Rare whiskies are known as “unicorns.” But what’s even more wonderful is being able to purchase premium bourbon and rye while simultaneously helping a worthy cause. Additionally, you have the chance to do both tonight.
The Speed Art Museum in Louisville, Kentucky, will hold an online auction featuring some of the most coveted bottles of American whiskey from 7:15 p.m. to 8:45 p.m. EST. All revenues will go toward the museum’s educational initiatives and exhibitions. As long as you register at artofbourbon.org before to the commencement of the event, participating in the auction is free. Here is a list of the prizes you will be vying for when the lots go live:
Unquestionably, the reward with the most value is a very unique Pappy Van Winkle 23 Year Old bottle. Given that Kentucky Straight Bourbon is the most sought-after American whiskey on the planet, this specific brand requires no introduction. In fact, a single bottle of the liquid fetched an astounding $52,000 at auction last year.
The point is, though, that this isn’t just a Pappy 23. It’s called the Pappy 23. It was bottled in 1998, the same year that Julian Van Winkle III debuted his now-iconic line of wheated bourbons, and is from the first batch of the beverage ever made. The whiskey is shown beneath a gold wax cap, which the company discontinued back in 2005. $30k is the estimated minimum bid.
A.H. Hirsch’s expression, which is 20 years old, joins Pappy on the block. It is regarded by bourbon connoisseurs as one of the most beautiful and frustratingly difficult varieties of American whiskey ever introduced to the market. The spring 1974 distillation of the 91.6-proof beverage is anticipated to fetch at least $20,000. And that could seem like a steal in comparison to the price that a remarkable obscure edition of George T. Stagg is going to command. This one is exhibited in a tamper-proof bottle from that era, was distilled before 1917, and was bottled in 1928.
Tonight’s auction also includes a Prohibition-era batch of I.W. Harper Rye. It was created more than a century ago at the venerable Bernheim Distillery, and is treasured for its distinctive vintage and peculiar mashbill. Rye was hardly ever bottled at this particular distillery. It might only cost you $6,000 to own it.
For $300, you can get seats to the live event if you’re in Louisville this evening. It includes front-row access to the 35 lots going up for auction, bourbon tastings, and a set dinner. The event, now in its sixth year, has generated more than $1.2 million for the organization through these yearly auctions.
