A Century of American Whiskey

Jefferson's Presidential Select 21 Year Old Bourbon Batch #6

The Jefferson's Reserve brand was launched in 1997, created by Try Zoeller and his father Chet, and marketed by their company, McClain & Kyne. Zoeller sold the business to Castle Brands in 2005. As of 2015, Castle Brands have had a 20% stake in Copperhead Distillery Company, which owns and operates Kentucky Artisan Distillery and are increasingly warehousing their own stock. Originally the brand was bottled using casks sourced from other distilleries.

Jack Daniel's Old No.7 Green Label 90 Proof Quart 1975

Jack Daniel's is the best-selling American whiskey in the world. Despite that fact it can legally be categorised as a straight bourbon, it has always shunned this title, preferring to market itself as a Tennessee Whiskey. These are similar to straight bourbons but have the additional requirement of having been filtered through maple wood charcoal, a practice known as the Lincoln County Process. History has not always given the distillery an easy ride though. Tennessee was an early adopter of Prohibition in 1910, and one of the last to repeal it in 1938 (five years later than the repeal at Federal level). Even today the distillery is still located in a \"dry\" county, meaning none of its products are sold in its hometown or those around it. The distillery was then only operational for four years before being forced to close again during the second world war. Ten years later it was purchased by the Brown-Forman corporation and its fortunes turned for good. Its classic black-labelled Old No.7 brand (named after the distillery’s original DSP number) is now a globally recognised product.

The green labelled Old No.7 brand is lighter and has a smoother taste than its black label counterpart. Both products are produced in the same manner, however a team of professional tasters determine which barrels are reserved for which release, with the best quality reserved for the more premium black label iteration. Now with a narrower distribution and often difficult to find, the green label Old No.7 is becoming increasingly collectable.

Jack Daniel's Tennessee Bicentennial 96 Proof 1995

Jack Daniel's is the best-selling American whiskey in the world. Despite that fact it can legally be categorised as a straight bourbon, it has always shunned this title, preferring to market itself as a Tennessee Whiskey. These are similar to straight bourbons but have the additional requirement of having been filtered through maple wood charcoal, a practice known as the Lincoln County Process. History has not always given the distillery an easy ride though. Tennessee was an early adopter of Prohibition in 1910, and one of the last to repeal it in 1938 (five years later than the repeal at Federal level). Even today the distillery is still located in a \"dry\" county, meaning none of its products are sold in its hometown or those around it. The distillery was then only operational for four years before being forced to close again during the second world war. Ten years later it was purchased by the Brown-Forman corporation and its fortunes turned for good. Its classic black-labelled Old No.7 brand (named after the distillery’s original DSP number) is now a globally recognised product.

This is an incredibly rare Jack Daniel's, bottled in 1995 to mark the upcoming 200th Anniversary of the state of Tennessee, 1796-1996. Their eleventh commemorative decanter, it is a replica of a bottle designed by Mr Jack Daniel himself 100 years earlier for the 100th anniversary celebration.

John Hamilton 8 Year Old Kentucky Straight Bourbon 1977

A late 1970s bottling of John Hamilton, produced by Heaven Hill.

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

Jack Daniel's '1905' Gold Medal Series 1997

Jack Daniel's is the best-selling American whiskey in the world. Despite that fact it can legally be categorised as a straight bourbon, it has always shunned this title, preferring to market itself as a Tennessee Whiskey. These are similar to straight bourbons but have the additional requirement of having been filtered through maple wood charcoal, a practice known as the Lincoln County Process. History has not always given the distillery an easy ride though. Tennessee was an early adopter of Prohibition in 1910, and one of the last to repeal it in 1938 (five years later than the repeal at Federal level). Even today the distillery is still located in a \"dry\" county, meaning none of its products are sold in its hometown or those around it. The distillery was then only operational for four years before being forced to close again during the second world war. Ten years later it was purchased by the Brown-Forman corporation and its fortunes turned for good. Its classic black-labelled Old No.7 brand (named after the distillery’s original DSP number) is now a globally recognised product.

This limited bottle of Jack Daniel's was released in 1997 and was the second instalment in the Gold Medal Series, which celebrated each one won buy the distillery.

This is the 1905 version, celebrating the second medal, this time won at at a fair in Liege, Belgium. Jack Daniel had sent his whisky to the fair at the encouragement of the british Mr. M. Hoctor, whom he had meet at the St. Louis Fair during his first Gold Medal triumph the year before.

Jack Daniel's '1914' Gold Medal Series 2001

Jack Daniel's is the best-selling American whiskey in the world. Despite that fact it can legally be categorised as a straight bourbon, it has always shunned this title, preferring to market itself as a Tennessee Whiskey. These are similar to straight bourbons but have the additional requirement of having been filtered through maple wood charcoal, a practice known as the Lincoln County Process. History has not always given the distillery an easy ride though. Tennessee was an early adopter of Prohibition in 1910, and one of the last to repeal it in 1938 (five years later than the repeal at Federal level). Even today the distillery is still located in a \"dry\" county, meaning none of its products are sold in its hometown or those around it. The distillery was then only operational for four years before being forced to close again during the second world war. Ten years later it was purchased by the Brown-Forman corporation and its fortunes turned for good. Its classic black-labelled Old No.7 brand (named after the distillery’s original DSP number) is now a globally recognised product.

This is a limited bottle of Jack Daniel's, released in 2001 as the fourth part of the Gold Medal Series, which celebrated each of those won buy the distillery.

This is the 1914 version, celebrating the medal won at the Anglo-American Exposition that year.

Despite the state of Tennessee being an early adopter of Prohibition, well under way there by 1914, Lem Motlow (Jack Daniel's nephew) still had high hopes for the distillery. His faith was rewarded by the batch he sent to competition in London that year.

J.W. Dant 7 Year Old Kentucky Straight Bourbon 1966

An old bottle of J.W. Dant sour mash bourbon.

Joseph Washington Dant was a Kentucky distiller during the 1830's He was famous for making whisky using a log still. This was an old time method from when the settlers did not have the money for a copper still. A section of tree trunk would be hollowed out with a copper pipe running through it. The hollowed section would be filled with the fermented mash and steam fed through the pipe to start distillations.

These days the Dant brand is produced at Heaven Hill. This 1960s bottling however was produced by Schenley, who acquired the Dant Gesthemane distillery in 1952, where this was distilled. Gesthemane closed in the early 1960s, so this was bottled by Schenley at their plant in Aladdin, PA.

Italian import.

Jefferson's Presidential Select 16 Year Old Twin Oak Finish Bourbon Batch #1

The Jefferson's Reserve brand was launched in 1997, created by Try Zoeller and his father Chet, and marketed by their company, McClain & Kyne. Zoeller sold the business to Castle Brands in 2005. As of 2015, Castle Brands have had a 20% stake in Copperhead Distillery Company, which owns and operates Kentucky Artisan Distillery and are increasingly warehousing their own stock. Originally the brand was bottled using casks sourced from other distilleries.

Batch No.1 of this special release, which has been finished for 5 years in 'twin oak.'

Jack Daniel's Old No.7 90 Proof Quart 1973

Jack Daniel's is the best-selling American whiskey in the world. Despite that fact it can legally be categorised as a straight bourbon, it has always shunned this title, preferring to market itself as a Tennessee Whiskey. These are similar to straight bourbons but have the additional requirement of having been filtered through maple wood charcoal, a practice known as the Lincoln County Process. History has not always given the distillery an easy ride though. Tennessee was an early adopter of Prohibition in 1910, and one of the last to repeal it in 1938 (five years later than the repeal at Federal level). Even today the distillery is still located in a \"dry\" county, meaning none of its products are sold in its hometown or those around it. The distillery was then only operational for four years before being forced to close again during the second world war. Ten years later it was purchased by the Brown-Forman corporation and its fortunes turned for good. Its classic black-labelled Old No.7 brand (named after the distillery’s original DSP number) is now a globally recognised product.

An early 1970s bottle of the Old No.7 brand. This was bottled at the classic 90 proof, the historic strength for the brand until it was reduced to 86 proof in 1987.

Jefferson's Presidential Select 16 Year Old Twin Oak Finish Bourbon Batch #1

The Jefferson's Reserve brand was launched in 1997, created by Try Zoeller and his father Chet, and marketed by their company, McClain & Kyne. Zoeller sold the business to Castle Brands in 2005. As of 2015, Castle Brands have had a 20% stake in Copperhead Distillery Company, which owns and operates Kentucky Artisan Distillery and are increasingly warehousing their own stock. Originally the brand was bottled using casks sourced from other distilleries.

Batch No.1 of this special release, which has been finished for 5 years in 'twin oak.'

Jack Daniel's Old No.7 90 Proof 1982 Gift Tin

Jack Daniel's is the best-selling American whiskey in the world. Despite that fact it can legally be categorised as a straight bourbon, it has always shunned this title, preferring to market itself as a Tennessee Whiskey. These are similar to straight bourbons but have the additional requirement of having been filtered through maple wood charcoal, a practice known as the Lincoln County Process. History has not always given the distillery an easy ride though. Tennessee was an early adopter of Prohibition in 1910, and one of the last to repeal it in 1938 (five years later than the repeal at Federal level). Even today the distillery is still located in a \"dry\" county, meaning none of its products are sold in its hometown or those around it. The distillery was then only operational for four years before being forced to close again during the second world war. Ten years later it was purchased by the Brown-Forman corporation and its fortunes turned for good. Its classic black-labelled Old No.7 brand (named after the distillery’s original DSP number) is now a globally recognised product.

An early 1980s bottle of the Old No.7 brand. This was bottled at the classic 90 proof, the historic strength for the brand until it was reduced to 86 proof in 1987.

Jack Daniel's Old No.7 1895 Replica 1 Litre 1992

Jack Daniel's is the best-selling American whiskey in the world. Despite that fact it can legally be categorised as a straight bourbon, it has always shunned this title, preferring to market itself as a Tennessee Whiskey. These are similar to straight bourbons but have the additional requirement of having been filtered through maple wood charcoal, a practice known as the Lincoln County Process. History has not always given the distillery an easy ride though. Tennessee was an early adopter of Prohibition in 1910, and one of the last to repeal it in 1938 (five years later than the repeal at Federal level). Even today the distillery is still located in a \"dry\" county, meaning none of its products are sold in its hometown or those around it. The distillery was then only operational for four years before being forced to close again during the second world war. Ten years later it was purchased by the Brown-Forman corporation and its fortunes turned for good. Its classic black-labelled Old No.7 brand (named after the distillery’s original DSP number) is now a globally recognised product.

Their ninth commemorative decanter, this bottling is a replica of the first square bottle Jack Daniel's produced in 1895. It was released in 1992.

Jack Daniel's Single Barrel 1997

Jack Daniel's is the best-selling American whiskey in the world. Despite that fact it can legally be categorised as a straight bourbon, it has always shunned this title, preferring to market itself as a Tennessee Whiskey. These are similar to straight bourbons but have the additional requirement of having been filtered through maple wood charcoal, a practice known as the Lincoln County Process. History has not always given the distillery an easy ride though. Tennessee was an early adopter of Prohibition in 1910, and one of the last to repeal it in 1938 (five years later than the repeal at Federal level). Even today the distillery is still located in a \"dry\" county, meaning none of its products are sold in its hometown or those around it. The distillery was then only operational for four years before being forced to close again during the second world war. Ten years later it was purchased by the Brown-Forman corporation and its fortunes turned for good. Its classic black-labelled Old No.7 brand (named after the distillery’s original DSP number) is now a globally recognised product.

The Jack Daniel's Single Barrel line was first introduced in 1997 and today is known as the Single Barrel Select.

Jack Daniel's Single Barrel 1997

Jack Daniel's is the best-selling American whiskey in the world. Despite that fact it can legally be categorised as a straight bourbon, it has always shunned this title, preferring to market itself as a Tennessee Whiskey. These are similar to straight bourbons but have the additional requirement of having been filtered through maple wood charcoal, a practice known as the Lincoln County Process. History has not always given the distillery an easy ride though. Tennessee was an early adopter of Prohibition in 1910, and one of the last to repeal it in 1938 (five years later than the repeal at Federal level). Even today the distillery is still located in a \"dry\" county, meaning none of its products are sold in its hometown or those around it. The distillery was then only operational for four years before being forced to close again during the second world war. Ten years later it was purchased by the Brown-Forman corporation and its fortunes turned for good. Its classic black-labelled Old No.7 brand (named after the distillery’s original DSP number) is now a globally recognised product.

The Jack Daniel's Single Barrel line was first introduced in 1997 and today is known as the Single Barrel Select.

Sazerac Straight Rye Single Barrel / Binny's

Rye whiskey is synonymous with the Sazerac Company, becoming the key ingredient in the Sazerac cocktail which they sold at their eponymous coffee house in the late 19th century. The coffee house was run by Thomas H. Handy until his death in 1893. His former secretary, C.J. O’Reilly, took over the business and it was he who named it the Sazerac Company. The new company marketed a Sazerac rye whiskey for the first time, producing it up until Prohibition closed the Sazerac Coffee House down.

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

This rare version was drawn from a single barrel selected by Binny's in Chicago.

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

Jack Daniel's Old No.7 90 Proof 1968

Jack Daniel's is the best-selling American whiskey in the world. Despite that fact it can legally be categorised as a straight bourbon, it has always shunned this title, preferring to market itself as a Tennessee Whiskey. These are similar to straight bourbons but have the additional requirement of having been filtered through maple wood charcoal, a practice known as the Lincoln County Process. History has not always given the distillery an easy ride though. Tennessee was an early adopter of Prohibition in 1910, and one of the last to repeal it in 1938 (five years later than the repeal at Federal level). Even today the distillery is still located in a \"dry\" county, meaning none of its products are sold in its hometown or those around it. The distillery was then only operational for four years before being forced to close again during the second world war. Ten years later it was purchased by the Brown-Forman corporation and its fortunes turned for good. Its classic black-labelled Old No.7 brand (named after the distillery’s original DSP number) is now a globally recognised product.

A 1960s bottle of the Old No.7 brand. This was bottled at the classic 90 proof, the historic strength for the brand until it was reduced to 86 proof in 1987.

Sazerac Straight Rye Single Barrel #41 / Beltramo's Wine & Spirits

Rye whiskey is synonymous with the Sazerac Company, becoming the key ingredient in the Sazerac cocktail which they sold at their eponymous coffee house in the late 19th century. The coffee house was run by Thomas H. Handy until his death in 1893. His former secretary, C.J. O’Reilly, took over the business and it was he who named it the Sazerac Company. The new company marketed a Sazerac rye whiskey for the first time, producing it up until Prohibition closed the Sazerac Coffee House down.

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

This rare version was drawn from a single barrel selected by Beltramo's.

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

Jack Daniel's Old No.7 90 Proof 1976

Jack Daniel's is the best-selling American whiskey in the world. Despite that fact it can legally be categorised as a straight bourbon, it has always shunned this title, preferring to market itself as a Tennessee Whiskey. These are similar to straight bourbons but have the additional requirement of having been filtered through maple wood charcoal, a practice known as the Lincoln County Process. History has not always given the distillery an easy ride though. Tennessee was an early adopter of Prohibition in 1910, and one of the last to repeal it in 1938 (five years later than the repeal at Federal level). Even today the distillery is still located in a \"dry\" county, meaning none of its products are sold in its hometown or those around it. The distillery was then only operational for four years before being forced to close again during the second world war. Ten years later it was purchased by the Brown-Forman corporation and its fortunes turned for good. Its classic black-labelled Old No.7 brand (named after the distillery’s original DSP number) is now a globally recognised product.

An early 1970s bottle of the Old No.7 brand. This was bottled at the classic 90 proof, the historic strength for the brand until it was reduced to 86 proof in 1987.

Sazerac Straight Rye Single Barrel #1 / Binny's

Rye whiskey is synonymous with the Sazerac Company, becoming the key ingredient in the Sazerac cocktail which they sold at their eponymous coffee house in the late 19th century. The coffee house was run by Thomas H. Handy until his death in 1893. His former secretary, C.J. O’Reilly, took over the business and it was he who named it the Sazerac Company. The new company marketed a Sazerac rye whiskey for the first time, producing it up until Prohibition closed the Sazerac Coffee House down.

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

This rare version was drawn from a single barrel selected by Binny's in Chicago.

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

Jack Daniel's Single Barrel 1997

Jack Daniel's is the best-selling American whiskey in the world. Despite that fact it can legally be categorised as a straight bourbon, it has always shunned this title, preferring to market itself as a Tennessee Whiskey. These are similar to straight bourbons but have the additional requirement of having been filtered through maple wood charcoal, a practice known as the Lincoln County Process. History has not always given the distillery an easy ride though. Tennessee was an early adopter of Prohibition in 1910, and one of the last to repeal it in 1938 (five years later than the repeal at Federal level). Even today the distillery is still located in a \"dry\" county, meaning none of its products are sold in its hometown or those around it. The distillery was then only operational for four years before being forced to close again during the second world war. Ten years later it was purchased by the Brown-Forman corporation and its fortunes turned for good. Its classic black-labelled Old No.7 brand (named after the distillery’s original DSP number) is now a globally recognised product.

The Jack Daniel's Single Barrel line was first introduced in 1997 and today is known as the Single Barrel Select.

Smooth Ambler Old Scout 10 Year Old Straight Bourbon 2015

The Smooth Ambler is a craft distillery based in West Virginia, but the 'Old Scout' range is a collection of barrels sourced from other places, meeting the high standards of the Smooth Ambler brand. Old Scout was initially conceived as a means of generating funds in the intervening years that the initial Smooth Ambler spirit was maturing into whiskey, however its popularity has resulted in its continuation since.

This 10 year old is from batch #30 which was bottled on 9th March 2015 from barrels sourced from MGP distillery.

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.

Jack Daniel's Old No.7 90 Proof 1976

Jack Daniel's is the best-selling American whiskey in the world. Despite that fact it can legally be categorised as a straight bourbon, it has always shunned this title, preferring to market itself as a Tennessee Whiskey. These are similar to straight bourbons but have the additional requirement of having been filtered through maple wood charcoal, a practice known as the Lincoln County Process. History has not always given the distillery an easy ride though. Tennessee was an early adopter of Prohibition in 1910, and one of the last to repeal it in 1938 (five years later than the repeal at Federal level). Even today the distillery is still located in a \"dry\" county, meaning none of its products are sold in its hometown or those around it. The distillery was then only operational for four years before being forced to close again during the second world war. Ten years later it was purchased by the Brown-Forman corporation and its fortunes turned for good. Its classic black-labelled Old No.7 brand (named after the distillery’s original DSP number) is now a globally recognised product.

An early 1970s bottle of the Old No.7 brand. This was bottled at the classic 90 proof, the historic strength for the brand until it was reduced to 86 proof in 1987.

S.S. Pierce Number 6 Blended Whiskey Quart 1964

S.S. Pierce was an American spirits company with offices in Massachusetts and California, importing and in this case, blending their own products.

This is a 4 year old blended American whiskey, containing 37.5% straight whiskies, and 62.5% grain neutral spirits.

S.S. Pierce Private Stock Kentucky Whiskey Quart 1965

S.S. Pierce was an American spirits company with offices in Massachusetts and California, importing and in this case, blending their own products.

This is a 5 year old blended American whiskey, containing 40% straight whiskies, and 60% grain neutral spirits.

Jefferson's Cognac Cask Finish Straight Rye 

The Jefferson's Reserve brand was launched in 1997, created by Try Zoeller and his father Chet, and marketed by their company, McClain & Kyne. Zoeller sold the business to Castle Brands in 2005. As of 2015, Castle Brands have had a 20% stake in Copperhead Distillery Company, which owns and operates Kentucky Artisan Distillery and are increasingly warehousing their own stock. Originally the brand was bottled using casks sourced from other distilleries.

This straight rye whisky was finished in ex-Cognac Casks. 

Jim Beam 4 Year Old Classic Eighteen Wheeler Decanter 1991

The Beam family (anglicised from the German surname Böhm in the 18th century) are the greatest dynasty in all of American distilling, with members involved in nearly every Kentucky distillery during the 20th century. Perhaps none more important however than James \"Jim\" Beauregard Beam, who rebuilt his family business following the repeal of Prohibition, re-opening the famous Clermont distillery in 1935. The company is now the best-selling bourbon brand in the world (due to Jack Daniel's refusing to be categorised as such). They operate two Kentucky distilleries, the eponymous Jim Beam in Clermont and the Booker Noe distillery in nearby Boston, and since their purchase of National Distillers in 1987 also have a wealth of historic brands under their banner. Since 2014 the company has been a subsidiary of Suntory in Japan, which has widened its portfolio into the Scotch and Japanese whisky industries as well.

Bottling bourbon in decanters was a practice that took off though the 1960s, and nobody embraced it with as much fervour as Jim Beam. By the 1990s, there were over 200 Jim Beam Decanter collector's clubs dotted across the globe.

This is the Classic Eighteen Wheeler Decanter, and it contains a 4 year old bourbon bottled in 1991.