Bidding advice
You can place bids either under the lot image on the main auction page or on the right side of the individual lot page.
Placing a Maximum Bid
Use the "Set your bid limit" button on the left side of the bidding panel to enter the highest amount you're willing to bid on a lot. Our system will then automatically raise your bid in set increments if you’re outbid, up to your maximum. If someone bids above your set limit, we’ll notify you by email so you can choose whether to increase your bid.
Placing a Single Bid
Alternatively, place a single bid by selecting the button on the right side of the bidding panel. The button displays the amount needed for the next increment. For example, if the current highest bid is £50.00, the button will show "+ £55.00" (reflecting a £5.00 increment).
Incremental Bidding Explained
Our system increases bids based on preset increments, as shown in the table below, whether you set a maximum bid or make a single bid.
Bottle Details
Hoffman Rare Selection Kentucky Straight Bourbon 1980s
A very interesting bourbon bottled exclusively for the Japanese export market in the late 1980s.
The Hoffman distillery was purchased by Julian Van Winkle III after the death of his father had terminated the agreement with Stitzel-Weller distillery that allowed them to bottle Old Rip Van Winkle bourbon there. Julian III bought the distillery in 1983, and it is unclear whether this bottle contains warehoused stock that may have been part of the deal. No-age statement bourbon tends to be around 5-8 years old, and the Japanese had a preference for it to be well-aged at the time, so it is unlikely therefore that this is Hoffman-distilled whiskey. Van Winkle reserved most of his Stitzel-Weller stock for the Old Rip Van Winkle brands, preferring to source whiskey (mostly from the old Heaven Hill) for his other brands. This is likely the case for this.
Van Winkle's agent in Japan at the time was Marci Palatella, who he also bottled Very Olde St Nick for. The dripping black wax on this example is a trademark of his bottling style at the time.
This was bottled in 1988 at 86 US proof at the distillery, which Van Winkle had renamed Old Commonwealth.
Auction results
To view previous auction results of your favourite bottles, please log in or register.
Frequently asked questions
You will always be shown as an anonymous bidder when using Whisky Auctioneer.
When browsing the bidding history on a specific lot, the list of recent bidders is shown as 'anonymised bidders' with the exception of any bids placed through your account - which would appear as your username.
When logged into your account your bids are shown with your username, however, other users are not able to see this and you will appear as an 'anonymised bidder'.
User information/identity will never be revealed in the bidding process. We take user data and information protection very seriously at Whisky Auctioneer.
