May 2019 Auction

Rebel Yell Kentucky Straight Bourbon 12 x 70cl 1990s / Stitzel-Weller - Case

The Rebel Yell brand was created for Stitzel-Weller distillery in the late 1940s by Charles R. Farnsely, a former mayor of Louisville, KY. The brand was first bottled around the distillery's 100th anniversary, with the intention of producing and distributing it in small batches, exclusively in the Southern states.

Following the sale of Stitzel-Weller by the Van Winkle family 1972, it eventually came into the hands of United Distillers (now Diageo) who opted to make the brand available more widely. This is a case of bottles likely to be from the 1990s.

The brand was later procured by Luxco who continue to produce it today using bourbon sourced from Heaven Hill.

This lot has a 12 bottle shipping fee.

Richard Hennessy Cognac

Richard Hennessy is the pinnacle of 200 years of cognac producing experience, knowledge and passion of Maison Hennessy, with a special blend of exceptionally delicious and rare eaux-de-vie aged from 40 years to nearly 200 years old.

Each carafe is numbered and crafted from pure hand-blown crystal.

Rosebank 20 Year Old Full Proof 1980s / Zenith Import

Rosebank is a sorely missed Lowland single malt, now increasingly difficult to find.

This was specially bottled by The Distillers Agency, a subsidiary of The Distillers Company (now Diageo), for Zenith Italia, the company owned by importer G.P. Bonfanti.

Bottle number 110 of 2580.

Old Weller Original 107 Barrel Proof 7 Year Old 1960s / Stitzel-Weller

W L Weller is the original wheated bourbon, produced at the famous Stitzel-Weller distillery by the legendary Julian 'Pappy' Van Winkle I.

Bottled in the late-1960s, likely sometime after the death of 'Pappy' as he is immortalised for the first time on a Weller label here, with William Larue Weller on the left hand side. pappy's son, Julian II is noted as the proprietor on the label and box, he assumed control in 1964.

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

Old Fitzgerald 1963 Bottled in Bond 6 Year Old 100 Proof / Stitzel-Weller

We don't see vintage Old Fitzgerald very often, so we are particularly excited about this bottle which was distilled in the 'Fall' of 1963 and bottled in 'Fall' 1969.

Distilled at the legendary Stitzel-Weller distillery while it was under the management of Julian 'Pappy' Van Winkle I, and bottled a few years after his death by his son, Julian Van Winkle II.

Stitzel-Weller was eventually sold in 1972, with the Van Winkle family departing the business in the process.

Old Rip Van Winkle 15 Year Old 1990s

From the Van Winkle range this is a 15 year old at 107 proof. Absolutely stonking!

This was bottled in the late 1990s by Julian Van Winkle III at Old Commonwealth distillery (formerly known as Hoffman). Van Winkle moved the bottling of the Old Rip Van Winkle brand there following the death of his father in 1981. He reached an agreement with Buffalo Trace in 2002 that saw production and the remaining Van Winkle stock transferred there. The Old Rip Van Winkle 15 year old was discontinued shortly after, in 2004, and replaced by the familiar Pappy Van Winkle Family Reserve of the same age.

Bottle number K9737.

Rosebank 15 Year Old Full Proof 1980s / Zenith Import

Rosebank is a sorely missed Lowland single malt, now increasingly difficult to find.

This was specially bottled by The Distillers Agency, a subsidiary of The Distillers Company (now Diageo), for Zenith Italia, the company owned by importer G.P. Bonfanti.

13,596 bottles were filled at 50% ABV, but this is one of the remaining 2,400 which were bottled at a full proof of 61% ABV. 

Royal Lochnagar 1988 Single Cask 30 Year Old / The Prince's Foundation

A whisky fit for the (potential future) King! 

This single cask release of Royal Lochnagar was taken from American oak cask #1129, which was gifted to HRH Prince Charles and initially sold to raise funds for The Prince's Foundation. 

The whisky itself was distilled in 1988 to commemorate the 140th anniversary of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert visiting the distillery in 1848, and was bottled in 2018 to celebrate the 70th birthday of His Royal Highness. 

One of 206 bottles.

Remy Martin Louis XIII Cognac 1970s

Remy Martin is perhaps the most well known of all cognac producers and has established a reputation for quality that very few others can relate to.

This is a spectacular example of the Louis XIII Tres Vieille Cogna decanter which holds Grande Champagne cognac aged between 40 and 100 years.

Oban 1969 Cask Strength 32 Year Old

A well-aged and incredibly desirable Oban, distilled in 1969 and released as a 32 year old.

Bottled in 2002, this is number 0838 of 6000.

Ayrshire 1968 Rare Cask Reserve 47 Year Old / Velier

A delicious-looking bottling of single cask Ayrshire, officially bottled by Wm. Grant & Sons exclusively for Velier.

Matured in cask #61669 for nearly half a century before bottling on the 5th January 2016

Rosebank 26 Year Old That Boutique-y Whisky Company Batch #1

TBWC strikes again. This is their first batch of Rosebank and postdates the announcement that the distillery would be reopened as demonstrated by the label.

With usual wit and intelligence the label is rife with 90s nostalgia, hearkening back to when the distillery was last operational.

One of 321 bottles.

Rosebank 26 Year Old That Boutique-y Whisky Company Batch #1

That Boutique-y Whisky Company strikes again. This is their first batch of Rosebank and postdates the announcement that the distillery would be reopened, as demonstrated by the label.

With usual wit and intelligence, the label is rife with 90s nostalgia, hearkening back to when the distillery was last operational.

One of 321 bottles.

Rosebank 1990 Cask Strength 21 Year Old 

Part of Diageo's Special Release range, this Rosebank was triple-distilled and bottled in 2011.   

This is bottle number 2565 of 5886. 

Old Rip Van Winkle 7 Year Old Decanter 1975 / Bay Colony Bicentennial

This is an incredible piece of bourbon history. Following the forced sale of Stitzel-Weller distillery by the Van Winkle family in 1972, Julian II (son of the legendary 'Pappy') was granted an office and a license to continue procuring and bottling Stitzel-Weller stock on site, as a gesture of goodwill by new distillery owners, Somerset Imports.

Although Julian had sold the distillery and all of its brands, he retained one, the pre-prohibition Old Rip Van Winkle label, which he immediately revived. The earliest releases from the Old Rip Van Winkle brand were decanters like this. Bottled in 1975 at 7 years old, the Stitzel-Weller whiskey it contains would have been barrelled at the distillery while Julian II was still in charge. While Old Rip Van Winkle was generally always bottled using Stitzel-Weller stock procured form its new owners, there aren't many like this that contain Van Winkle era Stitzel-Weller whiskey.

Following the death of Julian II, his son, Julian III took over the family business, moving bottling to Old Commonwealth distillery in 1983. With Stitzel-Weller's closure by United distillers in 1992 causing his stocks to begin thinning out, Van Winkle reached an agreement with the Sazerac company to store and bottle his remaining stock. He also entrusted production of new Van Winkle whiskey to their Buffalo Trace distillery, who were already using the familiar recipe to produce W.L. Weller, another former Stitzel-Weller brand. The Pappy Van Winkle brand we are familiar with today has been produced at Buffalo Trace since 2002.

This then, a Van Winkle era Stitzel-Weller bourbon, bottled for the Old Rip Van Winkle brand is a true collector's item. The decanter itself is a celebration of the Bay Colony bicentennial in 1975, and was produced by Cumberland Porcelain.

Rosebank 1990 Douglas Laing 21 Year Old

Rosebank is a sorely missed lowland malt.

This Douglas Laing bottling was distilled in June 1990 and bottled March 2012. Matured in refill butt #8227

One of 136 bottles. 

Rosebank 12 Year Old 1980s /  Zenith Import

A very rare bottling of this iconic closed Lowland distillery from Falkirk. 

This official bottling was produced for The Distillers Agency Ltd., and imported to Italy by Zenith. 

Old Rip Van Winkle 4 Year Old Handmade Bourbon 1980s

An interesting bottle of Old Rip Van Winkle, the pre-prohibition whisky brand retained by the Van Winkle family following the sale of Stitzel-Weller distillery and its associated products in 1972.

Julian Van Winkle III continued bottling Stizel-Weller produced bourbon at Hoffman distillery in Lawrenceburg in the early 1980s, renaming it Old Commonwealth. This 4 year old bourbon was bottled using Stitzel-Weller stock in the ate 1980s, some of the last before the distillery would close a few years later in 1992.

Japanese import.

Old W.L. Weller 7 Year Old Special Reserve 1 Litre 1980s / Stitzel-Weller

An older 'Special Reserve' release of the original wheated bourbon.

This was likely distilled in the mid-1970s. The Van Winkle family were no longer owners of Stitzel-Weller distillery at this point, but were still using its stock to bottler their own eponymous brands. As we all know, that stuff itsn't half bad.

Rosebank 1974 Signatory Vintage 18 Year Old

A very rare single vintage from closed Lowland distillery, Rosebank.

Distilled on 30th November 1974 and bottled by Signatory Vintage in June 1993 from three sherry butts. 

One of 2400 bottles. 

Old Forester 2006 Birthday Bourbon 12 Year Old

Released on 2nd September annually to mark the birthday of the distilleries founder George Garvin Brown.  This is the 17th.

This Old Forester Birthday Bourbon is a 12 year old vintage-dated expression, barrelled in 2006 and bottled in 2018.

Old Forester is produced by Brown-Forman and is one of bourbon's historic brands. It was ne of the first to ever be sold by the bottle 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' fro the name when he retired).

Old Rip Van Winkle 10 Year Old

The 10 year old Handmade Bourbon is one of the original Old Rip Van Winkle brands bottled by Julian Van Winkle III at his facility in Lawrenceburg.

With stocks beginning to run thin in the early 2000s, Van Winkle came to an agreement with the Sazerac company to move bottling and future production to Buffalo Trace, who were already using the old Stitzel-Weller recipes for the Weller brand.

All Van Winkle products have been produced at Buffalo Trace since 2002. This is a 2017 bottling.

Bottling code is B1705510:407

Old Rip Van Winkle 10 Year Old

The 10 year old Handmade Bourbon is one of the original Old Rip Van Winkle brands bottled by Julian Van Winkle III at his facility in Lawrenceburg.

With stocks beginning to run thin in the early 2000s, Van Winkle came to an agreement with the Sazerac company to move bottling and future production to Buffalo Trace, who were already using the old Stitzel-Weller recipes for the Weller brand.

All Van Winkle products have been produced at Buffalo Trace since 2002. This is a 2018 bottling.

Bottling code is L181230206:457

Old Forester 2005 Birthday Bourbon 12 Year Old

Released on 2nd September annually to mark the birthday of the distilleries founder George Garvin Brown.  This is the 16th.

This Old Forester Birthday Bourbon is a 12 year old vintage-dated expression, barrelled in 2005 and bottled in 2017.

Old Forester is produced by Brown-Forman and is one of bourbon's historic brands. It was ne of the first to ever be sold by the bottle 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' fro the name when he retired).

Rebel Yell 6 Year Old Kentucky Straight Bourbon Half Pint 1970s / Stitzel-Weller

The Rebel Yell brand was created for Stitzel-Weller distillery in the late 1940s by Charles R. Farnsely, a former mayor of Louisville, KY. The brand was first bottled around the distillery's 100th anniversary, with the intention of producing and distributing it in small batches, exclusively in the Southern states.

This is a 1970s bottle and likely still contains bourbon distilled by the Van Winkle family.

Following the sale of Stitzel-Weller and subsequently many of its associated brands in 1972, Rebel Yell was eventually purchased by what is now Luxco in the early 1980s, who continue to produce it today using sourced whiskey from Heaven Hill.

Old Rip Van Winkle 10 Year Old

The 10 year old Handmade Bourbon is one of the original Old Rip Van Winkle brands bottled by Julian Van Winkle III at his facility in Lawrenceburg.

With stocks beginning to run thin in the early 2000s, Van Winkle came to an agreement with the Sazerac company to move bottling and future production to Buffalo Trace, who were already using the old Stitzel-Weller recipes for the Weller brand.

All Van Winkle products have been produced at Buffalo Trace since 2002. This is a 2017 bottling.

Bottling code is B1705508:307

Royal Brackla 10 Year Old Flora and Fauna

One of the rare releases from the Flora and Fauna series, the Royal Brackla 10 year old which was only bottled in 1995.

Old Perth 1971, 1977 & 1994 3 x 70cl

Three different vintages of Old Perth blended malt brought to you by Morrison & MacKay of Aberargie. This lot includes...

• Old Perth 1977 41 Year Old. One of 515 bottles, 45.3% ABV
• Old Perth 1971 46 Year Old. One of 270 bottles, 49.9% ABV
• Old Perth 1994 23 Year Old. 44.9% ABV. 

Note that this LOT will include a three bottle shipping fee.

Octomore Orpheus 2.2 

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.

Rosebank 12 Year Old Flora and Fauna / Wooden Box

This Flora and Fauna bottling of Rosebank has been discontinued for a number of years and was the last standard official release from Rosebank.

There have been super premium releases from Diageo since this bottle was discontinued.

Old Rip Van Winkle 10 Year Old

The 10 year old Handmade Bourbon is one of the original Old Rip Van Winkle brands bottled by Julian Van Winkle III at his facility in Lawrenceburg.

With stocks beginning to run thin in the early 2000s, Van Winkle came to an agreement with the Sazerac company to move bottling and future production to Buffalo Trace, who were already using the old Stitzel-Weller recipes for the Weller brand.

All Van Winkle products have been produced at Buffalo Trace since 2002.

This is a 2018 release.

L181230108:267

Old Rip Van Winkle 10 Year Old

The 10 year old Handmade Bourbon is one of the original Old Rip Van Winkle brands bottled by Julian Van Winkle III at his facility in Lawrenceburg.

With stocks beginning to run thin in the early 2000s, Van Winkle came to an agreement with the Sazerac company to move bottling and future production to Buffalo Trace, who were already using the old Stitzel-Weller recipes for the Weller brand.

All Van Winkle products have been produced at Buffalo Trace since 2002.

The bottle laser-code is obscured by an import sticker.