October 2018 Auction

Dalmore 40 Year Old

The oldest release within Dalmore's Rare and Prestigious range, this 40 year old is matured in the classic Dalmore combination of American oak and Gonzalez Byass sherry casks.

One of only 1,000 bottles produced and released in a very elegant leather bound case.

Distilled on 21st March 1966.

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.

Demerara 26 Year Old Moon Import Rum

A 26 year old Rum produced in Guyana and bottled in the 1980s by Moon Imports.

The distillery is not named and at the era of production it could have been one of  number of distilleries though we do know it is a pot still which rules out one or two candidates.

Unusually this is referred to as both a Demerara and Agricole rum.

Bottle 392 bottled drawn from sherry wood.

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.

Dalmore 1963 Cadenhead's 15 Year Old

As Scotland’s oldest independent bottler, Cadenhead’s have long been known for releasing stunning whiskies but none more so than those from their famous ‘dumpy’ series, which features some incredible 1950s and 60s vintages. Whisky from this bygone era of production have become increasingly elusive in recent years, making them exceptionally desirable. 

This Dalmore was distilled in November 1963 and bottled in November 1978 .

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.

Dunville's VR Old Irish Whisky circa 1910/1920s 

A fantastic example of Dunville's VR Old Irish Whisky, produced at the distillery in Belfast. 

A gold medal winner at the 1900 Paris Exhibition, the company went into liquidation in 1936 following the death of the chairman and the last Dunville heir.

Unlike other Irish distillers of this era, the company was actually quite profitable when it went into liquidation. 

No capacity or strength stated. 

This lot includes original wrapping, which is torn, and straw.

Demerara 21 Year Old Moon Import Rum

A 21 year old Rum produced in Guyana and bottled in the 1980s by Moon Import.

The distillery is not named and at the era of production it could have been one of a number of distilleries, many of which closed their doors in the consolidation of the 1980s and 1990s. 

Bottle 134, drawn from sherry wood.

Dungourney 1964 Pure Pot Still Special Reserve / Old Midleton Distillery

Old Midleton was converted from a mill to a distillery in 1825 and operated until 1975, when there was a new facility constructed along side it to house the recently amalgamated operations of Jameson, Powers and Cork Distillers.

This is pure pot still whiskey, distilled at Old Midleton in 1964, lost then later discovered off the books by Master Distiller, Barry Crockett. 

Presented in an elegant wooden lock-and-key box.

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.

Demerara 1974 Gordon and MacPhail Single Cask Rum 75cl / Park Avenue Liquor Shop

A Gordon and MacPhail bottling of a 1974 vintage Demerara rum from Guyana and bottled in 2003.

Drawn from single cask #1249, which was selected exclusively for the Park Avenue Liquor Shop in the US.

The distillery in question here in unknown, however tasting notes have suggested it is similar in profile to Port Mourant.

Dalmore Quintessence

Launched in 2016 this limited release was produced to celebrate 50 years of Richard 'The Nose' Patterson in the whisky industry.

The first whisky to be finished in 5 different red wine casks, Californian Zinfadel, Pinot Noir, Syrah, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon.

All 5 were hand picked by Dick Patterson himself and represent \"a combination of [his] two great passions, the Dalmore distillery and exceptional red wine\"

Dalmore Vintage 1996, 1998 & 2001 3 x 70cl / Port Finish

A set of three Dalmore distilled in 1996. 1998 and 2001 and bottled at 20, 18 and 15 years old respectively after finishing in port casks.

Shipping will be charged at 3 bottles on this lot. 

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.

Dalmore Millenium Release 1263 Custodian / 2012, 2015, 2018 Release 3 x 70cl

Dalmore introduced the idea of becoming a Dalmore Custodian in 2010.

The whisky was filled into a cask at midnight on January 1st 2000 and will be gradually released at it's major birthday's of 12 years, 15 years and 18 years old.

These 'Millenium Release' were bottled in 2012, 2015 and 2018 to mark the 12th, 15th and 18th birthdays of this spirit respectively.

Please note there will be a shipping cost for three bottles. 

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.

Daftmill 2005 Inaugural Release

Daftmill was granted a license to begin producing spirit in 2005, and has not bottled a single drop of that first distillate until now. This 12 year old expression is an unprecedentedly well-aged first release, and is a vatting of 3 casks, #02, #03 and #07, all filled in that first year of production.

Daftmill is a farm distillery, owned and run by the Cuthbert family, who grow all of the barley used in their whisky on-site. The distillery is only operational during the farm's quiet periods in mid-summer and mid-winter, sometimes producing as few as 100 casks per year. This first release is no heralding of an opening of the floodgates then, and future Daftmill releases should prove every bit as difficult to come by, and as sought after as this, the first. A true boutique product.

The Chariot barley used for this bottling was harvested in 2014 from the farm's Dam Park and Curling Pond fields. It was malted locally in Fife by Robert Kilgour & co, some of the last in fact, as that company has long since closed down.

This is bottle number 160 of just 629.

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.

Daftmill 2005 Inaugural Release

Daftmill was granted a license to begin producing spirit in 2005, and has not bottled a single drop of that first distillate until now. This 12 year old expression is an unprecedentedly well-aged first release, and is a vatting of 3 casks, #02, #03 and #07, all filled in that first year of production.

Daftmill is a farm distillery, owned and run by the Cuthbert family, who grow all of the barley used in their whisky on-site. The distillery is only operational during the farm's quiet periods in mid-summer and mid-winter, sometimes producing as few as 100 casks per year. This first release is no heralding of an opening of the floodgates then, and future Daftmill releases should prove every bit as difficult to come by, and as sought after as this, the first. A true boutique product.

The Chariot barley used for this bottling was harvested in 2014 from the farm's Dam Park and Curling Pond fields. It was malted locally in Fife by Robert Kilgour & co, some of the last in fact, as that company has long since closed down.

This is bottle number 250 of just 629.

Daftmill 2005 Inaugural Release

Daftmill was granted a license to begin producing spirit in 2005, and has not bottled a single drop of that first distillate until now. This 12 year old expression is an unprecedentedly well-aged first release, and is a vatting of 3 casks, #02, #03 and #07, all filled in that first year of production.

Daftmill is a farm distillery, owned and run by the Cuthbert family, who grow all of the barley used in their whisky on-site. The distillery is only operational during the farm's quiet periods in mid-summer and mid-winter, sometimes producing as few as 100 casks per year. This first release is no heralding of an opening of the floodgates then, and future Daftmill releases should prove every bit as difficult to come by, and as sought after as this, the first. A true boutique product.

The Chariot barley used for this bottling was harvested in 2014 from the farm's Dam Park and Curling Pond fields. It was malted locally in Fife by Robert Kilgour & co, some of the last in fact, as that company has long since closed down.

This is bottle number 371 of just 629.

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. 

Dingle Irish Single Malt Small Batch No. 1 / Bourbon Casks

Matured exclusively in Bourbon casks, this was the first small batch release from the Dingle Whiskey Distillery which opened in 2012.

Dingle Irish Single Malt Small Batch No. 1 / Bourbon Casks

Matured exclusively in Bourbon casks, this was the first small batch release from the Dingle Whiskey Distillery which opened in 2012.

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. 

Demerara 15 Year Old Moon Import Rum

A 15 year old Rum produced in Guyana and bottled in the 1980s by Moon Imports.

The distillery is not named and at the era of production it could have been one of  number of distilleries though we do know it is a pot still which rules out one or two candidates.

Unusually this is referred to as both a Demerara and Agricole rum.

Bottle 121 bottled drawn from sherry wood.

Dewar's Victoria Vat 1930s

A very old bottle of Victoria Vat, produced by Dewar's we believe around the 1930's. 

No capacity or strength stated. 

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.