October 2018 Auction

Very Xtra Old Fitzgerald 1957 Bonded 10 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 1957 and bottled in 1967.

This was distilled at Stitzel-Weller while it was still under the management of the legendary Julian 'Pappy' Van Winkle, and bottled a few years after his death by his son, Julian II, in 1967.

These pure Van Winkle era Stitzel-Weller bottlings are rare gems and incredibly sought after.

Presented in a felt lined, lock-and-key leather box with two 1 oz. glasses.

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.

Very Very Old Fitzgerald 1952 Bonded 12 Year Old 90 Proof / Stitzel-Weller

We don't see vintage Old Fitzgerald very often, so we are particularly excited about this bottle which was distilled in 1952 and bottled in 1965.

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 1965. 'Pappy' died that same year.

These Van Winkle era bottlings from Stitzel-Weller are incredibly sought after, making the \"A Collector's Item\" shoulder label a particularly astute piece of foresight.

This is an export Bottled in Bond bourbon, allowing it to be filled at a lower 90 US proof, rather than the domestic requirement of 100 proof set out by the Bottled in Bond Act of 1897.

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.

Very Old Fitzgerald 1958 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 barreled in 1958 and bottled in 1966.

Distilled at the legendary Stitzel-Weller distillery while it was under the management of Julian 'Pappy' Van Winkle I, and bottled one year 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.

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.

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 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 2012 bottling.

Serial code: B1214521:06M

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.

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.\"

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.

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.