Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.(Photos: Sotheby's)
This week, Sotheby's auction house sold a one-off bottle of Old Rip Van Winkle bourbon for $125,000, smashing the previous record for the most valuable post-Prohibition American whiskey sold at auction.
It's an astounding price tag for what many would consider an astounding spirit. Or, at the very least, an astoundingly rare one.
The whiskey in question was dubbed "'Van Winkle Selection’ Kentucky Bourbon Festival Master Distiller’s Auction 2007." Bottled at 125.6 proof, purportedly the second-highest ever in the brand's history, the bourbon was created by blending barrels that contained reserves of 15- and 20-year-old whiskey. The bottle was signed by Julian P. Van Winkle III and dated September 15th, 2007.
The hype behind this particular whiskey goes a little deeper than the brand. Van Winkle is arguably the most coveted name in the bourbon industry, with newly minted bottles of its 10-year expression rarely going for anything less than $1,000. The historic brand was acquired by liquor giant Sazerac in 2002, the same company behind high-end bourbon staples like Blanton's. These days, Van Winkle is bottled and distilled at the Buffalo Trace Distillery in Frankfort, Kentucky.
Bourbons distilled at the original Stitzel-Weller facility, which ended production in 1992, tend to be the most sought after by collectors. The recently auctioned "Van Winkle Selection" is thought to be one of those bottles.
According to Sotheby's, the one-of-one bottle was labeled by Preston Van Winkle minutes ahead of a charity auction in 2007. What happened after that point is unclear, though the whiskey seems to have effectively vanished from the public eye in the nearly two decades since. In fact, many within the bourbon community didn't even know of its existence. A 121.6-proof bottle of Van Winkle auctioned in 2024 was proudly advertised as the second-highest proofed whiskey from the distiller — "Van Winkle Selection" now holds the record.
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“This sale marks a defining moment in the history of American whiskey, underscoring the legendary status of Van Winkle bottlings and the continued strength of the fine and rare whiskey market," Sotheby's whiskey specialist Zev Glesta told The Spirits Business. “Bringing such a remarkable piece of American whiskey history to auction is a testament to the growing appreciation for the craft and heritage of American distilling.”
Van Winkle bottles — particularly those produced at the Stitzel-Weller distillery — have a tendency to set record-high numbers. Last November, an $86,000 bottle of Van Winkle 18-Year-Old reportedly broke Unicorn's record for "most expensive bourbon ever auctioned." After tagging on a 15% buyer’s premium and 10.25% tax, the final price tag for the bottle came out to a whopping $107,715.
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