When it comes to ultra-premium whiskey, there’s one bourbon that reigns supreme, and it’s not even close. Despite its most expensive bottle having a suggested retail of $450, Pappy Van Winkle’s Family Reserve 23 Year Old Bourbon routinely goes for upwards of $5,000 on the secondary market, owing in part to its wheated mashbill, proprietary yeast, and high age statements — along with low barrel yields. If you’ve ever had a sip of Pappy’s, you’ll remember it for a long time.
This past week, Pappy’s set another bourbon auction record with a bottle of Old Rip Van Winkle “Van Winkle Selection” going for $125,000 at Sotheby’s Whiskey & Whiskey auction.
Another Win for Pappy’s
The recent sale, which now holds the title of the most anyone’s paid for a bottle of post-Prohibition bourbon whiskey, is likely to be broken again — probably by Pappy’s. But nevertheless, this easily cleared the previous record, which was just nabbed last October. That bottle of Van Winkle 18-Year-Old from 1985 went for nearly $108k, beating a $52k bottle of Pappy Van Winkle 23 Year Old Family Reserve that sold in 2022.
Why This Bottle?
What makes this most recent record-breaking sale so different? Well, for one, it features a blended bourbon that claims to be the only one in existence. This bottle, bearing a label with the words, “Van Winkle Selection,” across the front, is apparently the only one in existence.
Bottled in 2007, the whiskey was originally sold as part of that year’s Master Distiller’s Auction show. And what makes it unique is that it actually blends liquids ages between 15 and 20 years — a rarity for Pappy’s as most of the brand’s expressions are from a single year.
To add to the appeal, this bourbon is bottled at a hot 125.6 proof — the second-highest proof Van Winkle has ever bottled. The back of the vessel has also been signed by Julian P. Van Winkle III and dated 9-15-07 to mark the occasion.
Important Provenance
Another thing that makes the whiskey so coveted is that it comes from the iconic Stitzel Weller facility at Old Fitzgerald distillery, which closed up shop in 1992. Van Winkle hasn’t had a new whiskey from Stitzel Weller for about a decade, making these bottles even more rare.
Sotheby’s admits, there’s not a ton of information about this mystery bottle but nevertheless, it far exceeded its estimate, which was between $30,000 and $50,000.
Spec Sheet
Type: Wheated bourbon
Region: Kentucky
Age Statement: 15 to 20 years
Limited Edition: Yes, 1
Sale Price: $125,000
Pricing & Availability
Proceeds from the sale went to Kentucky’s Oscar Getz Museum of Bourbon History. Head over to Sotheby’s auction site to learn more about this record-breaking bourbon.
Recap
Old Rip Van Winkle “Van Winkle Selection” Auction Record
A one-of-a-kind bottle of Old Rip Van Winkle just broke the bourbon auction record with a $125,000 sale via Sotheby’s.
