The Speed Art Museum will auction some of the world’s rarest whiskeys on September 18th, including a 1966 Evan Williams 23-Year estimated at $7,000 and exclusive barrel experiences from top distilleries.
Speed Art Museum Sets Stage for Art of Bourbon Auction Highlights
The live and online auction features 28 lots of premium bottles and experiences. Leading the collection is an Evan Williams 23-Year from 1966, the first year the distillery released that expression. A signed Van Winkle Family Reserve 20-Year from 2006 carries a $5,000 estimate, while the legendary A.H. Hirsch 16-Year distilled in 1974 is estimated at $3,000.
The auction includes a unique lot called “The Chair’s Sipper,” featuring four bottles of 100-proof Old Forester signed by retiring Brown-Forman Chairman Campbell Brown. The museum describes this lot as priceless due to its personal nature. A rare Berghoff Bottled in Bond 8-Year from Stitzel-Weller Distillery rounds out the highlights with a $6,000 estimate.
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READ THE STORYFour exclusive barrel experiences offer winning bidders custom selections from Rabbit Hole Distillery’s Dareringer, Bulleit Bourbon Frontier Whiskey, Bardstown Bourbon Origin Series, and Green River Whiskey. Each provides a complete barrel directly from the distillery.
Art of Bourbon Auction Expands with Distillery Tastings
This year’s event introduces tasting tables featuring samples from major distilleries. Heaven Hill, Brown-Forman, and Maker’s Mark will join newer producers like 15 Stars and Augusta Distilling. Angel’s Envy, Mary Dowling/Rabbit Hole, Buzzard’s Roost, Old Commonwealth, and Diageo brands will also pour samples for attendees.
The auction takes place from 7:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. EST at the museum. Online bidding is free with registration at artofbourbon.org. In-person tickets cost $350 and include bourbon tastings and dinner.
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Fred Minnick, Wall Street Journal bestselling author and bourbon critic, returns as emcee. Marc Abrams, a Louisville-based bourbon expert, chairs the event. “These rare whiskeys can make a huge impact on one of our country’s best art museums. We have the vintage and rare, and the new and unique. These sort of in-the-know bourbons don’t come up very often,” Minnick said.
The annual auction has raised more than $2 million since 2018. All proceeds support the Speed Art Museum’s education programs and exhibitions. Bill Menish will serve as auctioneer for the eighth annual event.
The auction attracts international collectors and bourbon enthusiasts. Past events have featured historic bottles and exclusive experiences unavailable elsewhere. Registration and catalog viewing are available at artofbourbon.org.
