A Century of American Whiskey

Michter's Whiskey Decanter Pint 1976

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

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

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

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

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 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.

Old Forester 150th Anniversary Batch Proof 01/03

Introduced in 1870, Old Forester was the founding product of what is now Brown-Forman and is one of America's historic bourbon brands. It was one of the first to be sold only in sealed bottles, in order to ensure quality control to capitalise on the medicinal whiskey trade in the 19th century. It was even named after local Louisville physician, Dr. William Forrester (they dropped the second 'R' from the name when he retired). This early foresight paid 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. In the decades following repeal, Brown-Forman became one of the nation's leading drinks companies, and Old Forester remained its flagship Kentucky brand. Its distillery in Shively is one of the largest in the state, and in 2018 they opened a dedicated Old Forester distillery on Louisville's famous Whiskey Row, doubling their capacity to produce the brand.

Released in 2020, this is the first of three special batch proof releases to celebrate the brand's 150th birthday.

Old Cabin Still 6 Year Old Collector's Gallery Decanter 1969 / Stitzel-Weller

Bottled in 1969, this is the sought-after version of the Cabin Still brand that contains whiskey distilled at Stitzel-Weller. 

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

Cabin still was actually the catalyst for Somerset Imports' purchase of the distillery, and they used the brand to bottle their vast supply of ageing stocks from other distilleries. Cabin Still remains available today, produced by Luxco who had acquired it from Heaven Hill following their purchase of it from the closing Stitzel-Weller in 1992. This Van Winkle era Stitzel-Weller distilled version is a truly rare opportunity to own an example of the brand in its prime.

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.

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.

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!

Jefferson's Presidential Select 25 Year Old Batch #3

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 Batch #1 of the 25 year old rye.

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.

Willett Family Estate 7 Year Old Single Barrel Bourbon #5357​

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.

Barrel #5357 was sourced in Kentucky and bottled in January 2017.

Ezra Brooks 150 Month Old Bareknuckle Fighter Decanter 1971

Ezra Brooks is perhaps best known for having been taken to court of copycat accusations by Jack Daniel's in the 1960s, with similarities in everything from the bottle and label to the (square/ black and white) to the advertising slogans (\"there isn't quite enough to go around\" vs. \"there just ain't enuf to go around\").

Ezra Brooks is a brand that was never tied to a distillery, although it is associated for most of its history with Hoffman, which is the site later renamed Old Commonwealth by Julien Van Winkle III, responsible for bottling much of today's bourbon royalty, such as the A.H Hirsch Reserve, Very Olde St. Nick and Old Rip Van Winkle.

This is an early 1970s example was produced at Hoffman distillery and is an example of the many cermaic decanter released in that decade in an attempt to boost dwindling sales.

Medley acquired the brand in 1979 when Hoffman stopped distilling, and bottled it up until the early 1990s under the ownership of United Distillers. Today Ezra Brooks is distilled and bottled by Heaven Hill for Luxco.

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

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

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

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

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

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

This lot has a 10 bottle shipping fee.

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.

Eagle Rare 10 Year Old 101 Proof Sovereign of the Seven Sea Decanter No.4 1982

Eagle Rare is a historic bourbon brand, originally developed by Seagram in 1975 in an effort to capitalise on what it felt were the popular marketing motifs used by Wild Turkey. Distilled at their Four Roses distillery, the recipe was devised by Charles L. Beam and was sold as a 10 year old with both a 90 and 101 proof version available. Seagram held ambitions beyond the drinks industry however, and in an effort to diversify their portfolio in the 1980s, they sold Eagle Rare along with the Benchmark brand to the Sazerac Company. They initially bottled it using barrels sourced from Heaven Hill, but later moved production to Buffalo Trace in 1992.

This is the Seagram-era version, distilled at Four Roses and bottled in 1982. This is the fourth in the Sovereign of the Seven Seas series of decanters.

The Four Roses distillery was built in Lawrenceburg in 1910 by JTS Brown & Sons. Known back then as the Old Prentice, it is one of the Kentucky distilleries on the National Register of Historic Buildings for its distinctive Spanish mission style architecture. It was re-opened in 1933 after the repeal of Prohibition, passing into the hands of Seagram in 1946, who moved the production of their Four Roses brand there and eventually renamed the distillery after it. When Seagram was wound up in the early 2000s, the distillery and its brands were bought by Japanese firm, Kirin, who continue to produce Four Roses to great acclaim, as well as contract distilling for a number of other bourbon brands.

Buffalo Trace 2001 Experimental Collection 12 Year Old 37.5cl / Bourbon from Floor #5

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 low-rye mashbill #1 in 2001. The barrels were aged on the fifth floor. This was the second of three in release number 16.

Old Joe 12 Year Old Bottled in Bond Bourbon 2001

A Bottled in Bond bourbon, by law, must be 100 US proof, be comprised only of bourbon distilled in a single season, and state the location of distillation and bottling on the label. This was distilled by Heaven Hill and bottled in 2001.

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.

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!

Parker's Heritage Collection 10 Year Old Heavy Char Barrel Bourbon

Launched in 2007, the Parker's Heritage Collection from Heaven Hill is named after former Heaven Hill Master Distiller, Parker Beam. Parker was sadly diagnosed with ALS (also known as Lou Gherig's disease) in 2010, and bottlings from then on were produced in order to raise funds for research into the condition, and this continues since his death in 2017. Parker's legacy with the company was his forward thinking-approach, and he created the industry’s first small batch bourbon, Elijah Craig, in 1986, and Heaven Hill's first single barrel bourbons, Evan Williams, in 1994. This collection continues to honour his ethos by celebrating his achievements as well as pursuing further experimentation in his honour.

This 202 release was the fourteenth in the series. It was dumped from 102 level #5 charred barrels from Bernheim, filled with the company's traditional bourbon mashbill.

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.

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!

Very Olde St Nick Lot 15 Ancient Cask Bourbon / KBD

The Very Olde St Nick brand is owned by InterBev, a subsidiary of Allied Lomar in California, who's other products include Rare Perfection and Wattie Boone. Its president, Marci Palatella has been sourcing barrels and bottling them for several decades. She was Julian Van Winkle III's agent in the Japanese market in the 1980 and 1990s, and devised the Very Olde St Nick brand to capitalise on the Japanese demand for well-aged bourbon, which fortuitously was not popular in the US. Her first bottles were produced for her by Van Winkle at his Old Commonwealth bottling facility in the late 1980s.

At this time however, Van Winkle did not have a wealth of aged stock in his warehouses, and Palatella instead turned to Evan Kulsveen's Kentucky Bourbon Distillers (KBD), who bottled Olde St Nick throughout the 1990s and early 2000s at the then-silent Willett distillery in Bardstown. KBD sourced most of their barrels from neighbours, Heaven Hill, although Kulsveen had joked in the past that their warehouses contained bourbon from every distillery in Kentucky except his own. Van Winkle was not finished with the Very Olde St Nick story however, and put Palatella in touch with representatives at United Distillers who sold InterBev a number of ageing casks that they no longer had any interest in. Much of this was placed into a steel tanks and warehoused in California to prevent any further maturation. 

When KBD fired up the still at Willett again in 2012, they began sourcing less casks from elsewhere, reserving the best stock for their own Willett Family Reserve label. Essentially cut off, the production of Very Olde St Nick moved to California where some of the tanked Stitzel-Weller casks were bottled by Frank-Lin Distillers.

In 2018, Palatella opened the Preservation Distillery in Bardstown, Kentucky. A small craft-distillery operating a pot still, its produces only a few barrels each day. The bottling of Very Olde St Nick now takes places there, and will eventually contain the distillery's own whiskey.

This is a late KBD-era bottling.

Eagle Rare 10 Year Old 90 Proof 1983

Eagle Rare is a historic bourbon brand, originally developed by Seagram in 1975 in an effort to capitalise on what it felt were the popular marketing motifs used by Wild Turkey. Distilled at their Four Roses distillery, the recipe was devised by Charles L. Beam and was sold as a 10 year old with both a 90 and 101 proof version available. Seagram held ambitions beyond the drinks industry however, and in an effort to diversify their portfolio in the 1980s, they sold Eagle Rare along with the Benchmark brand to the Sazerac Company. They initially bottled it using barrels sourced from Heaven Hill, but later moved production to Buffalo Trace in 1992.

This is the Seagram-era version, distilled at Four Roses and bottled in 1983.

The Four Roses distillery was built in Lawrenceburg in 1910 by JTS Brown & Sons. Known back then as the Old Prentice, it is one of the Kentucky distilleries on the National Register of Historic Buildings for its distinctive Spanish mission style architecture. It was re-opened in 1933 after the repeal of Prohibition, passing into the hands of Seagram in 1946, who moved the production of their Four Roses brand there and eventually renamed the distillery after it. When Seagram was wound up in the early 2000s, the distillery and its brands were bought by Japanese firm, Kirin, who continue to produce Four Roses to great acclaim, as well as contract distilling for a number of other bourbon brands.

George T Stagg 2019 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 2019 edition is a 15 year old bourbon, distilled in the spring of 2004.

Old Commonwealth 7 Year Old Old Time Lumberjack Decanter 1979 / Stitzel-Weller

When the Van Winkle family sold the Stitzel-Weller distillery in 1972, the new ownership offered Julian II an office and first-refusal on casks with which to pursue his new bottling venture. He named it the Commonwealth Distillery Co, and focussed on bottling Stitzel-Weller casks in porcelain commemorative decanters. When he died, his son Julian III moved the operation to the old Hoffman distillery, renaming it Old Commonwealth in the process. Although the family are best known for the Old Rip Van Winkle label, these Old Commonwealth decanters are rare and important pieces in one bourbon's greatest stories.

Bottled in 1979, this Old Time Coal Miner decanter contains a 7 year old Stitzel-Weller bourbon that would have been distilled by Julian II in his final year as proprietor.

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.

Blanton's Single Barrel dumped 2019 Limited Edition / LMDW

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 the 2019 limited edition bottling from a batch of casks selected annually for La Maison du Whisky in Paris.

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.\" 

Each 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.

Echo Spring 6 Year Old Kentucky Straight Bourbon Half Pint 1953

Echo Spring is a historic bourbon brand, first produced at the Murphy-Barber distillery in Clermont in 1881. The brand is still in production today, produced by Heaven Hill.

This is an old 1950s bottling, produced by the Schenley company at their Bernheim distillery.

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.

Parker's Heritage Collection 24 Year Old Bottled in Bond Bourbon

Launched in 2007, the Parker's Heritage Collection from Heaven Hill is named after former Heaven Hill Master Distiller, Parker Beam. Parker was sadly diagnosed with ALS (also known as Lou Gherig's disease) in 2010, and bottlings from then on were produced in order to raise funds for research into the condition, and this continues since his death in 2017. Parker's legacy with the company was his forward thinking-approach, and he created the industry’s first small batch bourbon, Elijah Craig, in 1986, and Heaven Hill's first single barrel bourbons, Evan Williams, in 1994. Thic collection continues to honour his ethos by celebrating his achievements as well as pursuing further experimentation in his honour.

This is a 24 year old Bottled in Bond bourbon and was the 10th edition, bottled in 2016. This celebrates the Bottled-in-Bond Act of 1897, which required strict regulations to be adhered to in the production of whiskey at the time. These included the necessity of stating the site of distillation and bottling, the dates, and a strength of 100 US proof. Heaven Hill are the supplier of the most number of bottled-in-bond products today, and this is one of those. The whiskey contains a dumping of bourbon casked in 1990 at 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.

Parker's Heritage Collection 24 Year Old Bottled in Bond Bourbon

Launched in 2007, the Parker's Heritage Collection from Heaven Hill is named after former Heaven Hill Master Distiller, Parker Beam. Parker was sadly diagnosed with ALS (also known as Lou Gherig's disease) in 2010, and bottlings from then on were produced in order to raise funds for research into the condition, and this continues since his death in 2017. Parker's legacy with the company was his forward thinking-approach, and he created the industry’s first small batch bourbon, Elijah Craig, in 1986, and Heaven Hill's first single barrel bourbons, Evan Williams, in 1994. Thic collection continues to honour his ethos by celebrating his achievements as well as pursuing further experimentation in his honour.

This is a 24 year old Bottled in Bond bourbon and was the 10th edition, bottled in 2016. This celebrates the Bottled-in-Bond Act of 1897, which required strict regulations to be adhered to in the production of whiskey at the time. These included the necessity of stating the site of distillation and bottling, the dates, and a strength of 100 US proof. Heaven Hill are the supplier of the most number of bottled-in-bond products today, and this is one of those. The whiskey contains a dumping of bourbon casked in 1990 at 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.

Old Forester 150th Anniversary Batch Proof 02/03

Introduced in 1870, Old Forester was the founding product of what is now Brown-Forman and is one of America's historic bourbon brands. It was one of the first to be sold only in sealed bottles, in order to ensure quality control to capitalise on the medicinal whiskey trade in the 19th century. It was even named after local Louisville physician, Dr. William Forrester (they dropped the second 'R' from the name when he retired). This early foresight paid 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. In the decades following repeal, Brown-Forman became one of the nation's leading drinks companies, and Old Forester remained its flagship Kentucky brand. Its distillery in Shively is one of the largest in the state, and in 2018 they opened a dedicated Old Forester distillery on Louisville's famous Whiskey Row, doubling their capacity to produce the brand.

Released in 2020, this is the second of three special batch proof releases to celebrate the brand's 150th birthday.

Buffalo Trace 1995 Experimental Collection 10 Year Old 37.5cl / French Oak 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 new French oak cask. It was bottled in 2006.

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.