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.

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.

Gallant Knight 1917 Bottled in Bond Whiskey / 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 the Frankfort distillery. Built in 1902, the distillery was one of six companies to be granted a medicinal license in 1920, along with Brown-Forman, Schenley, the A. Ph. Stitzel distillery, the American Medicinal Spirits Company, and James Thompson & Brother. Like the others, Frankfort Distillery secured its stocks for the next decade by buying up the stocks from many of those who did not. In 1922, they company was bought by Paul Jones & Co, which subsumed itself into the newly named Frankfort Distilleries in order to use its license to continue production of its now legendary Four Roses brand. The distillery did not re-open after Prohibition, and with stock stretched thin due to its expanded portfolio by the end of 1920s, they contracted A. Ph. Stitzel to supply them with more from their ageing stock. This partnership saw Frankfort Distilleries eventually acquire the Stitzel plant in 1933, with its former owners opening the legendary Stitzel-Weller in Louisville two years later. In 1943 the Frankfort Distilleries company was acquired by Canadian giants, Seagram, who ran it a a subsidiary until dissolving it in the 1960s.

This whiskey was distilled in Indiana at the Greendale distillery. Warehouse transactions date the distillery to around the late 19th century, and like most it did not re-open again after closing in 1920. The whiskey was bottled in 1933.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Grommes and Ullrich 1942 Black Label Kentucky Straight Bourbon

Grommes and Ullrich was a grocer's business founded  in Chicago by Hubert Grommes and Michael Ullrich in the late 19th century. As was the common pre-Prohibition, the store had agreements with various distillers to produce and bottle house labels for it, one of which was this Black Label brand. When Prohibition ended, labels like this were mostly owned by larger corporations as these were the only companies with enough seed capital to get the whiskey trade back on its feet, with the majority of brands owned by just four producers.

This example contains pre-war (by the American timeline) whiskey, distilled in 1942. Bottled in the 1960s, the Grommes & Ullrich name was the property of another Chicago company called Marquette Distributors.

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.

George T Stagg 2016 Release

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.

Because Sazerac did not own the the existing distillery portfolio, they necessarily had to begin adding new brands to their range. Besides their eponymous flagship bourbon, perhaps the most important of these was this, the George T. Stagg. Although not part of the original Antique Collection , it was added in 2002 and is now the flag bearer for the range. The Antique Collection celebrates the heritage of the the Sazerac Company and the Buffalo Trace distillery, so it is only fitting that one of its products pay tribute to both the man who saved the distillery in the late 19th century, but also recognises Buffalo Trace's identity for all but five years of the previous century.

The 2016 edition is a 15 year old bourbon.

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.

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. 

Geo A Dickel's Cascade Blended Whiskey Quart 1940

This blended American whiskey was produced by the Schenley company in 1940.

Schenley was organised in 1920 by Louis Rosenstiel as the Cincinnati Distributing Corp. It was one of just six companies granted a license by the US government to bottle medicinal whiskey, alongside Brown-Forman, Frankfort Distilleries, the A. Ph. Stitzel distillery, the American Medicinal Spirits Company, and James Thompson & Brother. In the same year, Rosenstiel acquired the Joseph S. Finch distillery in Pennsylvania, its stock and its Golden Wedding brand, which would go onto become one of the flagship labels of Schenley in the 20th century. In 1922, Rosenstiel met Winston Churchill while holidaying in France, and the future British Prime Minister advised him to begin preparing for the eventuality that the unpopular Prohibition act would be repealed. Rosenstiel then spent the next decade accruing assets in the whiskey industry and by the time his foresight finally paid off in 1933, Schenley were the owners of numerous distilleries including George T. Stagg, James E. Pepper, and the Squibb distillery in Indiana. They added the famous Bernheim distillery to the portfolio in 1937, and the year prior made their first play in the Scotch market by becoming the US distributor for John Dewar & Sons. Rosenstiel's spirits empire dominated much of the market share of American whiskey for the next forty years through brands like I.W. Harper and Cream of Kentucky, before he sold his controlling stake to the Glen Alden company in 1968. He passed away eight years later, and in 1987, Schenley was bought over by United Distillers, newly formed through a merger of the Distillers Company Ltd (DCL) and Arthur Bell & Sons after both were acquired by Guinness that year.

Schenley had acquired the George Dickel brand at the close of Prohibition, marketing this blend produced using straight whiskey and grain neutral spirit from their Squibb distillery in Indiana. This all changed in 1964 however, when they opened the Cascade Hollow distillery in Tennessee, which has been the home of the George Dickel brand ever since, now owned and operated by Diageo.

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.

Greenbrier 1913 Bottled in Bond Whiskey Pint / Prohibition Era Bottling

A medicinal bottling of American whiskey. Medicinal whiskey was a legal loophole exploited by a select number of distillers who were able to acquire a license to do so, and allowed them to continue bottling their bonded stock as a prescription medication.

This was distilled in 1913 and bottled in 1924, four years after the Prohibition Act was enforced. The whiskey is from the Greenbrier distillery, which was built in 1883 by a certain Old Grand-dad, R.B. Hayden, after whom Jim Beam's Basil Hayden's bourbon is also named. The distillery was purchased by the Schenley company during Prohibition, one of their many acquisitions as they looked for full warehouses to bottle whiskey from using their medicinal license. The original distillery was closed, however the company, one of the largest post-Prohibition producers built a new one which operated briefly. 

Schenley was organised in 1920 by Louis Rosenstiel as the Cincinnati Distributing Corp. It was one of just six companies granted a license by the US government to bottle medicinal whiskey, alongside Brown-Forman, Frankfort Distilleries, the A. Ph. Stitzel distillery, the American Medicinal Spirits Company, and James Thompson & Brother. In the same year, Rosenstiel acquired the Joseph S. Finch distillery in Pennsylvania, its stock and its Golden Wedding brand, which would go onto become one of the flagship labels of Schenley in the 20th century. In 1922, Rosenstiel met Winston Churchill while holidaying in France, and the future British Prime Minister advised him to begin preparing for the eventuality that the unpopular Prohibition act would be repealed. Rosenstiel then spent the next decade accruing assets in the whiskey industry and by the time his foresight finally paid off in 1933, Schenley were the owners of numerous distilleries including George T. Stagg, James E. Pepper, and the Squibb distillery in Indiana. They added the famous Bernheim distillery to the portfolio in 1937, and the year prior made their first play in the Scotch market by becoming the US distributor for John Dewar & Sons. Rosenstiel's spirits empire dominated much of the market share of American whiskey for the next forty years through brands like I.W. Harper and Cream of Kentucky, before he sold his controlling stake to the Glen Alden company in 1968. He passed away eight years later, and in 1987, Schenley was bought over by United Distillers, newly formed through a merger of the Distillers Company Ltd (DCL) and Arthur Bell & Sons after both were acquired by Guinness that year.

This brand is not to be confused with the similarly named Green Brier distillery in Tennessee, which was recently revived.

Greenbrier 1913 Bottled in Bond Whiskey Pint / Prohibition Era Bottling

A medicinal bottling of American whiskey. Medicinal whiskey was a legal loophole exploited by a select number of distillers who were able to acquire a license to do so, and allowed them to continue bottling their bonded stock as a prescription medication.

This was distilled in 1913 and bottled in 1924, four years after the Prohibition Act was enforced. The whiskey is from the Greenbrier distillery, which was built in 1883 by a certain Old Grand-dad, R.B. Hayden, after whom Jim Beam's Basil Hayden's bourbon is also named. The distillery was purchased by the Schenley company during Prohibition, one of their many acquisitions as they looked for full warehouses to bottle whiskey from using their medicinal license. The original distillery was closed, however the company, one of the largest post-Prohibition producers built a new one which operated briefly. 

Schenley was organised in 1920 by Louis Rosenstiel as the Cincinnati Distributing Corp. It was one of just six companies granted a license by the US government to bottle medicinal whiskey, alongside Brown-Forman, Frankfort Distilleries, the A. Ph. Stitzel distillery, the American Medicinal Spirits Company, and James Thompson & Brother. In the same year, Rosenstiel acquired the Joseph S. Finch distillery in Pennsylvania, its stock and its Golden Wedding brand, which would go onto become one of the flagship labels of Schenley in the 20th century. In 1922, Rosenstiel met Winston Churchill while holidaying in France, and the future British Prime Minister advised him to begin preparing for the eventuality that the unpopular Prohibition act would be repealed. Rosenstiel then spent the next decade accruing assets in the whiskey industry and by the time his foresight finally paid off in 1933, Schenley were the owners of numerous distilleries including George T. Stagg, James E. Pepper, and the Squibb distillery in Indiana. They added the famous Bernheim distillery to the portfolio in 1937, and the year prior made their first play in the Scotch market by becoming the US distributor for John Dewar & Sons. Rosenstiel's spirits empire dominated much of the market share of American whiskey for the next forty years through brands like I.W. Harper and Cream of Kentucky, before he sold his controlling stake to the Glen Alden company in 1968. He passed away eight years later, and in 1987, Schenley was bought over by United Distillers, newly formed through a merger of the Distillers Company Ltd (DCL) and Arthur Bell & Sons after both were acquired by Guinness that year.

This brand is not to be confused with the similarly named Green Brier distillery in Tennessee, which was recently revived.

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.

Greenbrier 1913 Bottled in Bond Whiskey Pint / Prohibition Era Bottling

A medicinal bottling of American whiskey. Medicinal whiskey was a legal loophole exploited by a select number of distillers who were able to acquire a license to do so, and allowed them to continue bottling their bonded stock as a prescription medication.

This was distilled in 1913 and bottled in 1924, four years after the Prohibition Act was enforced. The whiskey is from the Greenbrier distillery, which was built in 1883 by a certain Old Grand-dad, R.B. Hayden, after whom Jim Beam's Basil Hayden's bourbon is also named. The distillery was purchased by the Schenley company during Prohibition, one of their many acquisitions as they looked for full warehouses to bottle whiskey from using their medicinal license. The original distillery was closed, however the company, one of the largest post-Prohibition producers built a new one which operated briefly. 

Schenley was organised in 1920 by Louis Rosenstiel as the Cincinnati Distributing Corp. It was one of just six companies granted a license by the US government to bottle medicinal whiskey, alongside Brown-Forman, Frankfort Distilleries, the A. Ph. Stitzel distillery, the American Medicinal Spirits Company, and James Thompson & Brother. In the same year, Rosenstiel acquired the Joseph S. Finch distillery in Pennsylvania, its stock and its Golden Wedding brand, which would go onto become one of the flagship labels of Schenley in the 20th century. In 1922, Rosenstiel met Winston Churchill while holidaying in France, and the future British Prime Minister advised him to begin preparing for the eventuality that the unpopular Prohibition act would be repealed. Rosenstiel then spent the next decade accruing assets in the whiskey industry and by the time his foresight finally paid off in 1933, Schenley were the owners of numerous distilleries including George T. Stagg, James E. Pepper, and the Squibb distillery in Indiana. They added the famous Bernheim distillery to the portfolio in 1937, and the year prior made their first play in the Scotch market by becoming the US distributor for John Dewar & Sons. Rosenstiel's spirits empire dominated much of the market share of American whiskey for the next forty years through brands like I.W. Harper and Cream of Kentucky, before he sold his controlling stake to the Glen Alden company in 1968. He passed away eight years later, and in 1987, Schenley was bought over by United Distillers, newly formed through a merger of the Distillers Company Ltd (DCL) and Arthur Bell & Sons after both were acquired by Guinness that year.

This brand is not to be confused with the similarly named Green Brier distillery in Tennessee, which was recently revived.

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.

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.

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.

Buffalo Trace 1991 Experimental Collection 19 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 19 year old was distilled back 1991 and the barrels were discovered uncatalogued in the Buffalo Trace warehouses. This was the second of three in release number 10.

George T Stagg 2018 Release

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.

Because Sazerac did not own the the existing distillery portfolio, they necessarily had to begin adding new brands to their range. Besides their eponymous flagship bourbon, perhaps the most important of these was this, the George T. Stagg. Although not part of the original Antique Collection , it was added in 2002 and is now the flag bearer for the range. The Antique Collection celebrates the heritage of the the Sazerac Company and the Buffalo Trace distillery, so it is only fitting that one of its products pay tribute to both the man who saved the distillery in the late 19th century, but also recognises Buffalo Trace's identity for all but five years of the previous century.

The 2018 edition is a 15 year old bourbon, distilled in the spring of 2003.

George T Stagg 2020 Release

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.

Because Sazerac did not own the the existing distillery portfolio, they necessarily had to begin adding new brands to their range. Besides their eponymous flagship bourbon, perhaps the most important of these was this, the George T. Stagg. Although not part of the original Antique Collection , it was added in 2002 and is now the flag bearer for the range. The Antique Collection celebrates the heritage of the the Sazerac Company and the Buffalo Trace distillery, so it is only fitting that one of its products pay tribute to both the man who saved the distillery in the late 19th century, but also recognises Buffalo Trace's identity for all but five years of the previous century.

The 2020 edition is a 15 year old bourbon, distilled in the spring of 2005.

George T Stagg 2017 Release

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.

Because Sazerac did not own the the existing distillery portfolio, they necessarily had to begin adding new brands to their range. Besides their eponymous flagship bourbon, perhaps the most important of these was this, the George T. Stagg. Although not part of the original Antique Collection , it was added in 2002 and is now the flag bearer for the range. The Antique Collection celebrates the heritage of the the Sazerac Company and the Buffalo Trace distillery, so it is only fitting that one of its products pay tribute to both the man who saved the distillery in the late 19th century, but also recognises Buffalo Trace's identity for all but five years of the previous century.

The 2017 edition is a 15 year old bourbon.

Whisky Advocate rated this 94 points!

George T Stagg 2017 Release

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.

Because Sazerac did not own the the existing distillery portfolio, they necessarily had to begin adding new brands to their range. Besides their eponymous flagship bourbon, perhaps the most important of these was this, the George T. Stagg. Although not part of the original Antique Collection , it was added in 2002 and is now the flag bearer for the range. The Antique Collection celebrates the heritage of the the Sazerac Company and the Buffalo Trace distillery, so it is only fitting that one of its products pay tribute to both the man who saved the distillery in the late 19th century, but also recognises Buffalo Trace's identity for all but five years of the previous century.

The 2017 edition is a 15 year old bourbon.

Whisky Advocate rated this 94 points!

Buffalo Trace 1988 Experimental Collection 18 Year Old 37.5cl / Zinfandel Aged After 10 Years

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 18 year old was distilled using its low-rye mashbill #1 and reracked into an American oak Zinfandel cask after 10 years. This was the second of two in release number 3.

Buffalo Trace 1997 Experimental Collection 15 Year Old 37.5cl / #7 Heavy Char

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 filled into barrels given a heavy #7 charring. This was the second of two in release number 12.

George T Stagg 2017 Release

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.

Because Sazerac did not own the the existing distillery portfolio, they necessarily had to begin adding new brands to their range. Besides their eponymous flagship bourbon, perhaps the most important of these was this, the George T. Stagg. Although not part of the original Antique Collection , it was added in 2002 and is now the flag bearer for the range. The Antique Collection celebrates the heritage of the the Sazerac Company and the Buffalo Trace distillery, so it is only fitting that one of its products pay tribute to both the man who saved the distillery in the late 19th century, but also recognises Buffalo Trace's identity for all but five years of the previous century.

The 2017 edition is a 15 year old bourbon.

Whisky Advocate rated this 94 points!

Buffalo Trace 1996 Experimental Collection 10 Year Old 37.5cl / Fire Pot 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 10 year old was distilled using its low-rye mashbill #1 and aged in a barrel heated to 102 degrees in a \"fire pot,\" gaining a #4 char.

Buffalo Trace 1993 Experimental Collection 12 Year Old 37.5cl / Twice Barrelled

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 12 year old was distilled using its high-rye mashbill #2 and aged for 8 years before being reracked into a second virgin oak barrel. This was the second of three in release number 1.