Decades-Old Bottles of Willett and Pappy Van Winkle Bourbon Take Center Stage in Rare Spirits Sale

(Photo: Old Rip Van Winkle)

Auction house Bonhams Skinner is gearing up to sell forty-seven bottles of rare American whiskey straight from the closet of writer Dr. Paul S. Hirsch. The highly sought-after lot includes two bottles of Willett Family Estate, a Pappy Van Winkle 20 Year Old and a coveted Karuizawa 31 Year Old.

Set to take place from June 4-18, the coveted bottles come courtesy of a historian who has delved deep into the legacy of American whiskey hunting. Best known for works like “Pulp Empire: The Secret History of Comic Book Imperialism,” Hirsh first entered the hobby when discovered a bottle of Old Weller Original 107 Barrel Proof months after an accident that left him an amputee. Hirsh says that whiskey hunts quickly became a source of community and recuperation.

“The hunt for American whiskies provided my second education in history and a primary education in generosity and hospitality. As a disabled American, my mobility was, and remains, limited, but finding wonderful bottles of whiskey enabled me to host tastings, dinner parties, and post-meal sipping sessions that sometimes ran until morning,” Hirsh shared in a news release.

In terms of estimated price, the crown jewel of the collection is a bottle of Willett Family Estate 25 Years Old Bourbon with black wax. The oldest age statement on record from the acclaimed Kentucky-based bourbon and rye distiller, the expression was originally sourced from the Willett family’s Private Barrel Selection. Thanks to its maroon color and rich dessert-soaked palate, it has since been dubbed the “Chocolate Monster” by enthusiasts. Bonhams predicts it’ll sell in the range of $15,000-$20,000.

Willet Family Estate 25 Years Old Bourbon is pictured with its black wax seal. (Photo: Bonhams Skinner)

Fans of the distiller will also be able to find a Willett Family Estate 21 Years Old with gold wax. Other highlighted picks include a Karuizawa 31 Years Old (estimated at $10,000-$15,000), a 2006 William Larue Weller (estimated at $3,000-$4,000) and an ever-trendy Pappy Van Winkle 20 Years Old (estimated at $3,000-$4,000).

“Paul has opened the doors of his vault to the collecting community and it’s not an overstatement to say this is a once-in-a-lifetime chance to acquire some of the rarest, and most highly sought-after, bottles in the world,” said Louis Krieger, global business director for Bonhams.

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