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Sotheby’s Chats About Tomorrow’s Prototype American Whiskeys Auction

In this interview we learn more about Sotheby's The Rare American Whiskey Selection 1976-1982, a very unique set of five prototype bottles created in the mid-1990s, representing the rarest American whiskey to ever be offered at auction.
  • Gary Carter is a seasoned media professional and whiskey enthusiast, passionate about building and creating.
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The spotlight of late has been on an incredible auction coming up tomorrow at Sotheby’s … a piece of whiskey lore like no other.

Recently, Sotheby’s unveiled The Rare American Whiskey Selection 1976-1982, a very unique set of five prototype bottles created in the mid-1990s, representing the rarest American whiskey to ever be offered at auction.

These bottles were originally produced as the prototypes for the world’s first collectable ultra-premium U.S. whiskey series to exclusively feature closed distilleries in America.

Sotheby’s Global Head of Spirits, Jonny Fowle, recently visited with The Whiskey Wash about his whiskey origins and what this historic auction means for the industry.

Sotheby's Rare American Whiskey Selection auction
In this interview we learn more about Sotheby’s The Rare American Whiskey Selection 1976-1982, a very unique set of five prototype bottles created in the mid-1990s, representing the rarest American whiskey to ever be offered at auction. (image via Sotheby’s)

The Whiskey Wash: Tell us your origin story in the spirits industry.

Jonny Fowle: “I developed a love for whisky while working in a bar in Edinburgh after I left school. It wasn’t until I had a gap between jobs in my previous life working in the film industry that I started my own company offering whisky events. This soon developed into a whisky education program for hospitality groups that I rolled out throughout East and Southeast Asia. This in turn led to me building a private client network to whom I was brokering while simultaneously offering consultancy to whisky brands. In 2019 I was recruited to Sotheby’s as their first ever whisky specialist. I am now the head of the whisky department.”

TWW: Tell us your specialty at Sotheby’s and how you find whiskey auctions to rank among the other rare and fine collections at the exclusive auction house.

JF: “My role at Sotheby’s largely involves working with private collections of whisky to value and authenticate them, then strategize how to maximize their value at auction. I equally work directly with brands (such as The Macallan, The Dalmore, Bowmore etc) to develop and launch unique whisky products for auction. Whisky is a booming industry, so we are seeing rapid growth in this category. The average value of whisky lots is significantly higher than those of wine, but in the grand scheme of Sotheby’s our lots rarely hit the dizzy heights of the Contemporary Art and Impressionist price tags (although we do regularly sell items in excess of $1m each).”

TWW: What is particularly special about this Rare American Whiskey Selection 1976-82 coming up for auction April 14th?

JF: “This collection is truly unique. It is hard to succinctly describe how special these bottles are and the excitement we felt in finding them. The whiskeys are all full proof samples from closed distilleries bottled in 1997, which in itself is extremely rare, but what is more fascinating is that they were never released. They were meant to be the template for collectible American whiskey, but the project was sadly scrapped before it saw commercial release. We believe this to be the only set in existence and this is the first time they have been seen in public since the mid ‘90s, and the only time they have ever been offered for sale.”

TWW: What would a collection like this be compared to in today’s whiskey market, product wise?

JF: “It’s very hard to equate these whiskeys to anything that exists in the American market. I suppose, given the Stitzel-Weller association, that this would be closest in rarity to a selection of five early Van Winkle barrel picks. But only if the outturn of each barrel was only one bottle.”

TWW: As far as rarity, where does this auction rank?

JF: “In terms of American whiskey auctions, I genuinely believe that this is the rarest lot ever to have been offered for sale. At Sotheby’s, we regularly work on completely unique Scotch whiskies sourced directly from distilleries (we host an entire auction in Scotland called The Distillers One Of One based around the principle that lots are entirely unique). American whiskey offers fewer opportunities like this, making these bottles real outliers. Add to this their historical significance and their desirability should propel itself into a new stratosphere.”

TWW: What is the most intriguing bit about this whiskey selection coming up for auction?

JF: “For me, it’s the ‘what if’ that they represent. These whiskeys and labels should be as recognizable to us now as Pappy Van Winkle or BTAC bottles are. If the merger between United Distillers and International Distillers & Vintners had gone differently and this project wasn’t shelved, then the face of collectible American whiskey would be entirely different – these bottles would be in every high value collection and on every back bar in high end restaurants and whiskey bars around the world. This is a glimpse into the potential alternative reality of American whiskey.”

TWW: Where would something like this be in terms of an investment?

JF: “Investment in whiskey is a tricky topic. We can see that, historically, whisk(e)y has been an extremely good investment… when done correctly. The rarest items in the market tend to perform the best for return on investment. I think that these bottles are complicated to describe; their value is layered and nuanced, and they have only very recently been revealed to the world. It strikes me that even with Sotheby’s broad reach and unique presentation, time will help to tell the story of these bottles over the coming years. My guess would be that as they become recognized as the rarest items in American whiskey collecting, the value will go up dramatically.”

TWW: Is this the golden era of fine and rare whiskey collecting?

JF: “Yes. American whiskey is currently going through an explosion similar to that which we have seen from Scotch and Japanese whisky in recent years. The thing that sets American whiskey apart is that its average price point tends to be lower and more accessible, meaning the headroom for price increase is enormous. American whiskeys tend to be collected by U.S. residents, so as the category gains international notoriety and appeal in collector circles we will see the demand massively outstrip supply.”

TWW: What is something that collectors should start keeping their eyes on now for future collectability?

JF: “The magic combination in collecting tends to be bottles with vintage specificity from a single barrel, bottled at full strength in limited numbers at a high age. Brand strength also makes an enormous difference!”

Gary Carter

Gary Carter, a seasoned professional with a diverse background in media, has steered the course for metro newspapers, magazines, and television news programs. Additionally, he has excelled as a radio host and marketing manager. A writer, editor, photographer, and designer by trade, Gary boasts over 30 years of experience in publishing and marketing. He thrives on building something great, whether it's a groundbreaking project, a budding start-up, an organization, a fresh face in journalism, or even a captivating short story. A native Texan who has embraced the Pacific Northwest, Gary is a whiskey enthusiast with a passion that runs deep - he literally cut his teeth on it!

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