April 2025 Auction

Old Fitzgerald 1917 Bottled in Bond Pint / Prohibition Era Bottling

This is a historic bottling of the Old Fitzgerald brand, produced shortly after it came under the ownership of the legendary Julian 'Pappy' Van Winkle I, who bought it for the princely sum of $10,000 from Old Judge distillery at the close of prohibition in 1933.

It is a fantastic old  Prohibition era bottling of Kentucky straight bourbon whisky. Although the Volstead Act of 1919 had banned the production and sale of alcohol throughout the US, a certain number of distilling companies were permitted to continue bottling existing stock, mostly for medicinal use, but also for weekly baking rations.

One such company was A. Ph. Stitzel Inc, who procured this particular barrel from the Old Charter distillery (operated by Wright & Taylor). This distillery was one of the majority that were forced to close after prohibition was enacted, selling off their stock to companies like A. Ph. Stitzel who bottled this for their business partners, W.L. Weller and Sons.

A. Ph. Stitzel survived Prohibition, and was one of the few to emerge with a functioning distillery, refinancing themselves after the difficult 13 dry years by contract distilling for other companies as well, including the juggernaut Schenley corporation. They would of course would go on to merge with Julian 'Pappy' Van Winkle's W.L. Weller company to create the legendary Stitzel-Weller. This was bottled in 1929.

Nowadays made at Heaven Hill, Old Fitzgerald is one of the classics of the bourbon world. The mid-20th century Stitzel-Weller distilled products are incredibly sought after, but this is a fantastically rare chance own a bottle dating from its more humble beginnings, as the genesis of one of American whiskey's greatest stories. While the Old Charter distillery did not survive Prohibition, its namesake brand certainly did and was produced by Schenley for most of the 20th century before passing to current owners, Sazerac.

Old Heaven Hill 21 Year Old Ultra Premium 1990s

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 one of several high-end offerings produced by Heaven Hill for Japan in the 1990s. The cognac-style bottles and dripping wax presentation was particularly popular there, pioneered by Gordon Hue and Julian Van Winkle III. The Heaven Hill Ultra Premium likely dates from the early 1990s, prior to the cease and desist letters regarding the dripping red wax being issued by Maker's Mark.

Old Rip Van Winkle 10 Year Old 1996 / Stitzel-Weller

The Old Rip Van Winkle brand was a pre-prohibition bourbon label, revived by the Van Winkle family after they were forced to sell their Stitzel-Weller distillery by its board of directors. New owners, Somerset Imports, granted Julian Van Winkle II (son of the famous 'Pappy') the continued use of an office at the distillery, and first option on purchasing casks to bottle his new brand with. When he died and the business passed to his son, Julian III, this courtesy was no longer extended, and he moved bottling to the old Hoffman distillery in Lawrenceburg in 1983, renaming it Old Commonwealth. He was still able to buy Stitzel-Weller stock though, and introduced the famous Pappy Van Winkle range in homage to his grandfather, using well-aged barrels from the distillery the now-legendary figure once so lovingly ran. When Stitzel-Weller was closed down by United Distillers in 1992, it was only a matter of time before stock would run out. This necessitated a partnership between Julian Van Winkle III and Buffalo Trace distillery in 2002, seeing all bottling move there, initially using the remaining Stitzel-Weller barrels, with these eventually replaced by Buffalo Trace distilled stock. The product from all eras is revered, and the brand is considered to be the first premium bourbon line to have been produced in the US.

The 10 year old Handmade Bourbon is one of the original Old Rip Van Winkle brands, first bottled by Julian Van Winkle III in 1980s. He bottled this one at Old Commonwealth using Stitzel-Weller barrels in 1996.

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.

Oban 16 Year Old Manager's Dram Bicentenary 1994

Oban is a small distillery, situated in the heart of the high street in the town after which it is named. Although its output is deliberately low in order to retain its character, it had an early presence on the single malt scene, with the blending company John Hopkins & Co, under license from DCL, introduced a 12 year old expression back in 1979. The newly launched Oban single malt brand was introduced alongside a new 14 year old distillery bottling in 1988, when the distillery was selected by United Distillers to represent the Western Highlands in the Classic Malts range.

The Manager’s Dram series of whiskies were bottled exclusively for employees of what is now known as Diageo.  These whiskies were selected by the respective distillery managers within Diageo malt distilling and bottled at natural cask strength.

This  16 year old sherry cask whisky was selected in 1994, to commemorate the 200th anniversary of the Oban distillery.

Oban 16 Year Old Manager's Dram Bicentenary 1994

Oban is a small distillery, situated in the heart of the high street in the town after which it is named. Although its output is deliberately low in order to retain its character, it had an early presence on the single malt scene, with the blending company John Hopkins & Co, under license from DCL, introduced a 12 year old expression back in 1979. The newly launched Oban single malt brand was introduced alongside a new 14 year old distillery bottling in 1988, when the distillery was selected by United Distillers to represent the Western Highlands in the Classic Malts range.

The Manager’s Dram series of whiskies were bottled exclusively for employees of what is now known as Diageo.  These whiskies were selected by the respective distillery managers within Diageo malt distilling and bottled at natural cask strength.

This  16 year old sherry cask whisky was selected in 1994, to commemorate the 200th anniversary of the Oban distillery.

Old Taylor 1915 Bottled in Bond Pint / Prohibition Era Bottling

Edmund Haynes Taylor Jr is considered one of the true bourbon pioneers. Born in 1830, he was orphaned at the age of five and was adopted by his uncle, Edmund Haynes Taylor Snr, who rechristened him as his junior. E.H. Taylor Jr is also referred to as Colonel Taylor due to his holding of the honourary title of Kentucky Colonel, something he shares with a number of state's distinguished sons, most notably a certain fried chicken vendor. Throughout his career, Taylor set up and owned seven different distilleries, and his lobbying for the Bottled in Bond Act of 1897 has seen him considered as \"the father of modern bourbon.\" Ten years earlier, having sold his stake in the OFC distillery (now Buffalo Trace), to George T. Stagg, he set up the Old Taylor distillery near Frankfort in Kentucky. The distillery featured a faux-Castle and sunken gardens on-site, and was the birthplace of bourbon tourism. Here he established the Old Taylor brand, which following Prohibition passed into the hands of National Distillers, one of the \"big four\" distilling companies who dominated the post-repeal market. The distillery itself closed in 1972, but production was moved to the neighbouring Old Grand-dad site until National Distillers were acquired by Jim Beam in 1987, who converted it into a warehousing and bottling facility. Beam marketed the brand alongside the other \"Olds\" from the National Distiller portfolio (Old Crow and Old Grand-dad) until 2009 when the Sazerac Company acquired it, returning Taylor's name to his early spiritual home at Buffalo Trace.

This was distilled at the Old Taylor Castle distillery in Frankfort in 1915. It closed three years later due to the Lever Food & Fuel Act and did not re-open until acquired by the American Medicinal Spirits Company in 1927. They bottled this during Prohibition in 1933 using their medicinal license.

The American Medicinal Spirits Company was one of only six distilling companies to survive Prohibition of the 434 that existed prior. Exploiting the medicinal loophole was the brainchild of Otto Wathen, then president of his father's R.E. Wathen distillery and it was an idea that continues to prove its value today in the persisting image of his still ever-popular portfolio, which included the bourbon classic, Old Grand-dad. The AMS Co was eventually taken over by National Distillers who reorganised it in 1927, incorporating their Kentucky Distilleries & Warehouse Co, R.E. Wathen & Co, Hill & Hill, and E.H. Taylor & Sons.

Old Forester 1995 Birthday Bourbon 2004 Release

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.

First bottled in 2002, the Birthday Bourbon are released on 2nd September annually to mark the birthday of the distillery's founder, George Garvin Brown. This is the 2004 release.

Old Weller Original 107 Proof 7 Year Old 1979 / Stitzel-Weller

William Larue Weller was born into a distilling family in Kentucky in 1825, and launched his W.L. Weller brand in 1849. Originally a rectification business (creating 'whiskey' using neutral spirit, colouring and flavourings), this all changed with the Bottled in Bond Act of 1897 and the death of Weller two years later. The company was left in the hands of the fiercely passionate Julian 'Pappy' Van Winkle I who, having steered it safely through the wreckage of National Prohibition, established Old Weller alongside the newly acquired Old Fitzgerald labels and the flagship brands for the new Stitzel-Weller distillery in 1933. It was produced there for over 60 years, eventually being sold to the Sazerac Company in 1999, who distil it at Buffalo Trace using Pappy's recipe to this day.

This is a 1979 bottling of the Old Weller, their 107 proof wheated bourbon.

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.

Old Fitzgerald 6 Year Old 1960s / Stitzel-Weller

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

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 147, 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 inverted 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 closed 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.

Old Weller Original 107 Proof 7 Year Old 1987 / Stitzel-Weller

William Larue Weller was born into a distilling family in Kentucky in 1825, and launched his W.L. Weller brand in 1849. Originally a rectification business (creating 'whiskey' using neutral spirit, colouring and flavourings), this all changed with the Bottled in Bond Act of 1897 and the death of Weller two years later. The company was left in the hands of the fiercely passionate Julian 'Pappy' Van Winkle I who, having steered it safely through the wreckage of National Prohibition, established Old Weller alongside the newly acquired Old Fitzgerald labels and the flagship brands for the new Stitzel-Weller distillery in 1933. It was produced there for over 60 years, eventually being sold to the Sazerac Company in 1999, who distil it at Buffalo Trace using Pappy's recipe to this day.

This was bottled in 1987 after the distillery had been sold by the Van Winkle family to Somerset Imports. The new owners had actually changed the name of it to Old Fitzgerald (after the flagship brand), but this was later changed back by Diageo.

Nowadays Weller is produced by the Sazerac company at Buffalo Trace, and these old Stitzel-Weller bottlings have become increasingly sought after.

Old Fitzgerald 1961 Bottled in Bond 6 Year Old 100 Proof / Stitzel-Weller

A popular bourbon produced at Stitzel Weller distillery. This is an older bottling of the 6 year old product, bottled in 1966. This would have been distilled at Stitzel-Weller when it was still under the management of the legendary Van Winkle family, and bottled by his son, Julian II.

This is a bottled in bond release. The Bottled in Bond Act in the US legislated that all such bottlings must be 100 US proof. Bottled in 1967.

Oban 1978 Signatory Vintage 18 Year Old #215

Oban is a small distillery, situated in the heart of the high street in the town after which it is named. Although its output is low deliberately low in order to retain its character, it had an early presence on the single malt scene. The license for the distillery was granted to blenders, John Hopkins & Co by owners, DCL, and they introduced a 12 year old release back in 1979. The license was returned to the distillery itself with the inception of the Classic Malts range in 1988, with this 14 year old becoming the the core range product from a newly relaunched Oban single malt brand the following year.

This Oban was distilled in January 1978 and matured for 18 years in single oak cask #215. It was bottled by Signatory Vintage in March 1996.

One of only 272 bottles.

Old Weller Antique Original 107 Brand 7 Year Old 1990

William Larue Weller was born into a distilling family in Kentucky in 1825, and launched his W.L. Weller brand in 1849. Originally a rectification business (creating 'whiskey' using neutral spirit, colouring and flavourings), this all changed with the Bottled in Bond Act of 1897 and the death of Weller two years later. The company was left in the hands of the fiercely passionate Julian 'Pappy' Van Winkle I who, having steered it safely through the wreckage of National Prohibition, established Old Weller alongside the newly acquired Old Fitzgerald labels and the flagship brands for the new Stitzel-Weller distillery in 1933. It was produced there for over 60 years, eventually being sold to the Sazerac Company in 1999, who distil it at Buffalo Trace using Pappy's recipe to this day.

This is a 1990 bottling of the Old Weller Antique, their 107 proof wheated bourbon. This was produced by United Distillers using barrels of Stitzel-Weller stock, although at the time they were filled the distillery was trading by the name Old Fitzgerald. It would revert back upon its closure.

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.

Old Fitzgerald '1849' 8 Year Old Kentucky Straight Bourbon 1977 / Stitzel-Weller

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

While under his management, 'Pappy' Van Winkle refused to bottle Old Fitzgerald at anything less than the domestic requirement of 100 proof, set out by the Bottled in Bond Act of 1897. When he stepped back from management in 1964 however, the board put pressure on Julian II to meet the market demand for a lighter style product, and Old Fitzgerald Prime was launched later that year. This label was introduced in the early 1970s and is named 1849 after the year in which W.L. Weller & Sons was founded. This is the 8 year old Stitzel-Weller version, bottled in 1977.

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 147, 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 inverted 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 closed 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.

Octomore 8.3 Masterclass Islay Barley 75cl

Octomore is the super-heavily peated single malt produced by Bruichladdich distillery, the most routinely heavily peated in the world. The whisky is named after the farm of the same name, located on a hillside north of the town of Port Charlotte. Having been traditionally an un-peated single malt due to the needs of its former owners for their blends, Murray McDavid were quick to diversify the Bruichladdich portfolio, also introducing the more lightly peated Port Charlotte and Lochindaal.

Released in 2017, the 8.3 Masterclass Octomore was marketed by Bruichladdich as being the peatiest whisky produced in Scotland at whopping 309.1ppm.

Matured in ex-Bourbon American oak, and ex-Pauillac, Ventoux, Rhone and Burgundy European oak casks.

One of 16,000 bottles.

Old W.L. Weller 7 Year Old Special Reserve 1 Litre 1970s / Stitzel-Weller

William Larue Weller was born into a distilling family in Kentucky in 1825, and launched his W.L. Weller brand in 1849. Originally a rectification business (creating 'whiskey' using neutral spirit, colouring and flavourings), this all changed with the Bottled in Bond Act of 1897 and the death of Weller two years later. The company was left in the hands of the fiercely passionate Julian 'Pappy' Van Winkle I who, having steered it safely through the wreckage of National Prohibition, established Old Weller alongside the newly acquired Old Fitzgerald labels and the flagship brands for the new Stitzel-Weller distillery in 1933. It was produced there for over 60 years, eventually being sold to the Sazerac Company in 1999, who distil it at Buffalo Trace using Pappy's recipe to this day.

This is a late 1970s bottling of the 7 year old Special Reserve, their 90 proof wheated bourbon. This was produced by Somerset Imports at Stitzel-Weller, although by this point they had renamed the distillery after the Old Fitzgerald brand.

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.

Octomore 2.2 Orpheus

Octomore is the super-heavily peated single malt produced by Bruichladdich distillery, the most routinely heavily peated in the world. The whisky is named after the farm of the same name, located on a hillside north of the town of Port Charlotte. Having been traditionally an un-peated single malt due to the needs of its former owners for their blends, Murray McDavid were quick to diversify the Bruichladdich portfolio, also introducing the more lightly peated Port Charlotte and Lochindaal.

Similar to the Comus, the Orpheus release was peated to the same degree as its counter-part Octomore 2.1, at 140ppm. The Orpheus was finished using Château Pétrus Bordeaux casks, recognised as one of the world’s top vineyards. Matured for only 5 years, this alongside the Comus have proven to be quite desirable bottlings.

One of 15,000 bottles.

Old Commonwealth 7 Year Old 'Lucky Leprechaun' Decanter 1983 

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 1978, this Lucky Leprechaun decanter contains a 7 year old Stitzel-Weller bourbon.

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.

Old Weller Antique Original 107 Brand 7 Year Old 2008

William Larue Weller was born into a distilling family in Kentucky in 1825, and launched his W.L. Weller brand in 1849. Originally a rectification business (creating 'whiskey' using neutral spirit, colouring and flavourings), this all changed with the Bottled in Bond Act of 1897 and the death of Weller two years later. The company was left in the hands of the fiercely passionate Julian 'Pappy' Van Winkle I who, having steered it safely through the wreckage of National Prohibition, established Old Weller alongside the newly acquired Old Fitzgerald labels and the flagship brands for the new Stitzel-Weller distillery in 1933. It was produced there for over 60 years, eventually being sold to the Sazerac Company in 1999, who distil it at Buffalo Trace using Pappy's recipe to this day.

This is a 2008 bottling of the Old Weller Antique, their 107 proof wheated bourbon. This was produced by United Distillers using barrels of Stitzel-Weller stock, although at the time they were filled the distillery was trading by the name Old Fitzgerald. It would revert back upon its closure.

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.

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.

Old Rip Van Winkle 10 Year Old 2024

The Old Rip Van Winkle brand was a pre-prohibition bourbon label, revived by the Van Winkle family after they were forced to sell their Stitzel-Weller distillery by its board of directors. New owners, Somerset Imports, granted Julian Van Winkle II (son of the famous 'Pappy') the continued use of an office at the distillery, and first option on purchasing casks to bottle his new brand with. When he died and the business passed to his son, Julian III, this courtesy was no longer extended, and he moved bottling to the old Hoffman distillery in Lawrenceburg in 1983, renaming it Old Commonwealth. He was still able to buy Stitzel-Weller stock though, and introduced the famous Pappy Van Winkle range in homage to his grandfather, using well-aged barrels from the distillery the now-legendary figure once so lovingly ran. When Stitzel-Weller was closed down by United Distillers in 1992, it was only a matter of time before stock would run out. This necessitated a partnership between Julian Van Winkle III and Buffalo Trace distillery in 2002, seeing all bottling move there, initially using the remaining Stitzel-Weller barrels, with these eventually replaced by Buffalo Trace distilled stock. The product from all eras is revered, and the brand is considered to be the first premium bourbon line to have been produced in the US.

The 10 year old Handmade Bourbon is one of the original Old Rip Van Winkle brands, first bottled by Julian Van Winkle III in 1980s.

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.

Glass Laser Code: L2424701 12:06D

Old Rip Van Winkle 10 Year Old 2016

The Old Rip Van Winkle brand was a pre-prohibition bourbon label, revived by the Van Winkle family after they were forced to sell their Stitzel-Weller distillery by its board of directors. New owners, Somerset Imports, granted Julian Van Winkle II (son of the famous 'Pappy') the continued use of an office at the distillery, and first option on purchasing casks to bottle his new brand with. When he died and the business passed to his son, Julian III, this courtesy was no longer extended, and he moved bottling to the old Hoffman distillery in Lawrenceburg in 1983, renaming it Old Commonwealth. He was still able to buy Stitzel-Weller stock though, and introduced the famous Pappy Van Winkle range in homage to his grandfather, using well-aged barrels from the distillery the now-legendary figure once so lovingly ran. When Stitzel-Weller was closed down by United Distillers in 1992, it was only a matter of time before stock would run out. This necessitated a partnership between Julian Van Winkle III and Buffalo Trace distillery in 2002, seeing all bottling move there, initially using the remaining Stitzel-Weller barrels, with these eventually replaced by Buffalo Trace distilled stock. The product from all eras is revered, and the brand is considered to be the first premium bourbon line to have been produced in the US.

The 10 year old Handmade Bourbon is one of the original Old Rip Van Winkle brands, first bottled by Julian Van Winkle III in the 1980s.

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.

Laser code: B1618307:474

Old Rip Van Winkle 10 Year Old 2019

The Old Rip Van Winkle brand was a pre-prohibition bourbon label, revived by the Van Winkle family after they were forced to sell their Stitzel-Weller distillery by its board of directors. New owners, Somerset Imports, granted Julian Van Winkle II (son of the famous 'Pappy') the continued use of an office at the distillery, and first option on purchasing casks to bottle his new brand with. When he died and the business passed to his son, Julian III, this courtesy was no longer extended, and he moved bottling to the old Hoffman distillery in Lawrenceburg in 1983, renaming it Old Commonwealth. He was still able to buy Stitzel-Weller stock though, and introduced the famous Pappy Van Winkle range in homage to his grandfather, using well-aged barrels from the distillery the now-legendary figure once so lovingly ran. When Stitzel-Weller was closed down by United Distillers in 1992, it was only a matter of time before stock would run out. This necessitated a partnership between Julian Van Winkle III and Buffalo Trace distillery in 2002, seeing all bottling move there, initially using the remaining Stitzel-Weller barrels, with these eventually replaced by Buffalo Trace distilled stock. The product from all eras is revered, and the brand is considered to be the first premium bourbon line to have been produced in the US.

The 10 year old Handmade Bourbon is one of the original Old Rip Van Winkle brands, first bottled by Julian Van Winkle III in 1980s.

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.

Glass Laser-code: L1927001  20:03D

Octomore 1.1 Inaugural Release

Octomore is the super-heavily peated single malt produced by Bruichladdich distillery, the most routinely heavily peated in the world. The whisky is named after the farm of the same name, located on a hillside north of the town of Port Charlotte. Having been traditionally an un-peated single malt due to the needs of its former owners for their blends, Murray McDavid were quick to diversify the Bruichladdich portfolio, also introducing the more lightly peated Port Charlotte and Lochindaal.

This was the first release of the Octomore, and at 131ppm this was the most heavily peated spirit in the world at the time.

Matured for 5 years from October 2002 until April 2008. 

One of 6,000 bottles.

Octomore OBA/C_0.1 50cl

Octomore is the super-heavily peated single malt produced by Bruichladdich distillery, the most routinely heavily peated in the world. The whisky is named after the farm of the same name, located on a hillside north of the town of Port Charlotte. Having been traditionally an un-peated single malt due to the needs of its former owners for their blends, Murray McDavid were quick to diversify the Bruichladdich portfolio, also introducing the more lightly peated Port Charlotte and Lochindaal.

Bruichladdich Head Distiller, Adam Hannett, revealed the idea behind his “OBA Concept” at his very first Fèis Ìle Masterclass in 2016. Traditionally the Octomore releases boast outrageous PPM levels which are clearly stated on each bottle. The OBA Concept however does not reveal any peat specifications or maturation details. We are simply informed that this whisky is \"mostly five years old\".

One of 3,000 bottles.

Octomore OBA/C_0.1 50cl

Octomore is the super-heavily peated single malt produced by Bruichladdich distillery, the most routinely heavily peated in the world. The whisky is named after the farm of the same name, located on a hillside north of the town of Port Charlotte. Having been traditionally an un-peated single malt due to the needs of its former owners for their blends, Murray McDavid were quick to diversify the Bruichladdich portfolio, also introducing the more lightly peated Port Charlotte and Lochindaal.

Bruichladdich Head Distiller, Adam Hannett, revealed the idea behind his “OBA Concept” at his very first Fèis Ìle Masterclass in 2016. Traditionally the Octomore releases boast outrageous PPM levels which are clearly stated on each bottle. The OBA Concept however does not reveal any peat specifications or maturation details. We are simply informed that this whisky is \"mostly five years old\".

One of 3,000 bottles.

Octomore 8.3 Masterclass Islay Barley

Octomore is the super-heavily peated single malt produced by Bruichladdich distillery, the most routinely heavily peated in the world. The whisky is named after the farm of the same name, located on a hillside north of the town of Port Charlotte. Having been traditionally an un-peated single malt due to the needs of its former owners for their blends, Murray McDavid were quick to diversify the Bruichladdich portfolio, also introducing the more lightly peated Port Charlotte and Lochindaal.

Released in 2017, the 8.3 Masterclass Octomore was marketed by Bruichladdich as being the peatiest whisky produced in Scotland at whopping 309.1ppm.

Matured in ex-Bourbon American oak, and ex-Pauillac, Ventoux, Rhone and Burgundy European oak casks.

One of 16,000 bottles.

Old Weller Antique Original 107 Brand 37.5cl 1993 / Stitzel-Weller

William Larue Weller was born into a distilling family in Kentucky in 1825, and launched his W.L. Weller brand in 1849. Originally a rectification business (creating 'whiskey' using neutral spirit, colouring and flavourings), this all changed with the Bottled in Bond Act of 1897 and the death of Weller two years later. The company was left in the hands of the fiercely passionate Julian 'Pappy' Van Winkle I who, having steered it safely through the wreckage of National Prohibition, established Old Weller alongside the newly acquired Old Fitzgerald labels and the flagship brands for the new Stitzel-Weller distillery in 1933. It was produced there for over 60 years, eventually being sold to the Sazerac Company in 1999, who distil it at Buffalo Trace using Pappy's recipe to this day.

This is a 1993 bottling of the Old Weller Antique, their 107 proof wheated bourbon. This was produced by United Distillers using barrels of Stitzel-Weller stock, although at the time they were filled the distillery was trading by the name, Old Fitzgerald. It would revert back upon its closure.

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 bottle is being sold from the Pat's Whisk(e)y private collection which, numbering in excess of 9,000 bottles and over 2,000 miniatures, is the single largest collection of whisky ever to be brought to auction. Pat's Whisk(e)y is the result of over fifteen years of passion and dedication to the goal of creating one of the most complete libraries of whisky and whiskey ever amassed by an individual collector. It contains bottles from over 150 different Scottish distilleries, as well as bourbon, rare Scotch releases from sought-after independent bottlers in Europe, and whisky from other distilleries across the globe. Whisky Auctioneer is delighted to have partnered with Pat's Whisk(e)y to offer this collection across a number of exclusive and spotlight auctions. For more information, please click here.

Old Crow 1964 Bottled in Bond 5 Year Old 86 Proof

Old Crow is was one of Kentucky's earliest bourbon brands, created in the 1830's by Scottish immigrant, James C. Crow, Master Distiller at the Old Oscar Pepper distillery. He pioneered the use of scientific methods to ensure continuity in the quality of his whiskey. The brand was purchased by W.A. Gaines who opened the Old Crow distillery. Both were then procured by National Distillers during prohibition, who produced the brand until 1987 when they were purchased by Jim Beam who shut the distillery and moved production to their Clermont facility.

This was distilled in the Spring of 1964 and bottled in Spring 1969. Bottled in Bond for export, this was not required to be bottled at the same 100 proof as a domestic market version.

Orphan Barrel Rhetoric 20 Year Old / Gavin Brogan

The Orphan Barrel brand was devised by Diageo in 2013. The company's previous iteration, United Distillers had been very active in the American whiskey market in the 1980s, however when they became Diageo in 1997, the focus of the company shifted elsewhere. The result was the offloading in 1999 of what are now several prize assets, including the Bernheim distillery to Heaven Hill along with the Old Fitzgerald brand, and the Weller brand to the Sazerac Company. Further to this, believing bourbon to be passed its best beyond the age of 12 years, it offloaded huge quantities of stock from the legendary Stitzel-Weller distillery, much of which was bottled by what are now hugely sought after independent labels like Very Olde St Nick, Jefferson's Reserve and Pappy Van Winkle. Having given up what is now a veritable who's who of collectible bourbon, it is hardly surprising that the company were keen to reinvest in the booming American whiskey industry of the 2000s. The Orphan Barrel series was intended to tap into that same collectors market, making use of the stock retained from their former (and occasionally current) distillery portfolio across the US and Canada, which in the late 1980s and early 1990s had consolidated the empires of two of the biggest post-Prohibition distillers in Schenley and Seagram.

This is part of the Rhetoric series, which Diageo bottled between 2014 and 2019. Beginning with a 20 year old, each release was intended to show the subtle differences produced by a further year of maturation on the same stock of whiskey. 

This is the first iteration, bottled in 2014. The whisky was distilled at Bernheim, but like all Orphan Barrel releases, was bottled at Cascade Hollow distillery in Tennessee.

Comes in a special presention box created for Gavin Brogan.

Old Orkney 1999 Decadent Drinks 25 Year Old

This undisclosed Orkney single malt was distilled in 1999 and initially matured in refill hogsheads, then finished in a single first-fill American oak sherry butt. It was bottled by Decadent Drinks in 2025, under the title Old Orkney, eminating the whisky formerly produced at the long-lost Stromness distillery.

Old Heaven Hill 10 Year Old Kentucky Straight Bourbon 1975

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 10 year old was distilled in Bardstown and bottled in 1975.