$250K for 1913 STITZEL WELLER'S ORIGINAL BOURBON, kidding me

[tigerlam92]

Hi,

From time to time, I scan through the bay to see what crazy prices are for some of the things I have open in my bar, VVOF and others. Today, this is beyond reason I would think or am I missing something here?

$250,000 for

1913 STITZEL WELLER'S ORIGINAL BOURBON. Is this USD or monopoly money? Is there a reason for such buy it price?

cheers

--Hugh

[Roc-A-Fella_1]

It makes the K&L Very Old Fitzgerald which sold out even at $999.99 seem like a steal, albeit not from 1913.

How is that VVOF you have? I would kill to try some.:bowdown:

Edited July 21, 2012 by Roc-A-Fella_1

[luther.r]

I think the mods might pull down this thread, but usually when something is listed for a completely ridiculous amount I suspect it's because the seller wants to sell outright, and the listing is basically an advertisement to elicit offers.

[tigerlam92]

It makes the K&L Very Old Fitzgerald which sold out even at $999.99 seem like a steal, albeit not from 1913.

How is that VVOF you have? I would kill to try some.:bowdown:

Below is some tasting notes.

http://www.straightbourbon.com/forums/showthread.php?15532-Two-more-bottles-of-VVOF&p=238013&viewfull=1#post238013

Cheers

--Hugh

[Roc-A-Fella_1]

Below is some tasting notes.

http://www.straightbourbon.com/forums/showthread.php?15532-Two-more-bottles-of-VVOF&p=238013&viewfull=1#post238013

Cheers

--Hugh

If you don't mind me asking, how did you find these gems? Surely not here in the Bay Area.:bigeyes:

[callmeox]

I think the mods might pull down this thread, but usually when something is listed for a completely ridiculous amount I suspect it's because the seller wants to sell outright, and the listing is basically an advertisement to elicit offers.

Talking about eBay auctions is ok.

Linking to eBay auctions (current or past) or using SB to refer folks to your auctions is not.

[Special Reserve]

Hi,

From time to time, I scan through the bay to see what crazy prices are for some of the things I have open in my bar, VVOF and others. Today, this is beyond reason I would think or am I missing something here?

$250,000 for

1913 STITZEL WELLER'S ORIGINAL BOURBON. Is this USD or monopoly money? Is there a reason for such buy it price?

cheers

--Hugh

I think it is actually money from the game Life.

[Bmac]

You'd think it was some long lost Arctic Scotch or found in an Egyptian tomb, or contains urine from President Woodrow Wilson.

I bet after a 100 years corked it tasted.totally befouled. -__-

[tigerlam92]

If you don't mind me asking, how did you find these gems? Surely not here in the Bay Area.:bigeyes:

Those two bottles were actually local in Pleasanton. Most of my holy grails are really passed down from someone's previous generations who appreciated them and the current generations are willing to pass them on to me. Funny is that most of them, I was contacted.

As for the eBay listing, I guess it did what the seller wanted which was to provoke people to check it out because of the ridiculous price. At least for me, I don't think there is any beverage that would be worth that much. Perhaps a drink from the "Holy Grail" for the chance of eternal youth.

Cheers

--Hugh

[bourbonv]

Since Stitzel-Weller did not exist until 1935, this is an unbelievable find in more ways than one.

Mike Veach

[p_elliott]

Since Stitzel-Weller did not exist until 1935, this is an unbelievable find in more ways than one.

Mike Veach

[sutton]

The label reads "Weller's Original barreled in 1913" and "distilled and bottled by Stitzel-Weller Distillery Louisville, Kentucky". There also appears to be an upside down State of Tennessee 40 cent tax stamp on the left hand side. If this is at least 22 years old, it would have been bottled in 1935 or later, I suppose.

Anyone know about labels and tax stamps of the period?

Just another thought - who drops $250K on eBay on anything? You wouldn't want to inspect this bottle before making a bid? Seems a bit crazy - not exactly walking around money...

[p_elliott]

For sure if you were going to drop any kind of money in the 4 digit range I would drive there to inspect the bottle. Let a lone a quarter of a million which if I had I wouldn't spend on liquor. I can't even think of anything I would spend a quarter of a million on maybe staying out of prison if I did something wrong or was wrongly accused.

[mosugoji64]

Mike are you saying this is a fake ?

If it is a fake, they did an amazing job. Does anyone with experience with old bottles have any thoughts? The bottle itself looks rather modern to me, but I haven't inspected any bottles from that time period to know the difference.

[tigerlam92]

Since Stitzel-Weller did not exist until 1935, this is an unbelievable find in more ways than one.

Mike Veach

I got interested from Mike's post. Was this really barreled 1913? The seller thinks it was bottled in 1961 because of the glass bottling code only I think correct? I don't see it referenced anyway else. How did the seller know it was in a barrel from 1913 then bottled in 1961. That is a whole lot of time it was sitting there and did anyone plan to barrel something for that long?

From ORVW site - "

His grandfather, who was known as "Pappy", started the family in the business back in the 1870s when he was a salesman for the W.L. Weller & Sons liquor wholesalers in Louisville. He later built and was president of the Stitzel-Weller Distillery in Louisville, which opened its doors on Derby day, 1935. Their prominent brands were W.L.Weller, Rebel Yell, Cabin Still and Old Fitzgerald bourbons."

I used this site to reference the glass bottling code and the tax stamp.

http://www.jdcollectorspage.com/TaxlabelsHistory.html

"In 1929 the Owens Bottle Co. and the Illinois Glass Co. merged into a new company called the Owens-Illinois Glass Company. The new company used a trademark of an "I" inside a diamond, with a circle around the "I" ."

"Starting sometime in 1945, the Federal Tax Seal Strips contained the word "SERIES" just to the left, and "111" just to the right of the Eagle's feet."

--Hugh

[Bmac]

My two cents. I dont think this was bottled in 1935. In the very last photo the glass bottle has a bump that is sticking out. That would have been used to keep the bottle on a conveyor belt. I dont think they bottled in that fashion in 1935 . Also the sticker and it's design doesn't match with the times. The green sticker looks far older than the rest. The box it.comes in looks brand new.

My thought is, its completely fabricated. It's probably filled with actual modern WLW. Making stickers isnt that hard. Adding shrink wrap foil isnt hard either. That box could have held a cognac or scotch with the design patterns on the glasses and box.

[Bmac]

Also, check out the seam in the glass on the third from last photo. In 1935, it should have been blown glass. Ultimately, the box is the biggest give away.

[sutton]

Also, check out the seam in the glass on the third from last photo. In 1935, it should have been blown glass. Ultimately, the box is the biggest give away.

1935 is just the earliest it could have been bottled and been from Stitzel-Weller Distillery - Mike V. seemed to imply the bottle might not be legit because SW didn't exist until 1935 - however, the 1913 date references a barreling date, not a bottling date.

I think your other points about the bottle itself are interesting -

[savagehenry]

Doesn't the volume in the barrel reduce by 2% or so each year from evaporation? If it was sitting in the barrel for 48 years, 96% would have disappeared so they would have had what, 2-3 bottles? Amazing that one survived! Or not.

[Tucker]

In a thread discussing the Weller wheated bourbon recipe, mention is made of a 1913 contract between Stitzel and WL Weller and Sons for production of 500 barrels of whiskey.

http://www.straightbourbon.com/forums/showthread.php?445-Weller-and-the-wheat-recipe

In 1912, Stitzel contracted to make 1,000 barrels of whiskey for WL Weller and Sons. Stitzel leased the distillery to Weller so that Weller could claim to be the distiller. In 1913, Stitzel produced 500 more barrels for Weller.

The whiskey in the eBay bottle could claim this provenance, I suppose.

[unclebunk]

At the end of the day, anyone--and I mean anyone, no matter how rich--who drops a quarter million bucks on a bottle of booze is out of his mind.

[Bmac]

Final thoughts. Why tax stamp it? If it was bottled in bond it would be 100 proof.

Also, on one of the corners of the label is peeling up and you can see glue residue that extends past the border of the label.

Ralfy made a blog about what to look for on old supposed "antique" bottles of booze. This one just screams fake. Even the ridiculous price tag screams fake.

[Tucker]

Final thoughts. Why tax stamp it? If it was bottled in bond it would be 100 proof.

[Bmac]

It looks to have the appropriate red and white federal tax strip for non-bonded whiskey, which was used until 1985. The Tennessee stamp looks real enough, too.

Edited July 24, 2012 by Bmac

[IowaJeff]

I've seen old fitzgeralds from the 50's with similar boxes and glasses online before. That doesn't mean those aren't fake too, of course, but I've seen them with a similar design.