A Century of American Whiskey

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

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

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

The Stitzel-Weller company was officially established in 1933 at the repeal of National Prohibition in the US. It was the result of a merger between the A. Ph. Stitzel distillery and its biggest customer, W.L. Weller & Sons. The Stitzel-Weller distillery opened on Kentucky Derby day in 1935, and quickly developed a reputation for its high quality wheated bourbon, and its main brands were Old Weller, Old Fitzgerald and Cabin Still. The original ownership was shared between Alex T. Farnsley, Arthur Philip Stitzel and Julian Van Winkle. The former passed-away in 1941 and 1947, respectively, leaving the Van Winkle family as the sole heirs to the business. 'Pappy' died in 1965, having handed the reigns to his son, Julian II the year prior, who ran it until 1972 when the board of directors forced him to sell it to the Norton-Simon subsidiary, Somerset Imports. When they were bought over by the American arm of Scottish distillers, DCL, its subsequent iteration invested heavily in bourbon. So much so in fact, that their newly rebuilt Bernheim distillery had such capacity that Stitzel-Weller was rendered surplus to requirements. It was shut down in 1992. Still part of the Diageo portfolio, it has never re-opened and instead now houses the visitor experience for their Bulleit brand.

LDI 1988 Barrel Proof 23 Year Old Rye

The history of MGP distillery has its roots in the mid-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.

This 1988 vintage whiskey was distilled by Seagram using a mashbill of 95% rye. It was bottled in 2011 to commemorate the LDI era, which ran from July 2007 until December 2011. Unusually labelled with \"thanks for being part of the success,\" this was gifted to the staff prior to the takeover by MGP.

Legends of the Wild West 15 Year Old Historic Bourbon 96 Proof

This is a \"historic bourbon,\" aged 15 years and titled Legends of the Wild West and featuring 19th century frontiersman and US army officer Kit Carson on the label. This is almost certainly a Kentucky Bourbon Distillers bottling, although the font style used for the Kit Carson is indicative of the company now known as Preservation Distillers.

Preservation is owned by the Allied Lomar in California, who's other products include Very Olde St Nick, Rare Perfection, Wattie Boone and the Vintage Bourbon and Rye bottles. They have been sourcing bourbon and bottling it for several decades, and they are instantly recognisable from their uniform use of the same cursive script-style typeface. Marci Palatella was Julian Van Winkle III's agent in the Japanese market for many years, and their early bottlings were contracted to him at his Old Commonwealth distillery.

The Van Winkle partnership with in the early 2000's ended this agreement however, with the production of bottles such as this moved to Willett distillery, where they were bottled by its owners, Evan Kulsveen's Kentucky Bourbon Distillers. The stills at Willett were silent at this point and KBD were sourcing most of their whiskey from Heaven Hill.

Preservation Distillers have opened their very own distillery in Bardstown Kentucky in 2018, which will produce around 3-4 barrels of pot distilled bourbon per day.

Taylor Springs 1935 Bottled in Bond 5 Year Old Bourbon

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

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

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

Thomas H Handy Sazerac Rye 2020 Release

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

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

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

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

Thomas H Handy Sazerac Rye 2018 Release

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

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

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

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

Thomas H Handy Sazerac Rye 2019 Release

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

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

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

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

Thomas H Handy Sazerac Rye 2017 Release

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

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

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

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

Lionstone 8 Year Old Gold Panner Decanter 1969

Lionstone Distilleries was a company that sourced whiskey to bottle in commemorative decanter in the 1960s and 1970s. One of its directors was Even Kulsveen, who would marry Martha Willett in 1972 and is now the owner of the Willett distillery. Later examples of these decanters list the bottler as being located in Bardstown, Kentucky, which likely refers to Willett, however these earlier versions from Lawrenceburg could be from a number of disfferent distilleries.

Larceny Barrel Proof Batch #B521

This bourbon brand is named after John E. Fitzgerald, who first gave his name to the classic Old Fitzgerland label, devised by S.C. Hebst in 1870. John E. Fitzgerald Larceny was introduced by Heaven Hill in 2012 as a more affordable wheated bourbon to its premium Old Fitzgerald line.

Larceny Barrel Proof was introduced in 2019 and is a thrice-annual release from Heaven Hill's Bernheim distillery.

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

Tennessee Bourbon 14 Year Old That Boutique-y Whisky Company Batch #1

Launched in 2012, That Boutique-y Whisky Company is an independent bottler and subsidiary of the Atom Group in Kent, England. Their releases are notable for their use of comic book style graphic labels, often with irreverent industry jokes concealed within them. Their catalogue is hugely expansive, covering whiskies from all over the world, and they are now joined by sister companies who bottle Gin and Rum.

The label here depicts the famous sugar maple charcoal production for use in the Lincoln County method that Tennessee whisky is famous for.

This 14 year old expression has come from Diageo's Cascade Hollow distillery, the home of George Dickel, and is one of several independent bottlings around this age that were released at the time. One of 547 bottles.

Distilling at Cascade Hollow has taken place since the late 19th century, however the modern distillery was constructed in 1958 by the Schenley company after they were beaten by Brown-Forman in the battle to acquire Jack Daniel's. Schenley had acquired the rights to the George Dickel brand after Prohibition was repealed, and up until that point had marketed it as a Kentucky bourbon, produced at George T. Stagg (now known as Buffalo Trace). The first George Dickel Tennessee whiskey was sold in 1964. After United Distillers acquired Schenley in 1987, production was increased as the company invested heavily in American whiskey. This however resulted in oversupply, and when UD became Diageo 1997, they promptly shut the distillery down. The company continued to sell George Dickel however, and it was popular enough that operations resumed there in September 2003. The distillery and brand are now an important part of Diageo's revived interest in the US whiskey market.