S otheby’s final New York spirits auction of the year, Whisky & Whiskey | Seasonal Spirits, comprises some of The Macallan’s most coveted releases, bottles of Willett Family Estate signed by Pope Francis and Tom Brady and exemplary offerings from the Van Winkle stable.
This exceptional sale will open for bidding on November 20, culminating with a live sale on Saturday December 7.
The Macallan Distillery provides many highlights for this sale, including two bottles from the exquisite The Macallan in Lalique Six Pillars Collection, an immaculate 1949 vintage Macallan Millenium Decanter 50 Year Old alongside four bottles from the The Macallan Red Collection. The sale also comprises many other releases from the illustrious Speyside distillery inclusing releases from The Macallan Fine & Rare Series as well as one each of the Distil Your World New York, London, and Mexico releases.
These four bottles form part of The Macallan Red Collection, originally a six-bottle series, all housed in a wooden presentation cases constructed using the same wood used to make The Macallan casks, with each bottle numbered by hand. The Red Collection debuted at Sotheby’s when a full set featuring exclusive labels illustrated by Javi Aznarez sold for over £750,000.
Appearing at Sotheby’s for only the second time is The Macallan Red Collection 60 Year Old, the most sought after in the series. A highly limited release, the 60 Year Old has proved highly elusive since its release. Also included is the 78 Year Old, which at the time of release in 2020 was the worlds oldest whisky.
Aside from Macallan, many highlights in the sale were distilled at The Bowmore Distillery. The 1950s and 1960s was arguably the greatest era of production at Bowmore, and many of the whiskies produced during this period are considered amongst the best of all time. This sale contains one of the oldest vintage Bowmore ever released, as well as seven bottles from the legendary 1964 vintage, including The Black Bowmore Final Edition as well as the full 1964 trilogy, White, Black and Gold - all aged in different cask types to highlight the versatility and quality of the whisky within.
Also highlighted are rare single malt whiskies from across the length and breadth of Scotland, with Glenfarclas, Dalmore, Laphroaig, Port Ellen, Brora and Littlemill all featured and ranging in age up to 60 years old.
Before Pappy Van Winkle became famous worldwide during the Buffalo Trace era, and before Stitzel-Weller distillery shutdown in 1992, the Van Winkle's were bottling one-time releases featuring different age statements than their contemporary counterparts. Sotheby's has the unique opportunity to auction several of these limited release bourbons side-by-side.
The sale includes one of the leading bottles of American Whiskey ever released, and the oldest age-statement produced by Van Winkle, the Old Rip Van Winkle 25 Year Old Decanter, distilled in 1989 and one of only 710 ever produced.
Other American Whiskey highlights include the ever elusive LeNell's Red Hook Rye, legendary Willett Family Estate single barrels over 20 years in age, and an extremely rare single barrel release distilled in 1955 commemorating the 500,000th barrel distilled at Jim Beam.
In the 2000s, LeNell Santa Ana Camacho owned a specialty liquor store in the Red Hook section of Brooklyn. Ahead of her time, she reveled in American whiskey: She not only carried brands like Pappy Van Winkle in her shop, but she traveled to Kentucky to see how she could source more.
On one of those trips, she met Drew Kulsveen of the Willett distillery; they got to talking, and soon the two were selecting four barrels of rye whiskey, aged between 23 and 24 years and bottled at cask strength. It was a great choice: the barrels come from a legendary run of whiskey distilled at the Bernheim Distillery, in Louisville, in the early 1980s.
Sotheby's is also honoured to include five charity lots in this sale, benefitting varioius non-profits in the United States. These are highlighted by two Willett Family Estate bottles that are the first known bottles of whiskey signed by Pope Francis, and another signed by Tom Brady.
Father Jim Sichko, the nationally recognized and beloved Papal Missionary of Mercy, has partnered with Willett Distillery to release a limited edition bourbon that celebrates the 10 year anniversary of Pope Francis’ election. The rare 10 Year Old Willett features the Papal Seal/Coat of Arms of Pope Francis on the bottle, making it a unique collector’s item.
The release of this limited edition bourbon is a true honor for Father Jim, who is known for his random acts of kindness and generosity, as well as for delivering gifts of rare bourbons to the Pope. In fact, Father Jim has gifted Pope Francis with a bottle of bourbon on each of his visits, and this release is a tribute to the special relationship he shares with the Pope.
Pope Francis personally signed bottle #1, making it an unforgettable keepsake for anyone fortunate enough to acquire it. The release of this limited edition bourbon is the result of a blind barrel tasting conducted by Father Jim, Bishop John Stowe of Lexington, Tim Mapes of Delta Air Lines, Jim Allen of the Atlanta Braves, Matt Morris of the DEA, along with Willett’s Master Distiller Drew Kulsveen and Single Barrel Specialist Josh Devitt.
The group selected a truly rare spirit, a 132.6 proof bourbon from a barrel filled in January 2013, which was distilled using an original Willett Distillery recipe and stored on the 4th out of 5 levels in Warehouse A.
Last but certinaly not least, this auction features highly coveted and rare Cognac, comprising a Pierre Ferrand aged for 75 years and a bottle of the ultra limited release, Louis XIII Black Pearl. Also featured are three bottles from A. Hardy's Perfection range, each bottle representing a different natural element. The spirit within is said to to include some some pre-phylloxera eaux-de-vie, distilled as far back as the end of the 19th century.
