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

Van Winkle 1974 16 Year Old 90 Proof

Lot: 5124674

Van Winkle 1974 16 Year Old 90 Proof

Winning Bid: £6,800
(Reserve has been met) This lot currently has: 15 bids

Currency Estimate

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Lot:
Distillery: 
Boone County
Age: 
16 Year Old
Vintage: 
1974
Region: 
Kentucky, USA
Bottler: 
Official / Old Commonwealth
Cask Type: 
N/A
Bottled Strength: 
90 US Proof
Bottle Size: 
75cl
Distillery Status: 
Closed
product Details

Van Winkle 1974 16 Year Old 90 Proof

The Old Rip Van Winkle brand was a pre-prohibition bourbon label, revived by the Van Winkle family after they were forced to sell their Stitzel-Weller distillery by its board of directors. New owners, Somerset Imports, granted Julian Van Winkle II (son of the famous 'Pappy') the continued use of an office at the distillery, and first option on purchasing casks to bottle his new brand with. When he died and the business passed to his son, Julian III, this courtesy was no longer extended, and he moved bottling to the old Hoffman distillery in Lawrenceburg in 1983, renaming it Old Commonwealth. He was still able to buy Stitzel-Weller stock though, and introduced the famous Pappy Van Winkle range in homage to his grandfather, using well-aged barrels from the distillery the now-legendary figure once so lovingly ran. When Stitzel-Weller was closed down by United Distillers in 1992, it was only a matter of time before stock would run out. This necessitated a partnership between Julian Van Winkle III and Buffalo Trace distillery in 2002, seeing all bottling move there, initially using the remaining Stitzel-Weller barrels, with these eventually replaced by Buffalo Trace distilled stock. The product from all eras is revered, and the brand is considered to be the first premium bourbon line to have been produced in the US.

It is believed this Van Winkle as well as the Family Reserve bourbon, both bottled in 1990 were sourced from Boone distillery, where the whiskey was barrelled in 1974. Both were intended for the Japanese market who were at the time more willing to pay premium prices for well-aged bourbon.

These original bottles of Boone-distilled Van Winkle reserves are incredibly rare and sought after in equal measure. 

Fun fact: Van Winkle has stated that he "got away" with using dripping wax here as Maker's Mark only held the trademark in the US.

 

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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.