Old Rosebud 1916 AMS Co Bottled in Bond Whiskey Pint / Prohibition Era Bottling

Distilled in 1916, this bourbon was protected in bond from Prohibition Act of 1920, which made alcohol production and consumption illegal. The Volstead Act was in place between 1920 and 1933, and during this period, some distillers were bale to continue to bottle their whiskey as a medicinal product. Only doctors could prescribe these 1 pint bottles, and bakers were also given a weekly ration of whiskey and rum to use in their cooking.

The American Medicinal Spirits Company was one of only six distilling companies to survive Prohibition of the 434 that existed prior. Exploiting the medicinal loophole was the brainchild of Otto Wathen, then president of his father's R.E. Wathen distillery and it was an idea that continues to prove its value today in the persisting image of his still ever-popular portfolio, which included the bourbon classic, Old Grand-dad. The AMS Co was eventually taken over by National Distillers who reorganised it in 1927, incorporating their Kentucky Distilleries & Warehouse Co, R.E. Wathen & Co, Hill & Hill, and E.H. Taylor & Sons. National Distillers then went on to become one of the "Big Four" post-Prohibition whiskey companies in the US, along with Schenley, Hiram Walker and Seagram.

The Old Rosebud brand came from the Kentucky Distilling & Warehouse Co portfolio, a company better known as the infamous Whiskey Trust. Members of the trust included a certain E.H. Taylor Jr and his W.A. Gaines company. This whiskey was distilled at their E.L. Miles distillery in New Hope in 1916. It was bottled in bond in 1929.