Bourbon Pursuit Podcast #260: Rare Bottles and High Bids with Joe Hyman of Skinner Auctioneers

Do you have a really old bottle of whiskey? What about a unicorn that’s coveted by every bourbon enthusiast out there? We’re joined by Joe Hyman of Skinner Auctioneers to talk about what it’s like to buy and sell high-end bottles at a legit auction. We talk about everything from the bottles they accept, how they process auctions, and how they spot fakes. Every year a whiskey breaks the ceiling for sales, who knows what it will be this year.

Show Notes:

• BevAlc Insights: https://bevalcinsights.com/
• Dating Old American Whiskey Bottles: https://bourbonveach.com/2020/06/29/dating-old-american-whiskey-bottles/
• Whiskey Advocate Article: https://www.whiskyadvocate.com/black-market-bourbon-feature/
• This week’s Above the Char with Fred Minnick talks about Bottled-In-Bond.
• How did you get into spirits and auctions?
• Did 50 year old scotch ruin you?
• How do you get these rare bottles?
• Talk about the legalities of selling and shipping alcohol for an auction house.
• How do you transport or ship the bottles?
• What do you define as a rare bottle?
• How often do you get something in and it’s ruined somehow?
• How do people react when they bring you a bottle that they think is amazing, but you can’t sell it?
• How do you spot fakes?
• What would happen if you auctioned a counterfeit bottle?
• Do you research on the secondary market for pricing? How do you gauge value?
• What do you attribute fluctuations in the market to?
• Any advice for people wanting to participate in an auction?
• Do you still get a thrill when finding rare bottles?
• Are there things you won’t sell?
• What’s the record sale?
• What’s your commission rate?
•  Who is cooler, Scotch or American whiskey buyers?

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