May 2019 Auction

Willett Family Estate 24 Year Old Single Barrel Bourbon #3709

A well-aged bourbon from Kentucky Bourbon Distillers' Willet Family Estate series.

Released in 2015 at the Willet distillery gift shop, specially for the Kentucky Bourbon Festival of that year. This was matured in barrel #3709.

Bottle number 29 of 95 bottles.

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.

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.

Famous Grouse 40 Year Old Blended Malt

In 2013, Edrington released just 276 decanters of this delightfully packaged blended malt edition of Famous Grouse.

Composed by Master Blender John Ramsay. 

W.L. Weller 7 Year Old Original 107 Proof 1980s / Stitzel-Weller

An old 1980's bottling of Old Weller from Stitzel-Weller distillery. The distillery at this point was owned and operated by United Distillers, who would eventually close it down in 1992.

Nowadays the brand is produced at Buffalo Trace by the Sazerac company, who acquired it from United Distillers in 1999.

Italian import.

Willett Family Estate 16 Year Old Single Barrel Bourbon #1597

A single White Oak barrel bourbon, bottled at the Willett distillery by Kentucky Bourbon Distillers. KBD have barrels from nearly every major distillery in their warehouses, but the majority were sourced from neighbours, Heaven Hill.

Cask #1597 was bottled at 16 years old and 123 US proof.

William Larue Weller 2012 Release

The 2012 release within the famous and eagerly awaited Buffalo Trace Antique Collection, which celebrates historic bourbon brands and figures. Buffalo Trace's parent company, Sazerac, purchased the Weller brand from United Distillers in 1999, 7 years after distilling operations at the legendary Stitzel-Weller had been shut down.

William Larue Weller was a 19th century whiskey rectifier and distiller, who's W.L. Weller and Sons company was run by the legendary Julian 'Pappy' Van Winkle. The Weller and Van Winkle brands are both produced at Buffalo Trace distillery nowadays, distilled to very similar old Stitzel-Weller recipes, and are among the most sought after bourbons on the market.

This edition is a 12 year old whiskey.

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.

William Larue Weller 2015 Release

The 2015 release within the famous and eagerly awaited Buffalo Trace Antique Collection, which celebrates historic bourbon brands and figures. Buffalo Trace's parent company, Sazerac, purchased the Weller brand from United Distillers in 1999, 7 years after distilling operations at the legendary Stitzel-Weller had been shut down.

William Larue Weller was a 19th century whiskey rectifier and distiller, who's W.L. Weller and Sons company was run by the legendary Julian 'Pappy' Van Winkle. The Weller and Van Winkle brands are both produced at Buffalo Trace distillery nowadays, distilled to very similar old Stitzel-Weller recipes, and are among the most sought after bourbons on the market.

The 2015 release is aged 12 years.

William Larue Weller 2015 Release

The 2015 release within the famous and eagerly awaited Buffalo Trace Antique Collection, which celebrates historic bourbon brands and figures. Buffalo Trace's parent company, Sazerac, purchased the Weller brand from United Distillers in 1999, 7 years after distilling operations at the legendary Stitzel-Weller had been shut down.

William Larue Weller was a 19th century whiskey rectifier and distiller, who's W.L. Weller and Sons company was run by the legendary Julian 'Pappy' Van Winkle. The Weller and Van Winkle brands are both produced at Buffalo Trace distillery nowadays, distilled to very similar old Stitzel-Weller recipes, and are among the most sought after bourbons on the market.

The 2015 release is aged 12 years.

William Larue Weller 2016 Release

The 2016 release within the famous and eagerly awaited Buffalo Trace Antique Collection, which celebrates historic bourbon brands and figures. Buffalo Trace's parent company, Sazerac, purchased the Weller brand from United Distillers in 1999, 7 years after distilling operations at the legendary Stitzel-Weller had been shut down.

William Larue Weller was a 19th century whiskey rectifier and distiller, who's W.L. Weller and Sons company was run by the legendary Julian 'Pappy' Van Winkle. The Weller and Van Winkle brands are both produced at Buffalo Trace distillery nowadays, distilled to very similar old Stitzel-Weller recipes, and are among the most sought after bourbons on the market.

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.

William Larue Weller 2018 Release

Released within the famous and eagerly awaited Buffalo Trace Antique Collection which celebrates historic bourbon brands and figures.

William Larue Weller was a 19th century whiskey rectifier and distiller, who's W.L. Weller and Sons company was run by the legendary Julian 'Pappy' Van Winkle. The Weller and Van Winkle brands are both produced at Buffalo Trace distillery nowadays, distilled to very similar old Stitzel-Weller recipes, and are among the most sought after bourbons on the market.

One of approximately 17,179 bottles from 149 handpicked barrels.

The 2018 release of the William Larue Weller is aged 12 years and was named World Whisky of the Year 2019 by Jim Murray in his Whisky Bible.

William Larue Weller 2018 Release

Released within the famous and eagerly awaited Buffalo Trace Antique Collection which celebrates historic bourbon brands and figures.

William Larue Weller was a 19th century whiskey rectifier and distiller, who's W.L. Weller and Sons company was run by the legendary Julian 'Pappy' Van Winkle. The Weller and Van Winkle brands are both produced at Buffalo Trace distillery nowadays, distilled to very similar old Stitzel-Weller recipes, and are among the most sought after bourbons on the market.

One of approximately 17,179 bottles from 149 handpicked barrels.

The 2018 release of the William Larue Weller is aged 12 years and was named World Whisky of the Year 2019 by Jim Murray in his Whisky Bible.

William Larue Weller 2018 Release

Released within the famous and eagerly awaited Buffalo Trace Antique Collection which celebrates historic bourbon brands and figures.

William Larue Weller was a 19th century whiskey rectifier and distiller, who's W.L. Weller and Sons company was run by the legendary Julian 'Pappy' Van Winkle. The Weller and Van Winkle brands are both produced at Buffalo Trace distillery nowadays, distilled to very similar old Stitzel-Weller recipes, and are among the most sought after bourbons on the market.

One of approximately 17,179 bottles from 149 handpicked barrels.

The 2018 release of the William Larue Weller is aged 12 years and was named World Whisky of the Year 2019 by Jim Murray in his Whisky Bible.

William Larue Weller 2016 Release

The 2016 release within the famous and eagerly awaited Buffalo Trace Antique Collection, which celebrates historic bourbon brands and figures. Buffalo Trace's parent company, Sazerac, purchased the Weller brand from United Distillers in 1999, 7 years after they had shut down the distilling operation at the legendary Stitzel-Weller.

William Larue Weller was a 19th century whiskey rectifier and distiller, who's W.L. Weller and Sons company was run by the legendary Julian 'Pappy' Van Winkle. The Weller and Van Winkle brands are both produced at Buffalo Trace distillery nowadays, distilled to very similar old Stitzel-Weller recipes, and are among the most sought after bourbons on the market.

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.

William Larue Weller 2017 Release

Released within the famous and eagerly awaited Buffalo Trace Antique Collection which celebrates historic bourbon brands and figures.

William Larue Weller was a 19th century whiskey rectifier and distiller, who's W.L. Weller and Sons company was run by the legendary Julian 'Pappy' Van Winkle. The Weller and Van Winkle brands are both produced at Buffalo Trace distillery nowadays, distilled to very similar old Stitzel-Weller recipes, and are among the most sought after bourbons on the market.

One of approximately 19,000 bottles from 155 handpicked barrels.

The 2017 release of the William Larue Weller is aged 12 years and was bottled from a batch of 155 barrels.

William Larue Weller 2016 Release

The 2016 release within the famous and eagerly awaited Buffalo Trace Antique Collection, which celebrates historic bourbon brands and figures. Buffalo Trace's parent company, Sazerac, purchased the Weller brand from United Distillers in 1999, 7 years after they had shut down the distilling operation at the legendary Stitzel-Weller.

William Larue Weller was a 19th century whiskey rectifier and distiller, who's W.L. Weller and Sons company was run by the legendary Julian 'Pappy' Van Winkle. The Weller and Van Winkle brands are both produced at Buffalo Trace distillery nowadays, distilled to very similar old Stitzel-Weller recipes, and are among the most sought after bourbons on the market.

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.

William Larue Weller 2016 Release

The 2016 release within the famous and eagerly awaited Buffalo Trace Antique Collection, which celebrates historic bourbon brands and figures. Buffalo Trace's parent company, Sazerac, purchased the Weller brand from United Distillers in 1999, 7 years after distilling operations at the legendary Stitzel-Weller had been shut down.

William Larue Weller was a 19th century whiskey rectifier and distiller, who's W.L. Weller and Sons company was run by the legendary Julian 'Pappy' Van Winkle. The Weller and Van Winkle brands are both produced at Buffalo Trace distillery nowadays, distilled to very similar old Stitzel-Weller recipes, and are among the most sought after bourbons on the market.

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.

Willett Family Estate 13 Year Old Single Barrel Bourbon #3636

A single barrel bourbon, bottled by Kentucky Bourbon Distillers at Willett distillery. Drawn from Barrel #3636 in the KBD warehouses, which contain bourbon from the majority of the Kentucky distilleries, but most of it is sourced from neighbouring Heaven Hill.

Bottle 110 of only 135 exclusively available at the Willett gift shop in March 2017.

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.

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).

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

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.

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.