May 2018 Auction

Weller's Antique Reserve 10 Year Old 110 Proof 1970s

A fantastic old bottling of Weller's Antique Reserve, aged 10 years and bottled at a barrel proof of 110.

Distilled and then bottled in the early 1970's at the legendary Stizel-Weller distillery, and given the age statement, likely from stock produced by Julien Van Winkle I before his death in the mid-1960's. The distillery was then run by his son, Julien Van Winkle II until its sale in 1972.

Presented in an ornate felt lined box with two glasses.

William L Weller 1982 19 Year Old / Bottled 2001​

William L Weller bottlings now tend to contain whiskey aged for approximately 10 to 14 years however when this was released that was not the case,  This was distilled in Spring 1982 and bottled in Summer 2001. Making this a 19 year old.

Willett Family Estate 21 Year Old Single Barrel Bourbon #C15A / Astor Wines​

A single White Oak barrel, wheated bourbon bottled by Willet after maturing for over 21 years!

Cask C15A was hand selected by Astor Wines and Spirits

Old Rip Van Winkle 12 Year Old Old Time Rye / Rinaldi Import

The old style Rip Van Winkle 12 Year Old which is extremely rare. This was bottled in 1997 using whisky from Medley distillery and bottled by Julien Van Winkle III in Lawrenceburg. The following year, the same reserves were bottled as the 13 year old Family Reserve Rye, which became an annual release with the same age statement, despite continuing to age in cask for a further five years before being tanked at 19 years old in 2004. Later releases of Van Winkle rye are blended with Bernheim's Cream of Kentucky, and Buffalo Trace distilled whiskey, making this original release incredibly sought after.

As popular and impressive as the older members of this legendary family of whiskies.

This 70cl was imported to the US market by Fratelli Rinaldi.

Old Vandegrift 1917 Pure Whisky 1 Pint / Pre-Prohibition​

This was distilled in the Spring of 1917 at Hammond Distillery in Indiana, and was presumably some of their last whiskey given they were forced to close down when Prohibition was enacted in April that year.

Hammond Distillery has an infamous subsequent history of association with illicit bootlegging and smuggling, attributed to none other than Al Capone.

The whiskey used for this was likely saved from the hands of prohibition gangland by the Pennsylvania Distillery Inc, who bonded it in New York and bottled it in 1934 under a special medicinal license, despite the fact prohibition had already been repealed a year earlier.

Willett Family Estate 22 Year Old Single Barrel Bourbon #C69A​

Released on the 22nd August 2015 at the Willet gift shop, this well aged Bourbon was matured in barrel #C69A. This barrel is believed to be wheated bourbon produced at Bernheim distillery, prior to its takeover by Heaven Hill.

Bottle number 13 of 63 bottles.

Willett Family Estate 22 Year Old Single Barrel Bourbon #324​

Released on the 30th May 2015 at the Willet gift shop, this well aged Bourbon was matured in barrel #324.

Bottle number 8 of 109 bottles.

Willett Family Estate 22 Year Old Single Barrel Bourbon #B51

An exclusive release from cask #B51, which means that it was produced at Bernheim distillery, so will have a high wheat content mashbill. Bernheim is now known as Heaven Hill, and Kentucky Bourbon Distillers still procure much of their bottling stock from here while their renewed distilling operation at Willett is still in its infancy.

Matured in a single white oak barrel and bottled in December 2015 for exclusive retail in the Willett distillery gift shop.

One of just 94 bottles.

Old Heaven Hill 28 Year Old / Japanese Import

An old Japanese import of some impressively aged Kentucky bourbon.

Bottled in the very early 1990s at 28 years old, this is named Old Heaven Hill, and was distilled (although they could not have known at the time) what is now Old Heaven Hill distillery. The original Heaven Hill site would tragically burn down around 5 years after this was produced.

A new Heaven Hill distillery was then established through the purchase and renaming of Bernheim distillery from United Distillers.

W. L. Weller 1992 Single Barrel 12 Year Old​ / 'Stitzlel-Weller'

W. L. Weller bottlings now tend not to declare the vintage and bottling dates however when this was released that was not the case. 

This was distilled in Summer 1992 at the legendary Stitzel-Weller distillery, one of their last barrels given that it closed in the same year. Bottled by the Sazerac company at Buffalo Trace in the Fall of 2005. The brand is now produced at Buffalo Trace to this day, now simply known as Weller 12 Year Old.

This particular bottle of W.L. Weller is part of a select few known as the \"paper labels\" on account of the label style. This is one of 4 special bottlings from private single barrels selected specially by the Kentucky Bourbon Society, of which this is of particular note as it has infamously spelled Stitzel-Weller incorrectly on the label. The other 3 in the series are the 'Barrel of the Year,' 'Barrel C,' and 'The Fourth Barrel' bottlings.

Old Fitzgerald Bonded 6 Year Old Classic Decanter / Stitzel-Weller​

We don't see vintage Old Fitzgerald very often, so we are particularly excited about this bottle which was distilled and bottled at the original Stitzel-Weller Distillery, before it closed and production of 'Old Fitz' was moved to Heaven Hill. 

The distillation date on the tax seal is badly faded, however the bottling date appears to be 1972, making the distillation year roughly 1966, consistent with other examples of this bottle. If this is the date, the whiskey was likely barreled by Julien Van Winkle II, who took over as master distiller following the death of his father in 1965.

Imported to the Italian market by D&C, Bologna.

Oban 16 Year Old Manager's Dram Bicentenary 1994

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.

Bottled to celebrate Oban’s 200th anniversary, 1794 – 1994  this 16 year old was released exclusively from sherry casks by distillery manager John William and his employees listed on the rear of the bottle.

Bottled July 1994.

W. L. Weller 1992 Single Barrel 12 Year Old / KBS 'The Fourth Barrel'

W. L. Weller bottlings now tend not to declare the vintages and bottling dates however when this was released that was not the case. 

This was distilled in July 1992 at Stitzel-Weller, the same year that it closed, and bottled at Buffalo Trace. Buffalo Trace now distills and bottles the Weller brand, with this expression now known simply as Weller 12 Year Old.

This particular bottle of W.L. Weller is part of a select few known as the \"paper labels\" on account of the label style. This is one of 4 special bottlings from private single barrels selected specially by the Kentucky Bourbon Society, of which this is 'The Fourth Barrel,' bottled in 2005. The other 3 in the series are the 'Barrel of the Year,' 'Barrel C,' and the infamous 'Stitzlel-Weller' mis-spell bottlings.

Old Weller Antique Original 107 Brand 7 Year Old 1980s

W L Weller is the original wheated bourbon, produced at the famous Stitzel-Weller distillery.

Imported for the Italian market.

Old Fitzgerald 7 Year Old Prime Bourbon Half Pint 1970s

A popular bourbon produced at Stitzel Weller distillery. This is an older bottling of the 7 year old product from the 1970's. At this time the distillery was still run by the Van Winkle family and this would have been barreled by Julien Van Winkle II.

The Old Fitzgerland brand is now owned and produced by Heaven Hill, with these older Stitzel-Weller productions becoming real collector's items.

Old Parr Elizabethan / includes The Golden Age Book

A very rare and stunning bottle of Old Parr Elizabethan, presented in a hand blown bottle, each side showing a different historical figure; Thomas Parr, James I, Elizabeth I and Henry VIII.

Bottled to commemorate the Elizabethan era of British history.

Only 252 bottles of this elegant decanter were produced.

Lot includes a hardbacked book called The Golden Age, with brief chapters on Elizabethan music, literature and sport, among others.

W. L. Weller 10 Year Old Centennial Single Barrel / Whitehouse Liquor

Originally produced at the old Stitzel-Weller distiller, the 10 year old Centennial brand was revived by Buffalo Trace as part of their Bourbon Heritage Collection.

This particular bottling is from barrel #1, which was specially selected by Ben Faubel for Whitehouse Liquor, NY.

Willett Family Estate 13 Year Old Single Barrel Bourbon #367 / Astor Wines​

Aged in hand-selected White Oak barrels for 13 years. This particular lot was bottled by hand from Barrel #367.

Selected exclusively for Astor Wines & Spirits.

Willett Family Estate 16 Year Old Single Barrel Bourbon #1615

Aged in hand-selected White Oak barrels for 16 years.

Hand bottled in November 2017 for exclusive retail at the Willett distillery gift shop.

One of 149 bottles.

Old Fitzgerald 6 Year Old 1970s

A popular bourbon produced at Stitzel Weller distillery. This is an older bottling of the 6 year old product from the 1970s. At this time the distillery was still run by the Van Winkle family and this would have been barreled by Julien Van Winkle II.

86 Proof as 100 proof was not a requirement for bottles exported out of the United States.

Bottle in bond for export.

Orphan Barrel Old Blowhard 26 Year Old ​

Part of the Diageo's Orphan Barrel series which is produced from casks of Bourbon that have been forgotten about in the many Rickhouses and Distilleries that cover the United States.

This bottle consists of liquid rescued from the Stitzel-Weller warehouse but apparently distilled at Bernheim. 

Whyte and Mackay 40 Year Old

A very high proportion of malt to grain (70% to 30%) went in to this very old blend. 

This release was dedicated to the 70 years that John McIlraith worked for Whyte and Mackay. 

One of 1000 bottles. 

William Larue Weller 2013 Release

Released within the infamous and eagerly awaited Buffalo Trace Antique Selection. 

William L Weller bottlings tend to contain whiskey aged for approximately 10 to 14 years.  In recent years the William Weller bottlings are increasingly difficult to get ahold of.

Bottled at 68.1% 

White Horse 1939 

A very old, pre-war bottling from this very popular blend, bottled in 1939.

There is no volume or ABV on this bottle.

Old Fitzgerald 10 Year Old 1849 Bourbon 1970s

A premium bourbon currently distilled at Heaven Hill, and highly rated by Dave Broom in Whisky Mag. This 1970's bottling however would have been distilled and bottled at the old Stitzel-Weller distillery.

Imported for the Italian market.

William L. Weller 2015 Release

Released within the famous and eagerly awaited Buffalo Trace Antique Collection. 

In recent years, due to the known similarity between W.L. Weller and Van Winkle, and foremer's resultant huge increase in popularity and demand, these William L. Weller bottlings have become more and more difficult to get hold of.

William L Weller 2016 Release

Released within the famous and eagerly awaited Buffalo Trace Antique Collection. 

In recent years, due to the known similarity between W.L. Weller and Van Winkle, and Weller's resultant upsurge in popularity and demand, these William L. Weller bottlings have become increasingly harder to get hold of.

The 2016 bottling features 145 barrels which were filled in the winter of 2003 at 114 Proof (57%), with the whiskey drawn in autumn 2016 after 12 years and 7 months of aging at 135.4 Proof (67.7%) and bottled unfiltered.  The malt bill features Grade #1 and #2 Kentucky corn, North Dakota wheat and North Dakota malted barley.

Otard 1917 Vintage Cognac​

​A very old Cognac, distilled in 1917 and bottled at some point in the 1960's or 70's by Threlfalls Ltd of Liverpool.

Old Fitzgerald 1849

A premium bourbon distilled at Heaven Hill and highly rated by Dave Broom in Whisky Mag.

Japanese import.

Wild Turkey 12 Year Old Limited Edition 

A Limited Edition bottling of Wild Turkey 12 year old, bottled at the expected 101 US Proof / 50.5%.

William Larue Weller 2012

Released within the famous and eagerly awaited Buffalo Trace Antique Selection. 

William L Weller bottlings tend to contain whiskey aged for approximately 10 to 14 years old.  In recent years the William Weller bottlings are increasingly harder to get hold of.

Bottled at 61.7% 

Old Fettercairn 1978 30 Year Old​

Part of a series of very well aged bottlings from this lesser known Highland distillery. 

Distilled on 25th October 1978 and bottled 30 years later.