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Next Auction starts Friday 29 March. Bottle Deadline: 18 March.

Henry Watterson 1915 Bottled in Bond 11 Year Old Pint / Prohibition Era

Lot: 5073469

Henry Watterson 1915 Bottled in Bond 11 Year Old Pint / Prohibition Era

Winning Bid: £735

Currency Estimate

Important: Currency exchange rates are constantly changing; this feature is to be used as a guide price only. All final transactions occur in British Pounds (£).
Lot:
Distillery: 
Mayfield
Age: 
11 Year Old
Vintage: 
1915
Region: 
Kentucky, USA
Cask Type: 
American oak
Bottled Strength: 
100 Proof
Bottle Size: 
1 Pint
Distillery Status: 
Closed
product Details

Henry Watterson 1915 Bottled in Bond 11 Year Old Pint / Prohibition Era

This is an incredible example of Prohibition Era American whiskey. The Prohibition act of 1920 banned the production, sale and consumption of alcohol in the US. However, a select group of distillers were able to exploit a loophole that allowed them to continue selling the contents of their warehouses as a medicinal product.

The whiskey was distilled at the Mayfield distillery, which was built J.M. Atherton in 1879. The distillery operated under his control for just over 20 years until it was eventually acquired (likely under severe pressure) by the nefarious Whiskey Trust. The Whiskey Trust, officially known as the Distiller's Securities Corporation had been set up initially to consolidate and bring regulation to the US whiskey industry, but quickly developed a reputation for strong arming and bullying distillery owners into making deals with them. The distillery was run on the Trust's behalf until it was forced to close in 1920 with the enactment of Prohibition.

The Whiskey Trust later reinvented itself as National Distillers, and heavily invested in the American Medicinal Spirits Company, providing them in this instance with the Atherton brand and the distillery's stock. This was distilled there in 1917 and bottled in 1926.

National Distillers would go on to become one of America's "big 4" whiskey companies following the repeal of the Prohibition Act in 1933.

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Please note: Due to the various ages of bottles and their seals, condition of liquid is at the buyer's discretion and no claim can be lodged against failure/leakage in transit.