A Century of American Whiskey

Black Maple Hill 23 Year Old Single Barrel Rye / KBD

Black Maple Hill is owned by Californian company, CVI Brands. They do not own a distillery and contract the bottling of the brand to outside sources, initially with Julian Van Winkle in 2000, and then Kentucky Bourbon Distillers, who produced this.

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 this Black Maple Hill brand. 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.

KBD eventually had to reserve their warehoused stocks for their own popular Willett Family Reserve brand, so CVI have been sourcing their from the Stein distillery in Oregon since 2014.

James Thompson and Brother 1970 Final Reserve 1st Release

A fantastically well aged bourbon, distilled in 1970 at Yellowstone distillery in Louisville, KY, 15 years before it shut down.

Bottled by James Thompson & Brother in March 2018, this was the first release of their The Final Reserve.

The Thompson family have a rich distilling history, former proprietors of Glenmore distillery as well. This bourbon continues this history, as one of the oldest bourbons ever bottled. The casks were set aside by the family for a special commemorative bourbon, however this never materialised after they sold thier company to United Distillers in 1991. Instead, they casks were left to develop to this incredible age.

James \"Buddy\" Thompson recommends drinking this as bottled, but also suggests adding a drop or two of sherry to soften the tannins and smooth out any harshness should you prefer it that way.

This bottle was launched at the Frazier Museum in Louisville, and the presentation includes a 10cl sample bottle of the same liquid, a drinking glass, and a section of the barrel stave.

Two further releases followed later in 2018.

Berghoff 14 Year Old Kentucky Straight Bourbon 1988 / Stitzel-Weller

This is a 14 year old bourbon produced for Berghoff, a famous German restaurant in Chicago, Illinois. The diner has a long-association with Stitzel-Weller distillery, and they bottled a number of these for it over the years.

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 Berghoff bourbon was bottled in 1988 by United Distillers, and likely one of the last examples of these. Unusually, the Berghoff bottles were always labelled with the historic Stitzel-Weller name, despite the plant having been renamed Old Fitzgerald by Somerset Imports.

Bourbon Valley 1974 24 Year Old Kentucky Straight Bourbon

A classic 1974 vintage bourbon from the old Heaven Hill distillery in Bardstown. It was bottled at 24 years old in 1999 and exported for the Japanese market, who preferred the flavour of older bourbon at the time, while the US mostly consumed younger whiskey.

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.

Joseph Finch 1981 Rare Bourbon 15 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 Joesph Finch, and a Henry Clay. Both are named after historic figures and distilleries which, although closed, were part of the United Distillers portfolio.

The Finch distillery was built in 1856, and acquired by Schenley during Prohibtition. After repeal, it became the home of their Golden Wedding brand until it was eventually closed down in 1968 as the company concentrated production in its larger facilities elsewhere. Schenley was bought by United Distillers in 1987.

Distilled in 1981, 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.

Jefferson's Presidential Select 30 Year Old 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.

This is a 30 year old fro the premium Jefferson's Presidential Select range.

Booker's 7 Year Old Kentucky Straight Bourbon #C-E-15-84 / Signed

This is 7 years old and bottled at cask strength. The Booker's brand is a subsidiary of Jim Beam and was named after former master distiller, Booker Noe. His son Fred is now the current master distiller and is on record as having said, \"if you’re drinking Booker’s, you better have your pajamas on!” Jim Beam have two distilleries in Kentucky where they produce their bourbon, but Booker's is the only brand produced exclusively at one of them; the Boston Road plant, now also known as the Booker Noe distillery.

Booker's was launched in 1992 and is part of the Jim Beam Small Batch collection, alongside Baker's, Knob Creek and Basil Hayden.

Batch #C-E-15-84 has been aged for 7 years and 5 month. The wooden box has been signed by Booker Noe.

Jack Daniel's Old No.7 90 Proof 1974 x 9 / Case

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.

Booker's Rye 13 Year Old Limited Edition

The Booker's brand is a subsidiary of Jim Beam and was named after former master distiller, Booker Noe. His son Fred is now the current master distiller and is on record as having said, \"if you’re drinking Booker’s, you better have your pajamas on!” Jim Beam have two distilleries in Kentucky where they produce their bourbon, but Booker's is the only brand produced exclusively at one of them; the Boston Road plant, now also known as the Booker Noe distillery.

Booker's was launched in 1992 and is part of the Jim Beam Small Batch collection, alongside Baker's, Knob Creek and Basil Hayden.

This limited, one-off release was created by Fred Noe, the current Master Distiller at Jim Beam, Fred is the son of Booker and the great grandson of the \"Jim Beam\", making him the seventh generation Beam family distiller.

\"Big Time Batch\" was a limited edition rye whiskey, bottled in 2016.

Booker's 7 Year Old Kentucky Straight Bourbon #C-K-03-82

This is 7 years old and bottled at cask strength. The Booker's brand is a subsidiary of Jim Beam and was named after former master distiller, Booker Noe. His son Fred is now the current master distiller and is on record as having said, \"if you’re drinking Booker’s, you better have your pajamas on!” Jim Beam have two distilleries in Kentucky where they produce their bourbon, but Booker's is the only brand produced exclusively at one of them; the Boston Road plant, now also known as the Booker Noe distillery.

Booker's was launched in 1992 and is part of the Jim Beam Small Batch collection, alongside Baker's, Knob Creek and Basil Hayden.

Jefferson's Presidential Select 1991 17 Year Old Bourbon Batch #5 / Stitzel-Weller

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 is a wheated bourbon from the legendary Stitzel-Weller distillery, bottled from a batch of 1991 vintage casks made available by Diageo in the early 2000s when divesting from the bourbon market.

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.

Jefferson's Presidential Select 1991 17 Year Old Bourbon Batch #5 / Stitzel-Weller

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 is a wheated bourbon from the legendary Stitzel-Weller distillery, bottled from a batch of 1991 vintage casks made available by Diageo in the early 2000s when divesting from the bourbon market.

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.

Jack Daniel's Belle of Lincoln 1.5 Litre 1979

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 third commemorative decanter, this is a limited bottle of Jack Daniel's released in 1979 and named after one of the brands produced by Jack Daniel's in the 1890s. It was discontinued shortly after his death in 1911. The decanter was designed by Jack himself, and recreated here by the distillery from sketches of it.

Blanton's Single Barrel Silver Edition dumped 2002

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

Normally a 6 to 8 year old bourbon, it is aged in Warehouse H at Buffalo Trace, which is the only metal-clad warehouse at the distillery, commissioned for construction by Albert B. Blanton, after whom the whiskey is named. The warehouse was built shortly after prohibition and being metal, transfers heat quicker than brick warehouses, allowing for more rapid ageing.

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

This is a 2002 bottling of the Silver Edition.

Since 1999, every bottle of Blanton's has one of 8 different stoppers, each depicting a horse and jockey at a different stage of finishing a race. The designs are all lettered so that a complete set laid out side by side will spell \"BLANTONS.\" 

Please note due to the fragility of Blanton’s bottle seal and packaging, Whisky Auctioneer cannot accept responsibility for any damage and/or leakage during transit.

Jack Daniel's Tennessee Bicentennial 96 Proof 1995 6 x 75cl / Case

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.

Jack Daniel's Old No.7 Riverboat Captain's Bottle 90 Proof 1.75 Litre 1987

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 seventh commemorative decanter, this was a limited bottle of Jack Daniel's Old No.7 released in 1987 as a tribute to the riverboat captains who transported Jack Daniel's whiskey across 19th century America. This is the original 90 proof release, with a lower 86 proof version having been made avaailable shortly after.

Brown-Forman's King of Kentucky 2006 Single Barrel 14 Year Old #18

The origins of the Brown-Forman company date back to 1870 when George Garvin Brown went into business with his brother, John Thompson Street Brown. The pair had struck upon the innovation of selling whiskey in sealed glass bottles in order to ensure quality control to capitalise on the medicinal whiskey trade in the 19th century. They introduced their Old Forester brand in the same year in order to do just that. The two brothers’ business relationship quickly deteriorated however, and George Garvin founded a new venture with his accountant, George Forman, taking the Old Forester label with him. His early investment in the medicinal whiskey trade paid huge dividends when National Prohibition was enacted in 1920, seeing Brown-Forman granted a license to continue making whiskey. It was one of just six, alongside Glenmore, Frankfort Distilleries, Schenley, A. Ph. Stitzel and the American Medicinal Spirits Co. The company then bought the Early Times distillery in 1923 in order to make use of its huge stocks, and for nearly 100 years Early Times whiskey was one of its flagship brands (then sold to Sazerac in 2020). Brown-Forman emerged from Prohibition as one of America's powerhouse distilling companies, adding the Labrot & Graham distillery (later Woodford Reserve) to its portfolio in the 1940s, and the Jack Daniel distillery in Tennessee in the 1950s. The company remains a global player in the whisky industry to this day, opening a new Old Forester distillery in 2018, and acquiring a foothold in the Scotch market in 2016 through its takeover of Benriach, Glenglassaugh and Glendronach.

The King of Kentucky label was bought by the company in 1935 but was shelved in the 1960s. It then lay dormant for decades until revived in 2018.

This single barrel Kentucky bourbon was filled at their distillery in Louisville on the 27th June 2006. Barrel #18 was aged 14 years on rick 46, floor 8 of Warehouse K.

This is one of just 64 bottles dumped in 2020.

Buffalo Trace 1995 Experimental Collection 15 Year Old 37.5cl / French Oak Barrel Aged

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.

A distillery with both enormous production capacity and warehouse space, the Sazerac Company has long had the privilege of being able to conduct numerous experiments in both distilling and ageing with its whiskey. The company estimates that it has over 30,000 experimental barrels in its warehouses, and as of 2006 has been releasing the fruits of these for enthusiasts to mull over.

This 15 year old was distilled using its high-rye mashbill #2 and aged in a new toasted French oak barrel. It was bottled in 2010.

Jim Beam 20 Year Old Distillers' Masterpiece Port Wine Finish

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.

Distillers' Masterpiece was first bottled in 1999 by Booker Noe, a specially selected 18 year old that had been finished in cognac casks. This is the follow-up release, a port-finished 20 year old.

A third and fourth release followed over a decade later, both finished in Pedro Ximenez sherry.

John E. Fitzgerald 20 Year Old Very Special Reserve / Stitzel-Weller

Originally registered as \"Jno. E. Fitzgerald,\" the Old Fitzgerald brand was devised by S.C. Hebst in 1870. Hebst was a rectifier by trade (using grain neutral spirit with colouring and flavourings to make \"whiskey\"), but he also had a passion for sourcing high quality barrels of pot still bourbon and rye, which he bottled as Jno. E. Fitzgerald. When the Bottled in Bond Act of 1897 was passed, rectified whiskey fell out of favour and Hebst went into the distilling business, purchasing a distillery which he named Old Judge after his best-selling flagship brand. Old Judge did not survive Prohibition however, and Hebst sold the Old Fitzgerald brand for just $10,000 to a former customer, a certain Julian 'Pappy' Van Winkle, who was sourcing label for his new Stitzel-Weller venture. Van Winkle had a near-religious belief in the importance of quality above all else in the bourbon he produced and under his guidance, Old Fitzgerald became and remains to this day, one of the most sought-after and respected labels in American whiskey. Stitzel-Weller was eventually shut down by United Distillers, and as their successor, Diageo, sold the Old Fitzgerald brand to current owners, Heaven Hill.

The John E. Fitzgerald sub-brand was launched by Heaven Hill and best known for the core-range expression, Larceny. Released in 2015, this highly-limited release was bottled from twelve casks of Stitzel-Weller bourbon that was tranferred to Heaven Hill's Warehouse Y following their acquisition of the brand from Diageo. The casks were moved into stainless steel in 2013 to avoid further ageing, and were dumped together and bottled here at 90 US proof.

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.

Bourbon Hill 15 Year Old 101 Proof Kentucky Straight Bourbon 1996

Bourbon Hill is a label produced by Heaven Hill for Japan, a market that preferred well-aged bourbon that was not to America's taste at the time of production. 

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.

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

Buffalo Trace 1989 Experimental Collection 21 Year Old 37.5cl / Rediscovered Barrels

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.

A distillery with both enormous production capacity and warehouse space, the Sazerac Company has long had the privilege of being able to conduct numerous experiments in both distilling and ageing with its whiskey. The company estimates that it has over 30,000 experimental barrels in its warehouses, and as of 2006 has been releasing the fruits of these for enthusiasts to mull over.

This 21 year old was distilled back 1989 and were discovered uncatalogued in the Buffalo Trace warehouses. This was the first of three in release number 10.

Johnny Drum 15 Year Old Private Stock Kentucky Straight Bourbon 2007

A popular bourbon produced in small batches by Kentucky Bourbon Distillers at Willett distillery. These 15 year old were produced using sourced barrels before the age statement was dropped.

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.

Black Maple Hill Small Batch Kentucky Straight Bourbon / KBD

Black Maple Hill is owned by Californian company, CVI Brands. They do not own a distillery and contract the bottling of the brand to outside sources, initially with Julian Van Winkle in 2000, and then Kentucky Bourbon Distillers, who produced this.

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 this Black Maple Hill brand. 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.

KBD eventually had to reserve their warehoused stocks for their own popular Willett Family Reserve brand, so CVI have been sourcing their from the Stein distillery in Oregon since 2014.

These hand-bottled releases of the Kentucky bourbon are difficult to come by.

Bourbon Valley 12 Year Old Kentucky Straight Bourbon 1990

A classic bourbon from the old Heaven Hill distillery in Bardstown.

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.

This is a 12 year old whiskey bottled in the year 1990. It was exported to the Japanese market.

Jack Daniel's Old No.7 Silver Cornet Bottle 1.75 Litre 1986

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 sixth commemorative decanter, this was a limited bottle of Jack Daniel's Old No.7 released in 1986 as a tribute to the musicians that Jack Daniel assembled 100 years earlier to play at his Red Dog and White Rabbit saloons, the Silver Cornet Band.

Jefferson's Presidential Select 1991 18 Year Old Bourbon Batch #27 / Stitzel-Weller

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 is a wheated bourbon from the legendary Stitzel-Weller distillery, bottled from a batch of 1991 vintage casks made available by Diageo in the early 2000s when divesting from the bourbon market.

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.

Brook Hill 1917 Bottled in Bond 15 Year Old Pint / Prohibition Era Bottling

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

One of these companies was Brown-Forman, whose origins date back to 1870 when George Garvin Brown went into business with his brother, John Thompson Street Brown. The pair had struck upon the innovation of selling whiskey in sealed glass bottles in order to ensure quality control to capitalise on the medicinal whiskey trade in the 19th century. They introduced their Old Forester brand in the same year in order to do just that. The two brothers’ business relationship quickly deteriorated however, and George Garvin founded a new venture with his accountant, George Forman, taking the Old Forester label with him. His early investment in the medicinal whiskey trade paid huge dividends in 1920, seeing Brown-Forman granted a license to continue making whiskey. It was one of just six, alongside Glenmore, Frankfort Distilleries, Schenley, A. Ph. Stitzel and the American Medicinal Spirits Co.

The company then bought the Early Times distillery in 1923 in order to make use of its huge stocks, some of which went into this bottle of Brook Hill. The Brook Hill brand was founded by Joseph L. Friedman, and was acquired by Brown-Forman along with Yellowstone and Belmont through the G. Lee Redmond Company in 1924. They bottled this version in 1932.

Brown-Forman emerged from Prohibition as one of America's powerhouse distilling companies, adding the Labrot & Graham distillery (later Woodford Reserve) to its portfolio in the 1940s, and the Jack Daniel distillery in Tennessee in the 1950s. The company remains a global player in the whisky industry to this day, opening a new Old Forester distillery in 2018, and acquiring a foothold in the Scotch market in 2016 through its takeover of Benriach, Glenglassaugh and Glendronach.

Jefferson's Presidential Select 1991 18 Year Old Bourbon Batch #16 / Stitzel-Weller

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 is a wheated bourbon from the legendary Stitzel-Weller distillery, bottled from a batch of 1991 vintage casks made available by Diageo in the early 2000s when divesting from the bourbon market.

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.

Jefferson's Presidential Select 1991 18 Year Old Bourbon Batch #14 / Stitzel-Weller

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 is a wheated bourbon from the legendary Stitzel-Weller distillery, bottled from a batch of 1991 vintage casks made available by Diageo in the early 2000s when divesting from the bourbon market.

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.

Jack Daniel's Old No.7 Tribute to Tennessee 1.75 Litre 1982

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 fourth commemorative decanter, this was a limited bottle of Jack Daniel's Old No.7 was released in 1982 as a tribute to Jack Daniel's affection for his distillery's home state.

Booker's 30th Anniversary Small Batch Bourbon

The Booker's brand is a subsidiary of Jim Beam and was named after former master distiller, Booker Noe. His son Fred is now the current master distiller and is on record as having said, \"if you’re drinking Booker’s, you better have your pajamas on!” Jim Beam have two distilleries in Kentucky where they produce their bourbon, but Booker's is the only brand produced exclusively at one of them; the Boston Road plant, now also known as the Booker Noe distillery.

This special release commemorated the brand's 30th anniversary and is a vatting of 70% 2009 vintage 9 year old bourbon, and 30% 16 year old bourbon distilled in 2002.