred Minnick has confirmed in his book, Bourbon Curious, that the source of Michter's Kentucky labelled products are sourced from Brown-Forman. 

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.

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.

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.

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.\"

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.\"

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.

Michter's Whiskey Historic Series Decanter Quart 1978

A rare late 1970s example of whiskey distilled at the original Michter's distillery in Schaeferstown, PA. Generally overlooked in its time, the distillery developed a cult status in the years following its closure in 1989 after Julian Van Winkle III bottled the Hirsch Reserve for Gordon Hue using barrels he had purchased from it.

In particular, the Michter's Jug House where this purports to have been distilled was a place of great interest. At the time this was bottled, the distillery was owned by Louis Forman, who had developed the Michter's brand in the 1950s and reacquird the distillery from Pennco in 1978. The Jug House was built by the distillery primarily as a feature for tourists, and it contained a single pot still that produced a single barrel a day so that out-of-season visitors could still see whiskey being produced. The Hirsch Reserve was erroneously labelled as a pot still bourbon, leading many to speculate that the Jug House was the source of this legendary whiskey, regarded by many as the finest ever bottled. This is likely also the case here, due to the wider release of the product, but it is never-the-less incredibly rare. The remaining warehoused stock from the distillery was re-distilled for industrial use after its closure, making these bottles true relics from a distillery now thought of as a lost treasure.

The Michter's distllery, historically known as Bomberger is long gone, however the Jug House is remarkably still in use. When the distillery closed, it was installed in the garden of former distiller, Charles Everett Beam, before it was sold to the Tom's Foolery distillery in Ohio who distil bourbon on it to this day.

The Michter's brand name was acquired by Chatham Imports after the distillery closure in 1989, and they recently built a new Michter's Fort Nelson distillery in Kentucky, and have been bottling under the name for many years. This whiskey from the original site is a real collector's item, especially given it comes purely from the distillery's smallest still.

Michter's Whiskey King Tut Decanter 1978

A rare late 1970s example of whiskey distilled at the original Michter's distillery in Schaeferstown, PA. Generally overlooked in its time, the distillery developed a cult status in the years following its closure in 1989 after Julian Van Winkle III bottled the Hirsch Reserve for Gordon Hue using barrels he had purchased from it.

In particular, the Michter's Jug House where this purports to have been distilled was a place of great interest. At the time this was bottled, the distillery was owned by Louis Forman, who had developed the Michter's brand in the 1950s and reacquird the distillery from Pennco in 1978. The Jug House was built by the distillery primarily as a feature for tourists, and it contained a single pot still that produced a single barrel a day so that out-of-season visitors could still see whiskey being produced. The Hirsch Reserve was erroneously labelled as a pot still bourbon, leading many to speculate that the Jug House was the source of this legendary whiskey, regarded by many as the finest ever bottled. This is likely also the case here, due to the wider release of the product, but it is never-the-less incredibly rare. The remaining warehoused stock from the distillery was re-distilled for industrial use after its closure, making these bottles true relics from a distillery now thought of as a lost treasure.

The Michter's distllery, historically known as Bomberger is long gone, however the Jug House is remarkably still in use. When the distillery closed, it was installed in the garden of former distiller, Charles Everett Beam, before it was sold to the Tom's Foolery distillery in Ohio who distil bourbon on it to this day.

The Michter's brand name was acquired by Chatham Imports after the distillery closure in 1989, and they recently built a new Michter's Fort Nelson distillery in Kentucky, and have been bottling under the name for many years. This whiskey from the original site is a real collector's item, especially given it comes purely from the distillery's smallest still.

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.

Michter's Whiskey Historic Series Decanter Quart 1978

A rare late 1970s example of whiskey distilled at the original Michter's distillery in Schaeferstown, PA. Generally overlooked in its time, the distillery developed a cult status in the years following its closure in 1989 after Julian Van Winkle III bottled the Hirsch Reserve for Gordon Hue using barrels he had purchased from it.

In particular, the Michter's Jug House where this purports to have been distilled was a place of great interest. At the time this was bottled, the distillery was owned by Louis Forman, who had developed the Michter's brand in the 1950s and reacquird the distillery from Pennco in 1978. The Jug House was built by the distillery primarily as a feature for tourists, and it contained a single pot still that produced a single barrel a day so that out-of-season visitors could still see whiskey being produced. The Hirsch Reserve was erroneously labelled as a pot still bourbon, leading many to speculate that the Jug House was the source of this legendary whiskey, regarded by many as the finest ever bottled. This is likely also the case here, due to the wider release of the product, but it is never-the-less incredibly rare. The remaining warehoused stock from the distillery was re-distilled for industrial use after its closure, making these bottles true relics from a distillery now thought of as a lost treasure.

The Michter's distllery, historically known as Bomberger is long gone, however the Jug House is remarkably still in use. When the distillery closed, it was installed in the garden of former distiller, Charles Everett Beam, before it was sold to the Tom's Foolery distillery in Ohio who distil bourbon on it to this day.

The Michter's brand name was acquired by Chatham Imports after the distillery closure in 1989, and they recently built a new Michter's Fort Nelson distillery in Kentucky, and have been bottling under the name for many years. This whiskey from the original site is a real collector's item, especially given it comes purely from the distillery's smallest still.

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.

Michter's Whiskey Decanter Pint 1976

A rare late 1970s example of whiskey distilled at the original Michter's distillery in Schaeferstown, PA. Generally overlooked in its time, the distillery developed a cult status in the years following its closure in 1989 after Julian Van Winkle III bottled the Hirsch Reserve for Gordon Hue using barrels he had purchased from it.

In particular, the Michter's Jug House where this purports to have been distilled was a place of great interest. At the time this was bottled, the distillery was owned by Pennco, who has acquired it and the Michter's brand from Louis Forman. The Jug House was built by the distillery primarily as a feature for tourists, and it contained a single pot still that produced a single barrel a day so that out-of-season visitors could still see whiskey being produced. The Hirsch Reserve was erroneously labelled as a pot still bourbon, leading many to speculate that the Jug House was the source of this legendary whiskey, regarded by many as the finest ever bottled. This is likely also the case here, due to the wider release of the product, but it is never-the-less incredibly rare. The remaining warehoused stock from the distillery was re-distilled for industrial use after its closure, making these bottles true relics from a distillery now thought of as a lost treasure.

The Michter's distllery, historically known as Bomberger is long gone, however the Jug House is remarkably still in use. When the distillery closed, it was installed in the garden of former distiller, Charles Everett Beam, before it was sold to the Tom's Foolery distillery in Ohio who distil bourbon on it to this day.

The Michter's brand name was acquired by Chatham Imports after the distillery closure in 1989, and they recently built a new Michter's Fort Nelson distillery in Kentucky, and have been bottling under the name for many years. This whiskey from the original site is a real collector's item, especially given it comes purely from the distillery's smallest still.

Michter's Whiskey Historic Series Decanters 1978 with Plinth and Jugs

A rare late 1970s example of whiskey distilled at the original Michter's distillery in Schaeferstown, PA. Generally overlooked in its time, the distillery developed a cult status in the years following its closure in 1989 after Julian Van Winkle III bottled the Hirsch Reserve for Gordon Hue using barrels he had purchased from it.

In particular, the Michter's Jug House where this purports to have been distilled was a place of great interest. At the time this was bottled, the distillery was owned by Louis Forman, who had developed the Michter's brand in the 1950s and reacquird the distillery from Pennco in 1978. The Jug House was built by the distillery primarily as a feature for tourists, and it contained a single pot still that produced a single barrel a day so that out-of-season visitors could still see whiskey being produced. The Hirsch Reserve was erroneously labelled as a pot still bourbon, leading many to speculate that the Jug House was the source of this legendary whiskey, regarded by many as the finest ever bottled. This is likely also the case here, due to the wider release of the product, but it is never-the-less incredibly rare. The remaining warehoused stock from the distillery was re-distilled for industrial use after its closure, making these bottles true relics from a distillery now thought of as a lost treasure.

The Michter's distllery, historically known as Bomberger is long gone, however the Jug House is remarkably still in use. When the distillery closed, it was installed in the garden of former distiller, Charles Everett Beam, before it was sold to the Tom's Foolery distillery in Ohio who distil bourbon on it to this day.

The Michter's brand name was acquired by Chatham Imports after the distillery closure in 1989, and they recently built a new Michter's Fort Nelson distillery in Kentucky, and have been bottling under the name for many years. This whiskey from the original site is a real collector's item, especially given it comes purely from the distillery's smallest still.

This impressive presentation contains a half gallon, half pint and one-tenth pint decanter, as well as a ceramic jug and mug.

This lot has a 10 bottle shipping fee.

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.

Mic Drop 2009 8 Year Old Straight Bourbon

A straight bourbon by \"the provider of geeky spirits,\" PM Spirits. This is titled \"Mic. Drop.\" and subtitled \"PM Spirits Out,\" they're obviously chuffed with this one.

Distilled at MGP distillery, Indiana (still affectionately known to many as Seagram's) in 2009, with a mashbill of 75% corn, 21% rye and 4% barley malt. Bottled from a dumping of 24 different casks.

The history of MGP distillery has its roots in the emid-19th century, however it is best known for its association to Seagram, who purchased it at the close of Prohibition in 1933. Located in Lawrenceburg, Indiana, the distillery provided whiskey and grain neutral spirits for many of the Canadian distilling giants products for the rest of the 20th century. When an ill-advised move into the entertainment industry saw Seagram collapse in the early 2000s, much of their assets, including the Lawrenceburg distillery were bought up by Pernod-Ricard. They announced in 2006 that they intended to close it, however ended up selling it instead to a holding company in Trinidad called CL Financial. They renamed it LDI (Lawrenceburg Distillers Indiana). It was not long however before the new owners would go bust as well, and the distillery was again sold, this time to MGP Ingredients, who renamed it in the process. The company produced and markets some of its own brands, but its main line of business is a huge contract-distilling operation. Among these are a number of well-regarded grain recipes, and several bourbons. Among its biggest customers are Diageo, and former owners, Pernod-Ricard, alongside an extensive list of independent boutique brands. In 2021 it was announced that MGP had acquired Luxco, which would provide it with a new national distribution for its Indiana-produced brands, but also facilitated it with the Lux Row distillery, which opened in 2018.

Monument Valley 12 Year Old Kentucky Straight Bourbon 1998

A 12 year old Kentucky Straight Bourbon produced by Kentucky Bourbon Distillers at the then-silent Willett distillery. Prior to 2012, the company was sourcing most of the bourbon they bottled from neighbouring Heaven Hill.

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. One January 21st, 2012, the company re-opened Willett distillery, and have been slowly replenishing its warehouses with its own whiskey ever since.

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.

Maker's Mark Black Label Kentucky Straight Bourbon 

A popular small batch bourbon, produced at the Maker's Mark distillery in Loretto, Kentucky. Maker's Mark is a wheated bourbon, first introduced in 1953 by \"Bill\" Samuels Snr, produced with the assistance on none other than a certain Julian 'Pappy' Van Winkle.

Created for Japan, this black label version is bottled at a slightly higher 47.5% ABV

I.W. Harper 150 Month Old Collector's Figurine Decanter 1968

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.

Maker's Mark VIP Kentucky Straight Bourbon

Taylor William \"Bill\" Samuels Snr started out in the whiskey industry at his family's T.W. Samuels distillery in the 1930s. When his father, Lesley Samuels, died in 1936, Bill inherited the running of the place, which he did so until 1942 when he sold it and its brands to Country Distillers Products. Bill has initially intended to retire to his farm, but the allure of creating a new bourbon proved too much, and he set about canvassing help in producing the recipe for the smoothers tasting whiskey that he has campaigned for and failed to get the family to distil over a decade prior. Among those who he reached out to were Hap Motlow of Jack Daniel's, Ed Shapira of Heaven Hill, and the legendary Julian 'Pappy' Van Winkle I. Pappy's wheated Old Weller and Old Fitzgerald bourbon were exactly the profile that Samuels was after, and with Van Winkle's help, he debuted finessed his own wheat mashbill, and bought land in Loretto, Kentucky in 1953. He filled his first barrels the following year, and in the years that preceded his first bottlings, Bill's wife Margie created the Maker's Mark brand based on her collections of fine English pewter stamps. The first bottle of Maker's Mark was bottled on 8th May 1958, and was hand-dipped with red wax, as all bottles still are to this day. 

The VIP series are bottled in replicas an 1870s glass in the distillery museum. They are individually labelled with personalised messages.

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.