May 2019 Auction

Very Very Old Fitzgerald 1957 Bonded 12 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 1959.

Distilled at the Stitzel-Weller distillery while it was still being run by the legendary Julian 'Pappy' Van Winkle, and bottled at the distillery by his son, Julian II in 1971, just a year before he was forced to sell to Somerset Imports, with his family departing the business.

These pure Van Winkle era Stitzel-Weller bottlings are rare gems and incredibly sought after, with the \"A Collector's Item\" shoulder label continuing to prove a remarkable piece of foresight.

Van Winkle 1985 Family Reserve Rye / Un-Chillfiltered European Exclusive

Blink and you might miss it, but this is not the standard 13 year old Van Winkle Family Reserve Rye that at first glance it may appear. Labelled simply as the 1985 vintage, this was released in 2001 when the Family Reserve was actually 15 years old. Although it is commonly known as a 13 year old, the rye actually continued to age in cask until 2004 when it was eventually tanked at Buffalo Trace. 

The Family Reserve Rye is presumed to have been distilled at Medley in Owensboro, with Cream of Kentucky rye from Bernheim blended through it after it was tanked in 2004. More recent bottlings are also expected to contain whiskey distilled at Buffalo Trace. This however is the unblended Medley liquid.

Bottled by Julian Van Winkle III at Old Commonwealth distillery in Lawrenceburg, he has personally confirmed that this un-chillfiltered version was an experiment for the European market, at the request of a French customer. Un-chillfiltering is unheard of with bourbon in the US, but is the preference here. Van Winkle also noted that he believes this release does have some flavour lost in the regular chillfiltered product.

Bottled at the higher strength of 100 proof, this is a particularly rare gem.

Bottle number A97. 

Very Old Fitzgerald 1961 Bonded 8 Year Old 100 Proof Half Pint / Stitzel-Weller

We don't see vintage Old Fitzgerald very often, so we are particularly excited about this bottle which was distilled in 1961 and bottled in 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. The 'A Collectors Item' label affixed to the shoulder therefore representing an incredible piece of foresight.

Presented in a lock and key box with two glasses.

Vintage Rye 23 Year Old

Vintage Rye is a boutique brand owned by Allied Lomar in California, who's other products include Rare Perfection, Wattie Boone and Very Olde St Nick. They have been sourcing whiskey and bottling it for several decades, and they are instantly recognisable from their uniform use of the same cursive script-style typeface. Allied Lomar president, Marci Palatella, was Julian Van Winkle III's agent in the Japanese market for many years, and their early bottlings were contracted to him at his Old Commonwealth distillery.

The Van Winkle partnership with the Sazerac company in the early 2000's ended this agreement however, with the production of bottles such as this moved to Willett distillery, where they were bottled by its owners, Evan Kulsveen's Kentucky Bourbon Distillers. The stills at Willett were silent at this point and most of the well-aged rye in the KBD warehouses was the unused Cream of Kentucky distilled by Schenley at Bernheim. This is the same rye that is a constituent in some of the Pappy Van Winkle Family Reserve and was bottled as early versions of the Sazerac 18 year old at Buffalo Trace.

Allied Lomar opened their own Preservation distillery in Bardstown, Kentucky in 2018.

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. 

Vintage Rye 23 Year Old

Vintage Rye is a boutique brand owned by Allied Lomar in California, who's other products include Rare Perfection, Wattie Boone and Very Olde St Nick. They have been sourcing whiskey and bottling it for several decades, and they are instantly recognisable from their uniform use of the same cursive script-style typeface. Allied Lomar president, Marci Palatella, was Julian Van Winkle III's agent in the Japanese market for many years, and their early bottlings were contracted to him at his Old Commonwealth distillery.

The Van Winkle partnership with the Sazerac company in the early 2000's ended this agreement however, with the production of bottles such as this moved to Willett distillery, where they were bottled by its owners, Evan Kulsveen's Kentucky Bourbon Distillers. The stills at Willett were silent at this point and most of the well-aged rye in the KBD warehouses was the unused Cream of Kentucky distilled by Schenley at Bernheim. This is the same rye that is a constituent in some of the Pappy Van Winkle Family Reserve and was bottled as early versions of the Sazerac 18 year old at Buffalo Trace.

Allied Lomar opened their own Preservation distillery in Bardstown, Kentucky in 2018.

Very Olde St. Nick 1973 Ancient Estate Reserve 25 Year Old

Very Old St Nick is a boutique bourbon brand owned by Palatella family in California, who's other products include Rare Perfection, Wattie Boone and the Vintage Bourbon and Rye bottles. They have been sourcing bourbon and bottling it for several decades, and they are instantly recognisable from their uniform use of the same cursive script-style typeface. Marci Palatella was Julian Van Winkle III's agent in the Japanese market for many years, and their early bottlings of Old St Nick were contracted to him at his Old Commonwealth distillery.

The Van Winkle partnership with in the early 2000's ended this agreement however, with the production of bottles such as this moved to Willett distillery, where they were bottled by its owners, Evan Kulsveen's Kentucky Bourbon Distillers. The stills at Willett were silent at this point and KBD were sourcing most of their whiskey from Heaven Hill.

Although the source of the KBD bottling has never been confirmed, Van Winkle has strongly asserted that these Very Olde St Nick are bottled using Heaven Hill bourbon.

This Ancient Estate Reserve was distilled on 19th December 1973 and bottled on the 29th of April 1999.

Bottle #494

Japanese Import

Very Old Fitzgerald 1961 Bonded 8 Year Old 100 Proof Half Pint / Stitzel-Weller

We don't see vintage Old Fitzgerald very often, so we are particularly excited about this bottle which was distilled in the Spring of 1961 and bottled in 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. The 'A Collectors Item' label affixed to the shoulder therefore representing an incredible piece of foresight.

Van Winkle 12 Year Old Special Reserve

The 12 year old Special Reserve 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 2000's, 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 a import sticker.

Van Winkle 12 Year Old Special Reserve

The 12 year old Special Reserve 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 2000's, 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.

Code: L181290112:077

Van Winkle 12 Year Old Special Reserve

The 12 year old Special Reserve 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 2000's, 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.

Code: L172510108:057

Famille Vallein-Tercinier Lot 65 Grande Champagne Cognac / Wealth Solutions

A very rare bottle of cognac, bottled in May 2015 for Wealth Solutions after being matured for 50 years. 

Van Winkle 12 Year Old Special Reserve

The 12 year old Special Reserve 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 2000's, 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.

2016 Bottling.

Laser Code: B1618219:484

Famille Vallein-Tercinier Lot 65 Grande Champagne Cognac / Wealth Solutions

A very rare bottle of cognac, bottled in May 2015 for Wealth Solutions after being matured for 50 years. 

Foursquare Destino / Velier 70th Anniversary​

A special release from Foursquare and their Master Distiller, Richard Seale to commemorate the 70th anniversary of Italian importers, Velier.

Seale selected two 12 year old rum's that had matured in ex-madeira casks, then blended and matured them for a further two years in very old ex-Rum casks.

1865 Grande Fine Champagne Cognac Half Bottle

A real piece of history! This cognac was distilled in 1865 and bottled we believe around the 1930s. 

Half size bottle, although no capacity or strength stated. 

Foursquare Destino / Velier 70th Anniversary​

A special release from Foursquare and their Master Distiller, Richard Seale to commemorate the 70th anniversary of Italian importers, Velier.

Seale selected two 12 year old rum's that had matured in ex-madeira casks, then blended and matured them for a further two years in very old ex-Rum casks.

Four Roses Rye Half Pint 1940s

Four Roses is a pre-prohibition brand, originally created by the Paul Jones company. They purchased Frankfort Distillery during Prohibition and traded under their name in order to use the medicinal license the distillery held in order to keep bottling the Four Roses brand. Frankfort Distilleries was then acquired by Seagram following the repeal of Prohibition, one of the \"big four\" whiskey companies who consolidated the majority of the market in the 1930s and 1940s.

Seagram preferred to promote their own products as the American whiskey of choice, namely Seven Crown, and bottled straight Four Roses only for export markets and restirciting the US to blends. This is a blended rye from the early 1940s, and is comprised of 51% straight rye whiskey.

Blended at the Seagram plant in Baltimore, MD.

Foursquare 2006 Velier 10 Year Old / Bourbon & Cognac Matured

This is a \"single blended rum,\" meaning two spirits blended in the same cask. The first distilled on a copper double pot still, and the second on a traditional coffey.

Distilled in 2006 and matured in ex-bourbon casks for 3 years and ex-cognac casks for a further 7 years.

Bottled in 2016 by Velier for the Italian market.

One of 2400 bottles.

Foursquare 2006 Velier 10 Year Old / Bourbon & Cognac Matured

This is a \"single blended rum,\" meaning two spirits blended in the same cask. The first distilled on a copper double pot still, and the second on a traditional coffey.

Distilled in 2006 and matured in ex-bourbon casks for 3 years and ex-cognac casks for a further 7 years.

Bottled in 2016 by Velier for the Italian market.

One of 2400 bottles.

Very Olde St Nick Lot 12 Ancient Cask Bourbon

Very Old St Nick is a boutique bourbon brand owned by Allied Lomar in California, who's other products include Rare Perfection, Wattie Boone and the Vintage Bourbon and Rye bottles. They have been sourcing bourbon and bottling it for several decades, and they are instantly recognisable from their uniform use of the same cursive script-style typeface. Allied Lomar president, Marci Palatella, was Julian Van Winkle III's agent in the Japanese market for many years, and their early bottlings of Old St Nick were contracted to him at his Old Commonwealth distillery.

The Van Winkle partnership with in the early 2000s ended this agreement however, with the production of bottles such as this moved to Willett distillery, where they were bottled by its owners, Evan Kulsveen's Kentucky Bourbon Distillers. The stills at Willett were silent at this point and KBD were sourcing most of their whiskey from Heaven Hill.

Although the source of the KBD bottling has never been confirmed, Van Winkle has strongly asserted that these Very Olde St Nick were bottled using Heaven Hill bourbon. Palatella concedes that her company were \"cut off\" by KBD in the 2000s, so it is unclear which Kentucky distillery the source of these more modern bottlings is.

Allied Lomar opened their own Preservation distillery in Bardstown, Kentucky in 2018.

Japanese import.

Very Olde St Nick Lot 12 Ancient Cask Bourbon

Very Old St Nick is a boutique bourbon brand owned by Allied Lomar in California, who's other products include Rare Perfection, Wattie Boone and the Vintage Bourbon and Rye bottles. They have been sourcing bourbon and bottling it for several decades, and they are instantly recognisable from their uniform use of the same cursive script-style typeface. Allied Lomar president, Marci Palatella, was Julian Van Winkle III's agent in the Japanese market for many years, and their early bottlings of Old St Nick were contracted to him at his Old Commonwealth distillery.

The Van Winkle partnership with in the early 2000s ended this agreement however, with the production of bottles such as this moved to Willett distillery, where they were bottled by its owners, Evan Kulsveen's Kentucky Bourbon Distillers. The stills at Willett were silent at this point and KBD were sourcing most of their whiskey from Heaven Hill.

Although the source of the KBD bottling has never been confirmed, Van Winkle has strongly asserted that these Very Olde St Nick were bottled using Heaven Hill bourbon. Palatella concedes that her company were \"cut off\" by KBD in the 2000s, so it is unclear which Kentucky distillery the source of these more modern bottlings is.

Allied Lomar opened their own Preservation distillery in Bardstown, Kentucky in 2018.

Japanese import.

Very Olde St Nick Lot 12 Ancient Cask Bourbon

Very Old St Nick is a boutique bourbon brand owned by Allied Lomar in California, who's other products include Rare Perfection, Wattie Boone and the Vintage Bourbon and Rye bottles. They have been sourcing bourbon and bottling it for several decades, and they are instantly recognisable from their uniform use of the same cursive script-style typeface. Allied Lomar president, Marci Palatella, was Julian Van Winkle III's agent in the Japanese market for many years, and their early bottlings of Old St Nick were contracted to him at his Old Commonwealth distillery.

The Van Winkle partnership with in the early 2000s ended this agreement however, with the production of bottles such as this moved to Willett distillery, where they were bottled by its owners, Evan Kulsveen's Kentucky Bourbon Distillers. The stills at Willett were silent at this point and KBD were sourcing most of their whiskey from Heaven Hill.

Although the source of the KBD bottling has never been confirmed, Van Winkle has strongly asserted that these Very Olde St Nick were bottled using Heaven Hill bourbon. Palatella concedes that her company were \"cut off\" by KBD in the 2000s, so it is unclear which Kentucky distillery the source of these more modern bottlings is.

Allied Lomar opened their own Preservation distillery in Bardstown, Kentucky in 2018.

Japanese import.

Very Olde St Nick Lot 12 Ancient Cask Bourbon

Very Old St Nick is a boutique bourbon brand owned by Allied Lomar in California, who's other products include Rare Perfection, Wattie Boone and the Vintage Bourbon and Rye bottles. They have been sourcing bourbon and bottling it for several decades, and they are instantly recognisable from their uniform use of the same cursive script-style typeface. Allied Lomar president, Marci Palatella, was Julian Van Winkle III's agent in the Japanese market for many years, and their early bottlings of Old St Nick were contracted to him at his Old Commonwealth distillery.

The Van Winkle partnership with in the early 2000s ended this agreement however, with the production of bottles such as this moved to Willett distillery, where they were bottled by its owners, Evan Kulsveen's Kentucky Bourbon Distillers. The stills at Willett were silent at this point and KBD were sourcing most of their whiskey from Heaven Hill.

Although the source of the KBD bottling has never been confirmed, Van Winkle has strongly asserted that these Very Olde St Nick were bottled using Heaven Hill bourbon. Palatella concedes that her company were \"cut off\" by KBD in the 2000s, so it is unclear which Kentucky distillery the source of these more modern bottlings is.

Allied Lomar opened their own Preservation distillery in Bardstown, Kentucky in 2018.

Japanese import.

Very Olde St Nick Lot 12 Ancient Cask Bourbon

Very Old St Nick is a boutique bourbon brand owned by Allied Lomar in California, who's other products include Rare Perfection, Wattie Boone and the Vintage Bourbon and Rye bottles. They have been sourcing bourbon and bottling it for several decades, and they are instantly recognisable from their uniform use of the same cursive script-style typeface. Allied Lomar president, Marci Palatella, was Julian Van Winkle III's agent in the Japanese market for many years, and their early bottlings of Old St Nick were contracted to him at his Old Commonwealth distillery.

The Van Winkle partnership with in the early 2000s ended this agreement however, with the production of bottles such as this moved to Willett distillery, where they were bottled by its owners, Evan Kulsveen's Kentucky Bourbon Distillers. The stills at Willett were silent at this point and KBD were sourcing most of their whiskey from Heaven Hill.

Although the source of the KBD bottling has never been confirmed, Van Winkle has strongly asserted that these Very Olde St Nick were bottled using Heaven Hill bourbon. Palatella concedes that her company were \"cut off\" by KBD in the 2000s, so it is unclear which Kentucky distillery the source of these more modern bottlings is.

Allied Lomar opened their own Preservation distillery in Bardstown, Kentucky in 2018.

Japanese import.

Foursquare 2006 Velier 10 Year Old / Bourbon & Cognac Matured

This is a \"single blended rum,\" meaning two spirits blended in the same cask. The first distilled on a copper double pot still, and the second on a traditional coffey.

Distilled in 2006 and matured in ex-bourbon casks for 3 years and ex-cognac casks for a further 7 years.

Bottled in 2016 by Velier for the Italian market.

One of 2400 bottles.

Foursquare 2003 Velier 14 Year Old Destino

A single blended rum - combining both column and pot still distillate from a singe distillery - from Foursquare distillery, matured for 12 years in ex-Madeira casks and then moved to ex-bourbon casks for another 2 years. 

Bottled in December 2017 as one of 2610 bottles. 

Foursquare 2003 Velier 14 Year Old Destino

A single blended rum - combining both column and pot still distillate from a singe distillery - from Foursquare distillery, matured for 12 years in ex-Madeira casks and then moved to ex-bourbon casks for another 2 years. 

Bottled in December 2017 as one of 2610 bottles. 

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 at 30 years of age. 

One of 3000 bottles. 

Vega 1976 North Star 41 Year Old

A limited edition 41 year old blended malt whisky produced by North Star Spirits.

Produced using whiskies distilled in November 1976 and bottled in April 2018.

One of only 400 bottles, bottled at cask strength.

Vega 1976 North Star 41 Year Old

A limited edition 41 year old blended malt whisky produced by North Star Spirits.

Produced using whiskies distilled in November 1976 and bottled in April 2018.

One of only 400 bottles, bottled at cask strength.

Four Roses Small Batch Limited Edition 2018 Release / 130th Anniversary

The 2018 limited edition barrel strength, small batch release from Four Roses, bottled at a high strength of 54.2%.

The origins of the Four Roses brand are historically hazy, with some speculating that it has been sold since the 1860s. The brand name itself was trademarked in 1888, and this release celebrates the 130th anniversary of that event.

One of 3804 bottles filled in the 70cl size.