Bottle of Old Rip Van Winkle smashes Sotheby’s auction record
Sotheby’s has set a new auction record for American whiskey in its sale, with the auction of a unique one-of-a-kind bottle of Old RipVan Winkle, which sold for US$125,000 last week – two and a half times it high pre-sale estimate.
The ‘Van Winkle Selection’ Kentucky Bourbon Festival Master Distiller’s Auction 2007 was a ultra-rare bottle, one of the highest-proof Van Winkle releases ever produced and likely contained whiskey from the legendary Stitzel-Weller distillery.
It was created for the 2007 Kentucky Bourbon Festival and hand-bottled at full strength under the supervision of Julian Van Winkle. Its label, designed by Preston Van Winkle, and the glass, signed by Julian P. Van Winkle III and dated 9-15-07, add to its exceptional rarity and desirability, the Sotheby’s said.
As a result, it not only smashed its pre-sale estimate of $30,000 to $50,000, it also shattered all previous Sotheby’s records, making it the most valuable single bottle of post-prohibition American whiskey ever sold at auction. It beat the sale of Van Winkle 18-year-old Bourbon for Binny’s (known by enthusiasts as ‘Binny’s 18’) which sold in November for US$107,715 (including buyer’s premium and tax) at Chicago-based marketplace, Unicorn Auctions.
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According to Sotheby’s whiskey specialist Zev Glestam the sale marks “a defining moment in the history of American whiskey” and one that underscores “the legendary status of Van Winkle bottlings and the continued strength of the fine and rare whiskey market.”
“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,” he said.
According to sister title, the Spirits Business, a six-litre bottle of 1982 Buffalo Trace Old Fashioned Copper Bourbon was sold for US$154,000 at Unicorn, while the title of ‘most expensive bottle of whiskey ever sold’ is held by the ‘controversial’ Craft Irish Whiskey Co’s collaborative seven-piece set with Fabergé, which sold in early 2024 for US$2.8 million. In second place is ‘most expensive bottle of Scotch’, The Macallan 1926 Adami, which was sold in November 2023 at a Sotheby’s auction for £2,187,500 (US$2,714,250).
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