How can you get your hands on true American classics? Set to open online on April 14th, the auction boasts five remarkable bottles that live up to the “rare” moniker. The selection encompasses a series of prototypes, including one from Pappy Van Winkle’s original distillery (Stitzel-Weller), and fittingly “represents the rarest American whiskey ever seen at auction,” Sotheby’s said.
This extraordinary and unique set of five prototype bottles created in the mid-1990s represents the rarest American whiskey ever seen at auction. These bottles were originally produced as prototypes for the world’s first collectible ultra-premium US whiskey series to feature closed distilleries in America exclusively. The 5 bottles which comprise this set are:
- Old Quaker Indiana Corn Whiskey 21-Year-Old Limited Edition Barrel Proof 65.0 abv 1976
- Stitzel-Weller Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey Limited Edition 17 Year Old Barrel Proof 53.5 abv 1980
- Taylor-Williams Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey Limited Edition 17 Year Old Barrel Proof 56.0 abv 1980
- George T Stagg Kentucky Straight Rye Whiskey Limited Edition 16 Year Old Barrel Proof 57.0 abv 1981
- Buffalo Springs Kentucky Rye Mash Whiskey Limited Edition 15 Year Old Barrel Proof 62.5 abv 1982
The project was the initiative of The Classic Kentucky Bourbon Company, a United Distillers (UD) subsidiary, in 1997. At the time, UD owned the Bernheim Distillery and Stitzel-Weller. On the point of The Rare American Whiskey Selection project receiving approval for launch, UD merged with another company, International Distillers & Vintners, to create United Distillers & Vintners, forming the spirits division of Diageo. At this point, the project was shelved, never to be revived.
The original premise of the Rare American Whiskey Selection project was to create an annual release of five very different barrel-proof, high-age statement whiskies. The project got as far as bottling two examples of each of the selected whiskeys, with prototype labels, but filled with the liquid to show the finished product as it would be sold. The whiskeys were tasted within UD and by respected industry critics at the time (see tasting notes by Dave Broom below from 1997).
The two sets of liquid were split up, and, ironically, one set was sent to the Stitzel-Weller distillery for safekeeping. In contrast, the other set remained at the company HQ in the UK for the European market (hence the 70-bottle size). It is believed that the set at the SW distillery was destroyed in the distillery fire, making this set the only one that remains in existence.
This series of whiskeys, initially released in a limited run of 6,000 bottles per release, would have been a landmark in the history of premium American Whiskey. The project would have preceded the Buffalo Trace Antique Collection by several years and seen the footprint of US Whiskeys in whisk(e)y collector circles change dramatically. These bottles represent not only ultra-rare liquid from now-closed distilleries but also a crucial element of the story of rare American Whiskey’s history that has gone untold until now.
Old Quaker Indiana Corn Whiskey 21-Year-Old Limited Edition Barrel Proof 65.0 abv 1976
Distilled in Lawrenceburg, Indiana, ullage: very top shoulder, front label slightly worn
Original Tasting Notes by Dave Broom:
‘Pale Yellow. Fragrant and gentle with cream and clover aromas. Gentle and smooth to start, then an astringent bite yields mellow sweetness on the finish.’
Stitzel-Weller Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey Limited Edition 17 Year Old Barrel Proof 53.5 abv 1980
Distilled in Shivley, Kentucky, level: into the neck, front label slightly worn
Taylor-Williams Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey Limited Edition 17 Year Old Barrel Proof 56.0 abv 1980
Distilled in Jackson County, Kentucky, level: into the neck, front label slightly worn and raised on one side
George T Stagg Kentucky Straight Rye Whiskey Limited Edition 16 Year Old Barrel Proof 57.0 abv 1981
Distilled in Frankfort, Kentucky, level: bottom neck, front label slightly worn
Original Tasting Notes by Dave Broom:
‘Pungent and powerful. Lemon balm/lime zest leaning to aftershave. Clean, bitter chocolate spiciness that hits the mouth and then explodes and expands. Stunning, but not for the faint-hearted.’
Buffalo Springs Kentucky Rye Mash Whiskey Limited Edition 15 Year Old Barrel Proof 62.5 abv 1982
Distilled in Franklin County, Kentucky, level: into the neck, front label slightly worn.
