Three Rare Old Fitzgerald Bourbons Are Going Up For Auction
The global spirits market might have hit a rough patch, but that slowdown doesn’t seem to have affected the vintage and rare whiskey auction world. Collectors are still looking for high-priced, limited-edition bottles across all categories, and are willing to pay top dollar for them. That will likely be the case with the Old Fitzgerald Archival Collection from Max Shapira, a trio of vintage bottles of bourbon from the private collection of Heaven Hill’s executive chairman that are heading to auction at Sotheby’s next month.
Old Fitzgerald is a whiskey brand with a long history that dates back to the late 19th century when the name was first trademarked. During Prohibition, it was one of a handful of brands that was granted a license to produce medicinal whiskey, available with a doctor’s prescription and believed to cure various ailments (it did not, to be clear). Pappy Van Winkle would go on to acquire the label and turn it into a wheated bourbon, meaning wheat was used as the secondary grain instead of rye, the recipe that is still used to this day. It was produced at the famous Stitzel-Weller Distillery for a time until it shut down in 1992, and then moved to Bernheim, which was owned by Diageo at the time. Heaven Hill acquired the distillery and the brand in 1999, and the whiskey was given a refresh with the introduction of the seasonal decanter series in 2018.
The bottles that are going up for auction represent three distinct moments in Old Fitzgerald timeline. “Each of these bottles is a snapshot of Old Fitzgerald through the ages,” said Shapira in a statement. “They tell the story of a brand that has survived and thrived through every chapter of American whiskey history, of which Heaven Hill is a proud part. I’m honored to now share them in a way that will support a meaningful charitable cause.” The oldest expression is the pre-Prohibition bottle, 1934 Old Fitzgerald 18-Year-Old Bottled-in-Bond Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey. It was distilled in 1917 by A. PH. Stitzel, later of the Stitzel-Weller Distillery, and bottled in 1934 at 100 proof. The next is 1965 Very Xtra Old Fitzgerald 10-Year-Old Bottled-in-Bond Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey. Distilled in 1955 and bottled in 1965 at 100 proof for the Colorado Electric Co., it comes in a red box with a pair of tasting glasses. The most recent expression is the 2015 John E. Fitzgerald Very Special Reserve 20-Year-Old Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey, distilled in 1992 and bottled in 2015 at 90 proof. This came from a parcel of 12 barrels that Heaven Hill acquired from Stitzel-Weller and is part of a run of just 3,000 bottles.
All proceeds from the sale, which is part of Sotheby’s Whisky & Whiskey auction, will got to benefit Bernheim Forest and Arboretum, a 16,000-acre woodland just south of Louisville that was created by Isaac Wolfe Bernheim in 1929. Bidding will begin on June 11 and run through June 26 at 12pm EST, and you can register in advance at the Sotheby’s website.
