October 2018 Auction

Old Oscar Pepper 1916 Bottled in Bond Whiskey Pint / Prohibition Era Bottling

A fantastic example of a Prohibition era bottling of American whiskey. Although the Volstead Act of 1920 had banned all production, sale an consumption of alcohol in the US, a few select companies were able to acquire medicinal licenses that allowed them to continue bottling their warehoused stock. These medicinal bottlings could be prescribed by medical professionals, and bakers were also entitled to a weekly ration to cook with.

One of these companies was the Frankfort distillery. Built in 1902, the distillery was one of 6 companies to be granted a medicinal license, and subsequently bought up the stocks from many of those who did not. This included Labrot & Graham and its Old Oscar Pepper brand. This distillery had a rich history; it was built by Elijah Pepper, as the Old Oscar Pepper distillery in the early 1800s and lists James Crow, of Old Crow fame amongst its former Master Distillers. Colonel E H Taylor Jr also managed it for a time. It was revived in 1935 by R A Baker under the Labrot & Graham name, eventually being acquired by Brown-Forman in 1940. Despite then laying idle for many years, it was revived again in the mid-1990s as what we now recognise as Woodford Reserve.

The Frankfort distillery on the other hand, did not re-open after Prohibition. The company had been procured by Paul Jones & Co. in order to allow them to continue bottling the Four Roses brand. With stock stretched thin by the expanded portfolio by the end of 1920s, they contracted A. Ph. Stitzel to supply them with more from their ageing stock. This partnership saw Frankfort distillery eventually acquire the Stitzel plant in 1933, with its former owners opening the legendary Stitzel-Weller in Louisville two years later. By the late 1940s, the Frankfort distillery company had been acquired by Seagram's.

This was distilled in 1916 bottled in 1926, likely from some of the last of the Labrot & Graham whiskey in the warehouses. It was bottled in bond at the legal requirement of 100 US proof.

Old Parr Elizabethan

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.

Oban 1961 Gordon & MacPhail 20 Year Old 1980s / Co. Import Pinerolo

A well aged and incredibly desirable Oban, distilled in 1961 and released as a 20 year old by Gordon & MacPhail in their Connoisseurs Choice range.

This was an Italian release for Co. Import, Pinerolo.

Oban 13 Year Old Manager's Dram 1990

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.

A 13 year old sherry matured Oban bottled in November 1990. 

Although not stated appears to be a 75cl bottle. 

Old Vandegrift 1917 Bottled in Bond Pure Whiskey Pint / Prohibition Era Bottling

This was distilled in the Fall 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.

The Hammond Distilling Company was incorporated in 1901 and was run by none other than John E. Fitzgerald, after whom the Stitzel-Weller (and now Heaven Hill) classic, Old Fitzgerald is named.

Following its closure, 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.

Oban 19 Year Old Manager’s Dram 1995

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.

Released in 1995 from a refill cask, this Oban was bottled for United Distillers (Diageo) and chosen by John Williams.

Oban 1978 Signatory Vintage 18 Year Old

A vintage bottling of Oban, distilled in 1978 and bottled in 1996 by Signatory Vintage.

Aged 18 years in single cask #215, this is one of 272 bottles. 

Old Pulteney World's Best Whiskies Pack 2 x 70cl / 21 Year Old & 1989 Vintage

A nicely presented twin pack containing 'the world's best whiskies'. 

Jim Murray named Old Pulteney 21 Year Old as his World Whisky of the Year in 2012, whilst the 1989 Vintage (bottled 2015) won the World's Best Single Malt award at the World Whiskies Awards in 2016. 

This is twin pack number 112 of 276. Both bottles are 46% ABV.

This lot has a 2 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 2016 bottling.

Bottling code is B1618319:424

Octomore 1695 Discovery / Feis Ile 2014 - Signed by Jim McEwan

This 2014 release was the first time Bruichladdich released an Octomore for Feis Ile and it was incredibly limited with only 1,695 bottles being released.

Distilled on the 18th February 2007 and bottled for the 2014 Bruichladdich Open Day at Feis Ile, with a very impressive ABV of 69.5%. 

One of 1695 bottles.

Old Fitzgerald Bottled in Bond Spring & Fall 2018 Releases 2 x 75cl

Currently distilled at Heaven Hill, this brand was once under the ownership of the legendary Pappy Van Winkle, who bought it for the princely sum of $10,000 from Old Judge distillery at the close of prohibition in 1933.

Heaven Hill procured the brand from United Distillers in 1999 along with the Bernheim distillery, who had been producing it until then using the remaining Stitzel-Weller stock.

This was lot comprises the two 2018 releases from the Spring and Fall seasons. Both were distilled at the Heaven Hill's Bernheim distillery.

• Spring 2018: Distilled in 2006 and bottled at 11 years old
• Fall 2018: Distilled in 2008 and bottled at 9 years old

This lot has a 2 bottle shipping fee.

Otard 1917 Cognac

A very old bottle of Otard cognac. Sadly the label is missing which makes it difficult to discern too much about it.

What is left of the label is however in the style of the common 1917 vintage, bottled at some point in the 1960s or 70s by Threlfalls Ltd of Liverpool.

Oishii Wisukii 36 Year Old Highlander Inn Small Batch Blend II

A very high quality 36 year old blended whisky which has been matured in a single sherry cask.

Bottled exclusively for the whisky lover's paradise, The Highlander Inn in Craigellachie. Named Oishii Wisukii, which translates to \"Delicious Whisky\", this bottle has labels designed by Japanese artist and designer Takeshi Abe, whose previous work has included label design for the Ichiro's Malt 'Card' series.

This is the second batch, bottled in 2016 at 51.1%.

Old Forester Kentucky Straight Bourbon 1970s

Old Forester is one of bourbon's historic brands. It was one 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). Produced by Brown-Forman at their distillery in Shively, Kentucky.

This particular Old Forester was bottled in the late 1970s in, unusually for the time, a 70cl bottle.

Orphan Barrel Lost Prophet 22 Year Old 

From the Orphan Barrel Website: 

 \"Lost Prophet speaks softly but carries a big stick. Eloquent and gentle, this Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey was unearthed after spending 22 long years resting in charred American white oak barrels, tucked away in a corner of the historic Stitzel-Weller rickhouses in Shively, Kentucky. Only a small amount of Lost Prophet exists and it will only be released once. After the last bottle has been sold, it's gone for good, its nomadic journey coming to an end.\"

Oishii Wisukii 36 Year Old Highlander Inn Small Batch Blend II

A very high quality 36 year old blended whisky which has been matured in a single sherry cask.

Bottled exclusively for the whisky lover's paradise, The Highlander Inn in Craigellachie. Named Oishii Wisukii, which translates to \"Delicious Whisky\", this bottle has labels designed by Japanese artist and designer Takeshi Abe, whose previous work has included label design for the Ichiro's Malt 'Card' series.

This is the second batch, bottled in 2016 at 51.1%.

Old Pulteney 30 Year Old

A 30 year old whisky matured in ex-bourbon casks and presented in a well-crafted walnut veneered presentation box. 

Old Fitzgerald '1849' 8 Year Old 1970s / Stitzel-Weller

This is a 1970s bottling of the 8 year old '1849' expression of the Old Fitzgerald brand. This was produced at the Old Fitzgerald Distillery, previously known as Stitzel-Weller, by Somerset Imports who had acquired the distillery and its brands in 1972. Bottled in 1976, this bottle will contain some Stitzel-Weller bourbon from the much-lauded Van Winkle era, when it was run by 'Pappy's' son, Julian II.

The expression is named 1849 after the year in which the W.L. Weller company was formed.

United Distillers eventually closed Stitzel-Weller (the name had reverted back by this point) in 1992, and the Old Fitzgerald brand sold to Heaven Hill, who still produce the 1849 as a premium product today.

Oban 21 Year Old Cask Strength 2013 75cl / US Import

A 21 Year Old limited edition Oban, bottled as part of Diageo's 2013 Special Releases. Matured using rejuvenated American oak and second-fill Bodega casks, only 2,860 bottles were released.

Bottled number 1125 of 2860.

Old Fitzgerald 7 Year Old Prime Bourbon Half Pint 1970s / Stitzel-Weller

A popular bourbon produced at Stitzel Weller distillery. This is an older bottling of the 7 year old product, bottled in 1971. At this time the distillery was still run by the Van Winkle family, specifically Julian II. He was forced to sell the company to Somerset Imports the following year.

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

Old Fitzgerald 6 Year Old Prime Bourbon 1970s / Stitzel-Weller

A popular bourbon produced at Stitzel-Weller distillery. This is an older bottling of the 6 year old product, bottled in 1979. By this point the Van Winkle family had sold the distillery to Somerset Imports, who were now running it under the name of Old Fitzgerald Distillery. It would later be acquired by United Distillers who reverted it back to Stitzel-Weller.

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

Oban 12 Year Old 1980s / with Miniature

A stunning example of the old Oban 12 year old produced by John Hopkins & Co., presented in their iconic triangular decanter bottle.

With miniature. 

Old Hickory 20 Year Old Straight Bourbon 1970s

Produced in Philadelphia by Continental Distillers at their Publicker distillery. Publicker would go on to invest heavily in the Scotch market, founding Inver House distillers.

The Old Hickory brand exists again today, revived by the R.S. Lipman company. With the Pulicker distillery long gone, the brand is produced using sourced whiskey from MGP in Indiana. This bottle is a great example of the original product.

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. 

Old Pulteney 1989 Lightly Peated

An award winning whisky, the Old Pulteney 1989 achieved the title of World's Best Single Malt from the 2016 World Whisky Awards, which are awarded by Whisky Magazine.

This expression was bottled in 2015 at approximately 25 years of age. 

Octomore Comus 4.2 

Peated equally to the Octomore 4.1 release at a massive 167ppm, this was finished in Sauternes casks. As with the Octomore Orpheus, the Comus has received quite a cult following providing a powerful peaty dram with an elegant sweet character provided by what is recognised as perhaps the world’s greatest dessert wine.   

Only 18,000 bottles were produced.

Heaven Ocean Whisky 66cl / Karuizawa

A very rare and wonderful old bottling of Japanese whisky. Labelled as \"pleasant whisky,\" we're sure they're just being modest.

A blend produced by Ocean, former owners of Karuizawa and likely to contain a high proportion of the legendary liquid.  

A very interesting bottle from Japan and one containing whiskies we can rarely try or find on the market these days, a real piece of Japanese whisky history!

Old Comber 30 Year Old Irish Whiskey

The Old Comber distillery was located in Comber, County Down in Northern Ireland.  Like the majority of Ireland's distilleries, operations ceased at Comber in the 1950s, which makes this an amazing piece of Irish Whiskey heritage.

A batch of Comber whiskey was discovered in the 1980s and bottled in small releases over several years. This 30 year old bottle was bottled during the earl;y 1990s and is one of the last bottlings ever released from this long lost distillery.

Old Crow Kentucky Straight Bourbon Quart 1960s

Old Crow is 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 is the National Distillers era version, bottled in 1968.

Rumour has it, in the process of enlarging the Old Crow distillery in the 1960s, National Distillers accidentally altered the percentage of setback they were using to condition the mash there, altering the flavour of the final bourbon. Production was required in such volume at such pace that it was nearly 20 years before the error could be rectified. This is likely some of the last bourbon to be distilled prior to that incident and will be well worth investigating.

Old Pulteney 8 Year Old Gordon and MacPhail 1980s

A classic expression from the former northernmost distillery on the Scottish mainland. 

With the imperial measurements on the label blacked out, we can deduce that this bottling dates from around 1980, when metric measurements were introduced 

Old Grand-Dad 114 Barrel Proof Bourbon / Lot No.7

Featuring the image of Basil Hayden, Old Grand-dad is a classic of the bourbon world. 

This was distilled and bottled in 1980 by National Distillers at the Old Grand-dad distillery in Frankfort.

Jim Beam purchased National Distillers in 1987. Old Grand-dad is now silent, although Beam continue to use it as a warehouse for ageing barrels, and they still sell Old Grand-dad as part of their \"The Olds\" bottlings with Old Overholt and Old Crow.

This edition is Lot No.7 of the 114 barrel proof.