This weekend, an impressive collection of whiskey was auctioned off at Sotheby’s, setting a new record in the process. The aptly-named Great American Whiskey Collection was expected to sell for between $1.17 million and $1.68 million before bidding began. Instead, the collection sold for a total of $2.5 million, setting a record for American whiskey sold at auction from a single owner. As you might expect, the bottles sold from this collection make for a tantalizing collection of notable distilleries.
The highest amount a single bottle sold for was $162,500. The bottle in question was an Old Rip Van Winkle 20 Year Old Single Barrel “Sam’s,” bottled at 133.4 proof. Only 60 of these were ever made, and Sotheby’s initially estimated that it would sell for between $70,000 and $100,000. The amount it did sell for set a new record for a bottle of American whiskey sold at auction.
Another Van Winkle bourbon, the Van Winkle 18 Year Old Special Reserve Single Barrel “Binny’s,” bottled at 121.6 proof, sold for $106,250. And a Very Very Old Fitzgerald 18 Year Old “Blackhawk” also sold for a six-figure sum: $112,500. The auction encompassed 360 bottles, each of which sold. According to Sotheby’s, an impressive 89% of the bottles sold for a price above their high estimate.
Is This the Rarest American Whiskey Ever Put Up for Auction?
Sotheby’s has a new sale highlighting bottles you’ve definitely never tried“This sale represents a defining moment for American whiskey at auction, underscoring the legendary status of the Van Winkle name and the extraordinary significance of the ‘Sam’s’ Old Rip Van Winkle,” said Sotheby’s Whiskey Specialist Zev Glesta in a statement. “The result reflects the continued maturation of the global market for the rarest American whiskeys and a growing appreciation for the craftsmanship, heritage, and rarity that define the very best of American distilling.”
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