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.

Willett Family Estate 22 Year Old Single Barrel Bourbon #C20D / Wheated

A wheated Willett, released on the 16th September 2015 at the Willet gift shop, this well-aged Bourbon was matured in barrel #C20D. The Willett Family Reserve is bottled by Kentucky Bourbon Distillers using barrels sourced from other companies. They have stock from nearly every Kentucky distillery in their warehouses, with their wheated bourbon of this age most likely coming from Bernheim.

This was a special release for the Kentucky Bourbon Festival.

Bottle number 19 of 92 bottles.

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.

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 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. 

William L 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 L Weller is aged 12 years.

Wild Turkey 1998 Russell's Reserve

An exceptional one time release, this Russell's Reserve was distilled in 1998 at Wild Turkey, matured until 2015 and then bottled at 102.2 Proof. 

Bottle number 1766 of 2070 drawn from 23 barrels.

The original batch of Russel's Reserve was bottled in 1998 in celebration of Master Distiller, Jimmy Russell's 45th anniversary with the company. The barrels for this release were warehoused that same year with the specific intention of releasing a second Russel's Reserve with the 1998 vintage to honour the achievement again.

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.

William L. 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 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 2015 release is aged 12 years.

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. 

White Horse 1940s / US Import​

Exported to America by Browne Vinters based in New York, this particular bottle of White Horse was bottled with a spring cap, likely towards the end of the 1940' based on the tax seal..

\"By Appointment to His Majesty The King\"

Wild Turkey 12 Year Old Beyond Duplication 1990s

A limited edition small batch bottling of Wild Turkey 12 year old, bottled from a select 600 barrels at the expected 101 US proof.

The Wild Turkey distillery, originally known as Boulevard, was built in 1869 in Tyrone, Kentucky. The name was not Wild Turkey until 1941 when some, shared on a hunting trip, was referred to as \"some of that wild turkey whiskey.\"

Japanese imports.

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. 

Whistlepig 14 Year Old Single Barrel Rye / The Boss Hog 4th Edition

The fourth edition of this highly sought after whisky: The Black Prince.

The Boss Hog range is a straight rye whiskey from the Vermont based distillery, Whistlepig Farm. Although they have recently began bottling their own distillate, older expressions like this have been sourced from other distilleries, generally either MGP in Indiana, or Alberta Distillers in Canada.

Barrel #22 was aged 14 years and has been finished in Armagnac barrels from France.

All recent Boss Hog bottlings feature a Danforth Pewter stopper.

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.

W.L. Weller 12 Year Old

An older release of W.L. Weller, the original wheated bourbon. The Weller brand was historically produced by the Van Winkle family at Stitzel-Weller distillery.

This bourbon however was distilled at Buffalo Trace by the Sazerac company, who purchased the brand from United Distillers in 1999. In her book But Always Fine Bourbon, Sally Van Winkle Campbell claims they did not have the exact Weller recipe until their partnership with her brother, Julian Van Winkle III was agreed in 2002. Undoubtedly a nod of approval from the family for the modern day product.

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.

Willett Family Estate 14 Year Old Single Barrel Bourbon #2366

A single barrel bourbon, bottled by Kentucky Bourbon Distillers at Willett distillery. Drawn from Barrel #2366.

KBD's warehouses contain bourbon from the majority of the Kentucky distilleries, but most of it is sourced from neighbouring Heaven Hill.

Bottle 114 of only 143 released in November 2015 and exclusively available at the Willett gift shop.

Wild Turkey 12 Year Old 101 Proof Limited Edition 1980s

A limited edition bottling of Wild Turkey 12 year old, bottled at the expected 101 US proof. This was bottled in 1983.

The Wild Turkey distillery, originally known as Boulevard, was built in 1869 in Tyrone, Kentucky. The name was not Wild Turkey until 1941 when some, shared on a hunting trip, was referred to as \"some of that wild turkey whiskey.\"

Wild Turkey 12 Year Old 101 Proof Limited Edition 1990s

A limited edition bottling of Wild Turkey 12 year old, bottled at the expected 101 US Proof / 50.5%. This was bottled in 1992.

The Wild Turkey distillery, originally known as Boulevard, was built in 1869 in Tyrone, Kentucky. The name was not Wild Turkey until 1941 when some, shared on a hunting trip, was referred to as \"some of that wild turkey whiskey\". 

Wild Turkey 101 Proof Straight Rye / Christmas Rye

A rare old Christmas release of the classic Wild Turkey 101 proof rye, bottled in the late1990s.

This was once one of the most popular rye whiskies on the market in the US, however supply issues caused it to begin disappearing from shelves.

With the rye whisky revival of recent times, the Wild Turkey rye too has returned, and is one of the few on the market not being sourced from MGP, and is still distilled at Wild Turkey.

This is a fine example from the 101 proof straight rye's heyday.

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.

Willett Family Estate 13 Year Old Single Barrel Bourbon #1318

A single barrel bourbon, bottled by Kentucky Bourbon Distillers at Willett distillery. Drawn from Barrel #1318. KBD's warehouses contain bourbon from the majority of the Kentucky distilleries, but most of it is sourced from neighbouring Heaven Hill.

Bottle 49 of only 165 exclusively available at the Willett gift shop.

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.

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%.

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. 

Weller 8 Year Old CYPB

In November 2015 Buffalo Trace launched their \"Craft Your Perfect Bourbon\" website, inviting fans to theory craft a bourbon from start to finish, choosing the mashbill, choose your warehouse, age and proof at bottling.

Of the 100,239 people who took part in this fun little experiment, the vast majority settled on the same criteria: a Wheated Bourbon aged for 8 years at the top of the Warehouse and bottled between 90 and 99 proof.

Given the clear and overwhelming demand for such a product, Buffalo Trace went ahead and created the Weller Craft Your Perfect Bourbon, or C.Y.P.B. for short