S otheby's March auction in New York is led by an exceptional array of Scotch Whiskies from the collection of Richard Gooding, one of the world's most renowned collectors. This collection is exemplified by Mr Gooding's selection of rare bottles particularly from The Macallan, Bowmore and Glenfiddich with vintages from the 1920s, '30s, '40s, '50s and beyond. This collection is supported by some of the most coveted American Whiskeys on the market, not least Van Winkle rarities such as the Old Rip 23 Year Old Decanter, the very first Pappy Van Winkle released in Green Glass and the inimitable "Lotta's Home".
Richard Gooding is renowned as being one of the world's greatest whisky collectors, with a penchant for Scotch. His collection was recognized not only as one of the most valuable, but also one of the most extensive due to Mr Gooding's efforts to seek out rare gems across the length and breadth of Scotland. The majority of his collection was sold across two auctions in 2020 and 2021, when it become immortalized as the second most valuable whisky collection ever sold. In 2023, Mr. Gooding's Macallan 1926 Adami sold at Sotheby's for £2.2m, making it the most valuable bottle of whisky ever sold.
Richard Gooding was well known in Colorado due to his family connections to the Pepsi brand. Most notably, his Grandfather founded the Pepsi Cola Bottling Company of Denver in 1936, which Richard himself took over as Chief Executive Officer from 1979 until 1988 at which point he sold the company to PepsiCo. Outside of his professional achievements, Mr Gooding was revered as "a quiet and generous philanthropist who did not enjoy the limelight" (as mentioned in his obituary). He was a family man and met his wife, Nancy, while at South High School in Denver in the early 1960s. They married in 1969 and had two sons. Throughout his life, Richard Gooding was known to be very sartorially accomplished, particularly due to his extensive collection of ties. His whisky collection, however, was a better kept secret and an incredible legacy to leave behind.
Lot 52 - Bowmore Black First Release 50.0 abv 1964 (1 BT 75cl)
Black Bowmore is a limited release series from the 1990's (mostly). In the 1960s Bowmore used a higher proportion of sherry casks, and Black Bowmore is evidence of the quality of these casks. With an almost unfathomable balance of intensity and flavour, a perfect balance of fruit, peat and power, this whisky has earned the oft overused 'legendary' tag and has assumed mythical status amongst collectors.
Lot 61 - Bowmore Fino Cask 37 Year Old 49.6 abv 1964 (1 BT 70cl)
Distilled on 5th November 1964 and matured in fino sherry casks, this is one of only 300 bottles made.
Lot 69 - Glenfiddich 64 Year Old Rare Collection 44.0 abv 1937 (1 BT 70cl)
In the same year that King George VI was crowned, barrel 834 was filled with a whisky which would go on to become the most expensive Glenfiddich expression upon release in 2016. With only 61 bottles produced, this 64 year old single malt represents the oldest whisky released from the legendary Glenfiddich Distillery.
Lot 48 - The Balvenie 50 Year Old 42.0 abv 1937 (1 BT 75cl)
Bottled by William Grant in 1987, this limited release of only 500 bottles was purchased in its entirety by the Milroy brothers. Despite Balvenie not being a particularly well recognised distillery at the time, the quality of this release spoke for itself, and the Milroys managed to sell every bottle with little effort. There are now only a few left in existence.
Produced from just three casks dated between 1926 and 1928 this Macallan was bottled in 1983. Although labelled as 50 years old, in fact, this whiskey widely known to contain whisky up to 54 years old. This is one of only 500 bottles original bottles.
Aside from the Richard Gooding Collection, the sale includes numerous whiskeys produced before and during national Prohibition and a plethora of coveted bourbons and ryes from the best-known distilleries in America. Among the highlights is an extremely rare bottle of Lottas Home Papa's Private Family Reserve 13 Year Old and two bottles of the highly sought after LeNell's Red Hook Rye.
Lot 238 - O.F.C. Old Fashion Copper Bourbon 90 Proof 1980 (1 BT 75cl)
O.F.C. – or Old-Fashioned Copper – was the original name of the distillery founded by Col. E. H. Taylor Jr. in 1870, located in Frankfort, Kentucky on the site of an even older distillery. This bottle, distilled in 1916 and bottled in 1925, bears not only the name of the distillery but its plant manager, Albert B. Blanton – a curious but not uncommon practice during Prohibition.
Lot 226 - LeNell's Red Hook Rye 23 Year Old Barrel #3 68.8 abv NV (1 BT 75cl)
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. The Red Hook barrels came from a legendary run of whiskey distilled at the Bernheim Distillery, in Louisville, during the early 1980s. Other legendary whiskeys came from the same batch, like Rathskeller Rye and the Bitter Truth, but LeNell’s Red Hook Rye has emerged as the most distinctive and sought after American whiskey, perhaps of all time. This bottle is signed by LeNell herself.
Lot 210 - Heaven Hill William Heavenhill Signature Anniversary 127.6 Proof NV (1 BT 75cl)
When the Shapira Brothers founded the Heaven Hill distillery in Bardstown soon after the end of Prohibition, they named it for the 18th century owner of a nearby farm, William Heavenhill. To mark what would have been his 225th birthday in 2008, Heaven Hill honored Mr. Heavenhill by creating a very limited brand in his name, one available in small releases exclusively at its gift shops in in Bardstown and Louisville. This first release, Signature, is 18 years old (225 months) and comprised just 225 bottles – a true unicorn bottle.
Lot 143 - A.H. Hirsch Finest Reserve 20 Year Old 45.8 abv 1974 (1 BT 75cl)
While Julian Van Winkle III placed most of the A.H. Hirsch bourbon in steel tanks once it hit 16 years old, he left a few barrels to continue aging. The result was this stunning 20-year-old, the oldest A.H. Hirsch ever. Released somewhere between 1994 and 1995 in Van Winkle’s signature green-glass bottles, it is considered the pinnacle of the A.H. Hirsch line and among the greatest of what American whiskey has to offer.
Lot 108 - Old Rip Van Winkle 23 Year Old Decanter 57.0 abv 1986 (1 BT 75cl)
A true rarity, this is bottle is one of just 1,200 released in 2009 by Julian Van Winkle III and his son, Preston. The two selected 50 barrels of whiskey distilled in 1986 at Stitzel-Weller, which their family had owned until 1972. Unlike their regular releases of 23-year-old whiskey, this one carries the Old Rip Van Winkle label (instead of Pappy Van Winkle), was non-chill-filtered, and was bottled at 114 proof, significantly higher than the standard 95.6.
Lot 346 - Willett Family Estate Single Barrel Rye 25 Year Old 100 Proof NV (1 BT 75cl)
Willett Family Estate Single Barrel Rye 25 Year Old is one of the last releases from the legendary “1700” run of Willett Family Estate bottlings. This stunning 25-year-old rye whiskey is believed to come from the same batch of whiskey distilled in 1984 that produced legendary bottles such as Doug’s Green Ink and LeNell’s Red Hook Rye. These barrels originally went into the distillery’s private-select program, but eventually the last handful were bottled for sale as gift-shop exclusives, with a distinctive copper-wax seal.
Lot 111 - Pappy Van Winkle's 20 Year Old Family Reserve Single Barrel 90.4 Proof 1986 (1 BT 75cl)
Especially Bottled for Internet Wines & Spirits by Julian Van Winkle, this is an exceptionally rare version of the Pappy family of whiskies.bottled in 2006 and dstilled in 1986, the liquid in this bottle most likely came from Stitzel-Weller.
This sale includes one of the rarest Van Winkle releases in existence, Lottas Home Papa's Private Family Reserve 13 Year Old. Julian Van Winkle III filled just 60 bottles for Stephan Macha, the owner of Weine & Feines, a wine and spirits specialty store in Heidelberg, Germany. Macha named this bottle after his daughter and the rye comes from the same whiskey that Van Winkle used for his Family Reserve Rye, and at the time only sold as export – making this bottle a rare artifact indeed.
The sale includes numerous whiskeys produced before and during national Prohibition, which began in 1920, and features coveted bourbons and ryes from the best-known distilleries of the era. Not only was this whiskey distilled over 100 years ago, but distilleries incorporated a much wider array of grain fermentation methods, the grain itself was wholly different than the grain we grow today, and the stills used where of an entirely separate era of engineering. These traits combined mean pre-prohibition whiskey can never truly be recreated.
Lot 221 - Jefferson 100 Proof 1913 (1 QT)
An extremely rare bottle of Jefferson 100 Proof 1913, distilled in 1913 and bottled in 1917, by a distillery that ceased to exist when the national ban on alcohol production took hold in 1920. The whiskey is named for the county in which Louisville resides, Jefferson.
Lot 224 - Kentucky Tavern 15 Year Old 100 Proof 1917 (1 Pint)
Distilled in 1917 whose origin is from the late 19th century at the Monarch Distillery in Owensboro, Kentucky.
Lot 181 - Dowling Bros 100 Proof 1916 (1 Pint)
A whiskey originally distilled in Mercer County, KY but relocated during Prohibition to A.Ph. Stitzel in Louisville (which would become Stitzel-Weller after Prohibition ended). At Stitzel, the whiskey remained in a warehouse under tight government supervision for nine years, until it was bottled in 1929.
Lot 264 - Old Rosebud Bottled-in-Bond Whiskey Pint 1916 (1 Pint)
The American Medicinal Spirits Company was one of only six distilling companies to survive Prohibition. Eventually taken over by National Distillers who reorganized it in 1927, the Old Rosebud brand came from the Kentucky Distilling & Warehouse Co. portfolio, better known as the infamous Whiskey Trust. A legendary member of the trust is E.H. Taylor Jr., among other famous names of Bourbon lore. This whiskey was distilled at their E.L. Miles distillery in New Hope in 1916.
Lot 234 - Monticello Special Reserve 6 Year Old Straight Pure Whiskey 90 Proof (1 QT)
Distilled in December 1913, bottled on January 24 1919. Signed by "Big Jim Comiskey"
O.F.C. – or Old-Fashioned Copper – was the original name of the distillery founded by the legendary Colonel Edmund Haynes "E.H." Taylor, Jr. in 1870, located in Frankfort, Kentucky on the site of an even older distillery. This bottle, distilled in 1916 and bottled in 1925, bears not only the name of the distillery but its plant manager, Albert B. Blanton – a curious but not uncommon practice during Prohibition.
The name Van Winkle is synonymous with great American whiskey. But not all Van Winkle bottles are the same. The company’s history divides in two: There is the whiskey produced after Julian Van Winkle III began distilling and bottling at Buffalo Trace, in 2003, with its uniform age statements and bottle designs. Then there is the wide range of ages, designs and even sources he used before that. While the whiskey made for him at Buffalo Trace is outstanding, the earlier bottles he released are true unicorns and among the most sought-after in the world.
Lot 140 - Old Rip Van Winkle 10 Year Old 107 Proof NV (1 BT 75cl)
Distilled at Stitzel-Weller in Louisville, Kentucky. Bottled by Old Rip Van Winkle Distillery, Lawrenceburg, Kentucky.
Lot 135 - Old Rip Van Winkle 11 Year Old Very Special Stock 94.4 Proof 1967 (1 4/5 Quart)
Distilled in the Fall of 1967. This whiskey is from the first few years Julian Van Winkle II assumed control of the distillery from his father, Julian "Pappy" Van Winkle, Sr., who died in 1964.
Lot 127 - Van Winkle 12 Year Old Special Reserve Lot "B" 90.4 Proof NV (1 BT 75cl)
Distilled at Stitzel-Weller in Louisville, Kentucky. Bottled by Old Rip Van Winkle Distillery, Lawrenceburg, Kentucky.
Lot 124 - Lottas Home Papa's Private Family Reserve 13 Year Old 47.8 abv 1998 (1 BT 75cl)
This sale includes one of the rarest Van Winkle releases in existence, Lottas Home Papa's Private Family Reserve 13 Year Old. Julian Van Winkle III filled just 60 bottles for Stephan Macha, the owner of Weine & Feines, a wine and spirits specialty store in Heidelberg, Germany. Macha was an early and ardent admirer of American rye whiskey, and he named this bottle after his daughter. The rye comes from the same whiskey that Van Winkle used for his Family Reserve Rye, and at the time only sold as export – making this bottle a rare artifact indeed.
Lot 126 - Van Winkle Family Reserve Rye 13 Year Old 95.6 Proof NV (1 BT 75cl)
This bottle is pure history. It is from the first run of 13-year-old rye produced by Julian Van Winkle III, as signified by the letter A on the label – each subsequent year saw the letter go up. Notably, the whiskey in this bottle is actually 14 years old, but Van Winkle did not want to go through the difficulty of changing the label every year. To make it even more significant, this green-tinted bottle is among the last ever from Van Winkle: Just a few months later he switched to clear glass.
Lot 123 - Van Winkle Family Reserve 14 Year Old 90.4 Proof 1970 (1 BT 70cl)
The liquid in this bottle was distilled in 1970, making it some of the last whiskey made by the Van Winkles at Stitzel-Weller before they were forced to sell it in 1972.
Lot 111 - Pappy Van Winkle's 20 Year Old Family Reserve Internet Wines & Spirits Single Barrel 90.4 Proof 1986 (1 BT 75cl)
Especially Bottled for Internet Wines & Spirits by Julian Van Winkle, this is an exceptionally rare version of the Pappy family of whiskies.bottled in 2006 and dstilled in 1986, the liquid in this bottle most likely came from Stitzel-Weller.
Lot 108 - Old Rip Van Winkle 23 Year Old Decanter 57.0 abv 1986 (1 BT 75cl)
A true rarity, this is bottle is one of just 1,200 released in 2009 by Julian Van Winkle III and his son, Preston. The two selected 50 barrels of whiskey distilled in 1986 at Stitzel-Weller, which their family had owned until 1972. Unlike their regular releases of 23-year-old whiskey, this one carries the Old Rip Van Winkle label (instead of Pappy Van Winkle), was non-chill-filtered, and was bottled at 114 proof, significantly higher than the standard 95.6.
Another rare highlight is the Van Winkle Family Reserve 17 Year Old. Julian Van Winkle III bottled about 1,500 cases of 17-year-old whiskey for export to Japan – which is how he got away with using dripping red wax, otherwise a trademark of Maker’s Mark. The whiskey inside came from the Old Boone distillery, the same that went into his reputation-staking green-glass bottles of 20-year-old bourbon at the end of the 1990s.
The Weller last name in the bourbon world is synonymous with fantastic whiskey. Whether it be Stitzel-Weller, William Larue Weller, Old Weller, or something under the name Fitzgerald, the various Weller releases of both present-day and many decades long past are sought after all over the world. The family name is linked with distilling at least as far back as the 1700s.
The Van Winkle name traces its history back to a distillery called Stitzel-Weller, co-founded by Julian Van Winkle, affectionately known as Pappy. His family was forced to sell it in 1972, but his son, Julian Van Winkle II, was allowed to keep some of the aging whiskey and received first right of refusal on additional barrels. Eventually his son, Julian III, leased an abandoned distillery in Lawrenceburg, Kentucky, and began his own bottling operation. In addition to packaging whiskey for other companies, he offered his own, using a brand that his grandfather created: Old Rip Van Winkle.
Lot 249 - Old Fitzgerald Prime 7 Year old 86.6 proof NV (1 BT 75cl)
Distilled, aged, and bottled at Stitzel-Weller Distillery.
Lot 244 - Very Old Fitzgerald 8 Year Old Bottled In Bond 100 Proof 1962 (1 4/5QT)
Distilled in Spring 1962, bottled in Fall 1970 at Stitzel-Weller Distillery.
Lot 243 - Very Very Old Fitzgerald 12 Year Old 100 Proof 1955 (1 4/5 Quart)
Old Fitzgerald was the flagship label of the Stitzel-Weller Distillery, which under the direction of Julian “Pappy” Van Winkle created some of the most storied and sought-after bourbons in history. Distilled in Fall 1955, bottled in Fall 1967 at Stitzel-Weller Distillery.
Lot 331 - W.L. Weller Special Reserve 7 Year Old 90 Proof NV (1 BT 75cl)
Distilled, aged and bottled by W.L. Weller & Sons in Louisville, Kentucky.
Lot 319 - W.L Weller's Cabin Still 5 Year Old 86 Proof NV (1 4/5 Quart)
Distilled, aged and bottled by Stitzel-Weller Distillery.
This rare and exceptional bottling of Weller was distilled in the summer of 1982, the First release of the series.
