1908 Old Overholt Leads Line Up At American Whiskey Focused Auction

Whisky Auctioneer is set to auction off over 500 rare American whiskey expressions this month, ranging from the pre-prohibition era to the present day.

Spanning over 100 years in total, the auction will represent what’s described as a timeline of America’s distilling history, with the oldest bottling being an Old Overholt expression, distilled in 1908. Prohibition-era bottlings will include Old Mock, I.W. Harper, Harry E. Wilkin whiskies, and more. The auction will also feature some of the most highly collectible bottlings, including Pappy Van Winkle, Old Rip Van Winkle and Van Winkle Reserve.

“We’ve seen interest in Bourbon and American whiskey soar over recent years. Once confined to small, passionate communities of “dusty-hunters” and online forums, the world of collectible bourbon is now a mainstream fascination. This auction celebrates the names that proved so influential in the evolution of this, from A.H. Hirsch and Van Winkle to Buffalo Trace,” Head of Content at Whisky Auctioneer Joe Wilson said in a prepared statement. “However, through a carefully curated selection of 20th-century classics, this auction is also a ground-breaking opportunity to explore, engage with and ultimately own a piece of the story that continues to capture the hearts and minds of whiskey-lovers across the world.”

The 1975 Special Reserve bottled exclusively for the Corti Brothers of Sacramento is another staple for the auction, as well as a variety of expressions from brands such as Four Roses, Wild Turkey, and Maker’s Mark. Other highlights in the upcoming auction include:

• Over 65 expressions of Willett Family Estate bourbon and ryes, including some which have been personally autographed by industry figure, Even Kulsveen.
• More than 40 commemorative decanters containing liquid from Stitzel-Weller and Michters.
• Several legendary examples of the famous A.H. Hirsch 1974 Reserve, including Van Winkle’s first Lawrenceburg bottling, produced on 26th February 1990.
• Highly revered bottlings of ‘Old Heaven Hill’ distilled before the original Bardstown distillery’s notorious fire in 1996.
• A very rare 1999 bottling of 16-year-old Stitzel-Weller bourbon produced by Van Winkle for the Twisted Spoke bar in Chicago, IL.

The ten-day auction will run from August 13 – 23 and follows Whisky Auctioneer’s sale of the ‘Heart and Soul’ of Pat’s Whiskey Collection last year, which secured mass interest across the globe and an overall hammer price of $485,625.

To register for the auction, click here.