Bottles of Willett Bourbon Signed By Pope Francis Raise Nearly $30,000 at Charity Auction

On Saturday, Sotheby's fetched $27,500 at auction for a pair of rare Willett Bourbon bottles signed by Pope Francis. The first of the duo, dubbed "Papal Seal," is a 10-year bourbon bottled at 132.6 proof produced using Willett's original recipe. The whiskey is a single barrel selected in 2023 by Father Jim Sichko, who minted the run of 149 bottles in honor of the 10th anniversary of Pope Francis' election. One bottle was reserved for the Pope — the other, a gift for Shaquille O'Neal alongside a pair of custom sneakers. The second bourbon auctioned in the lot goes by "Jubilee 2025 Pilgrims of Hope." Also 10 years old, the whiskey was bottled at 144.2 proof and limited to just 59 bottles. Another of these signed by Tom Brady sold in the same auction at an undisclosed price. Sichko has made a habit in recent years of unusual gifts to the Pope. A priest in the Diocese of Lexington, Kentucky, Sichko has previously traveled to the Vatican bearing Pappy Van Winkle 23 Year Old, a pair of yellow Nike Sneakers and a blue-and-white jersey bearing the surname of University of Kentucky basketball coach, Mark Pope. Sichko secured the boozy signatures during his most recent trip to the Vatican in May. Thousands of onlookers peered from the stands as the Pope scribbled his name on each whiskey with a blue ballpoint pen. It was intended as a symbolic, full-circle moment; Pope Francis, the first Pope born in the Americas, signing a bottle of bourbon, a quintessentially American spirit. [caption id="attachment_94289" align="aligncenter" width="600"] Willett Rye Bourbons signed by Pope Francis and Tom Brady on display at Sotheby's in New York, NY on December 5, 2024. (Photo: Stephen Smith/SIPA USA via AP Images)[/caption]

“These bottles are not just collector’s items—they are symbols of hope and compassion, created to do good in the world,” Sichko told The Drinks Business. "I am deeply moved by the generosity of the bidders, and I know the proceeds will make a lasting difference for the charities they support… it’s a testament to the incredible impact we can have when we come together for a greater cause.”

Proceeds from the lot will be donated to a quartet of faith-led organizations including Southeast Texas Hospice, Maxwell Street Legal Immigration Clinic, Maxwell Street Legal Immigration Clinic and PAWs 4 the Cause. Despite his reputation as the "bourbon guy" within the Catholic church, Sichko insists that he doesn't know much about spirits. According to Whiskey Advocate, he's previously gifted the Pope bottles of 1995 O.F.C., King of Kentucky, Old Fitzgerald and more. Whether or not Francis has indulged in the rare liquors is a matter of papal mystery.

“I know nothing about whiskey or bourbon,” Sichko told Whiskey Advocate. “That’s what's so funny about this. I’ve lived in Kentucky for 26 years, and the first time I had bourbon was when doing the barrel pick with Willett. “I’d never been to a barrel pick, so I sat down and there were six samples and I tried them all right away. I was spinning pretty quickly. Luckily, everyone else guided us to the right barrel.”

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