Few names are more significant in the world of American whiskey than that of Julian ‘Pappy’ Van Winkle. Synonymous with enthusiasts and collectors alike, whiskeys bottled under the Van Winkle brand have gone on to become amongst the most highly rated and sought-after, gathering an almost cult-like following.

Many of those were distilled at the old Stitzel-Weller Distillery, opened in 1935, which went on to create some of the finest and most sought-after bourbons ever produced before its closure in the early 1990s, with production moving to the Buffalo Trace Distillery in Frankfort.

The Great American Whiskey Collection includes a large number of Van Winkle whiskeys distilled at Stitzel-Weller including what many consider to be the holy grail, the 1982 20 Year Old Single Barrel for Sam's Wine & Spirits in Chicago, making its first appearance at auction in more than ten years.

Old Rip Van Winkle 20 Year Old Single Barrel "Sam's" 133.4 Proof 1982 (1 Bottle 75cl)

Estimate: 70,000 – 100,000 USD

The highest proof of any bottle released under the Van Winkle Brand, this single barrel bottling for Sam's Wine & Spirits was limited to just 60 bottles, released in 2003. Offered at an initial price of $99.99 (very expensive for a bottle of American Whiskey at the time!), many of these were consumed and enjoyed over the years, resulting in just a handful of the original 60 bottles known to still exist.

Distilled in 1982 at Stitzel-Weller, the whiskey was bottled at cask strength and un-chill filtered, both of which are unusual and help to increase this whiskey's rarity and allure. For any Van Winkle Collector, the "Sam's" is undoubtedly the pinnacle and Sotheby's is delighted to bring this to auction for the first time in more than ten years.

Over the years, Julian Van Winkle III worked with many restaurants, liquor stores and private groups/individuals to bottle special single barrels under various different labels. Alongside the "Sam's", The Great American Whiskey Collection includes a signficant number of the most sought-after of these, including the extremely rare 18 Year Old Van Winkle Special Reserve "Binny's" and Van Winkle Family Reserve for Park Avenue Liquor, both making their first appearences at Sotheby's.

Also featured are the Delilah's 10th Anniversary, J.W. Gottleib Private Stock Rye, Old Advocate 15 Year Old and many, many more, testament to the quality and signifcance of this phoenomenal collection.

The breadth and depth of the Van Winkle whiskies in this collection is truly staggering. From a selection of vintages from the Very Special Stock range, all the way back to the pre-prohibition Old Rip Van Winkle 100 Proof 1917, one of the earliest known bottles under the original Old Rip Van Winkle brand, The Great American Whiskey Collection is the very first time that so many of these incredible bottles have come to sale. At the request of the consignor, Julian Van Winkle III kindly signed many of the Van Winkle bottles featured in this collection.

Another brand synonymous with Stitzel-Weller Distillery, whiskies from Old Fitzgerald feature prominently within The Great American Whiskey Collection. With bottles dating back to 1941, the Old Fitzgerald brand allows collectors and enthusiasts the opportunity to purcahse and enjoy whiskies from a plethora of vintages and age statements, each of exceedingly high quality.

Highlights include two bottles of the legendary Very Very Old Fitzgerald "Blackhawk", the first time more than one of this trio has been brought to auction at the same time. Some of the rarest and most highly prized bottles of bourbon ever released, these were private bottlings exclusively for the Wirtz family, owners of the Chicago Blackhawks NHL team.

The three extremely rare bottlings in this series are made up of an 18 Year Old (distilled in 1950), a 15 Year Old (also distilled in 1950) and this 12 Year Old, distilled in 1951 and bottled in 1963 at 112 Proof. They were never made available for public sale. Both the 18 Year Old and 12 Year Old are available as part of The Great American Whiskey Collection.

Very Very Old Fitzgerald 18 Year Old "Blackhawk" 121.0 Proof 1950 (1 Bottle 4/5 Quart)

Stitzel-Weller | Distilled 1950

Estimate: 50,000 – 80,000 USD

An 18 Year Old and 14 Year Old, both distilled in 1951, the same year as the "Blackhawk" 12 Year Old, feature at Sotheby's for the first time alongside a gallon-sized bottle with cradle from 1959.

When it comes to collecting American Whiskey, few names are as legendary as that of Tonya LeNell Smothers (who now goes by the name LeNell Camacho Santa Ana), and few bottles are as significant as LeNell’s Red Hook Rye.

LeNell first set up her liquor store, LeNell’s, in Red Hook, Brooklyn right here in New York City. LeNell’s selection was extensive and eclectic, and it quickly gained the reputation as the go-to store for interesting whiskeys among the local community.

LeNell's Red Hook Rye 23 Year Old Barrel #1 67.6 abv NV (1 Bottle 75cl)

Estimate: 24,000 – 35,000 USD

However, it wasn’t until LeNell visited Willett Distillery in Kentucky in 2006 that LeNell’s found itself on the Whiskey map. She selected four barrels of 1984 vintage Rye that were lying in Willett’s Warehouse G in Bardstown and bottled each without chill filtration at cask strength at 23 and 24 years old.

These barrels were filled with spirit of a relatively low-rye mash bill (circa 51% rye), meaning that the resulting expression is notably sweet in comparison to other Rye Whiskeys.

The bottles have gone on to become some of the most highly-rated and sought-after American whiskies of all time. In total, across all four of LeNell’s single barrel releases, only 852 bottles exist, making it not only one of the most valuable American Whiskeys ever produced, but also one of the rarest. It is remarkable that all four barrel releases are present in The Great American Whiskey Collection, only the second time (the first being The Thoroughbred Collection, Sotheby's, April 2021) this has occurred.

Aside from the afformentioned bottles, the sale features numerous further highlights from the likes of Buffalo Trace, Willet, Michter's and Wild Turkey, including a selection of 'Pre-Pro' bottles, distilled before prohibition was introduced in 1920.

Led by the O.F.C. Bourbon distilled in 1909, the collection also includes a bottles of Old Stagg, Mammoth Cave and a 24-bottle original wooden case of AMS Co. pints, distilled in 1917.

Stitzel-Weller whiskies, a personal favourite of the collector, are once again highlighted in the form of numerous bottles produced for the Berghoff Restaurant in Chiacago, bottled at the Commenwealth Distillery in Lawrenceburg, Kentucky. These include the elusive Herman Berghoff 10 Year Old 120 Proof, only seen at auction a handful of times before.

Also from Stitzel-Weller, a selection of different whiskies under the 'Weller' brand, in its various guises, form part of the collection, led by a very early bottling of Old W.L. Weller Special Reserve 7 Year Old 100 Proof, distilled way back in 1936, the very early years of Stitzel-Weller production. This bottle is extremely rare and only a handful are thought to still remain. This is its first appearance at auction.

Buffalo Trace Distillery makes up a signifcant number of bottles in the collection, both through its 'BTAC' series and also the independently bottled The Last Drop 18 Year Old, distilled at Buffalo Trace in 1982. Further to this, the sale closes with one of the most highly-rated Willett bottlings ever produced, Barrel #B57, also knows as "Bigfoote", a 23 Year Old distilled in 1993.