Buffalo Trace OFC Vintage Bottles Charity

[Richnimrod]

Those are some very attractive pix, JT3NSB.     I wonder how this stuff tastes?    Of course, I'll never have the opportunity to personally taste any of it at the cost being suggested (not a surprising MSRP though).

UNLESS... You wanna send me a sample... You know, to be certain that after all these years the stuff inside is still OK to drink.    Safety First I always say!

[tanstaafl2]

I hope the charities that receive them do really well. I also hope the bottles are a bit more impressive looking in person than the pictures I have seen so far so I look forward to your pictures.

 

Do we know when it was dumped and bottled (or tanked or whatever)? 33 to 36 year old bourbon would seem to be a bit of a risk! Not that many people are likely planning to drink this I suppose.

 

There is a vague reference on the website to the fact that "recipe and age will vary by vintage but many are expected to mature for twenty years or more".  "Many" but not all? But no indication if the bottle will declare its specific age. And has some of this be sitting in a vat for a decade or more rather like some of the PVW and BTAC?

 

Is it basically a 90 proof NAS $10,000 bottle?

 

Things that make you go hmmmm...

[JT3NSB]

I took some quick pics.  we are going to need to shoot better, more professional pics.  But, I thought the forum may enjoy seeing these.  

 

The color of this thing is a very deep copper.  They don't tell us much about it's actual provenance.   I placed white paper behind one of these to get an idea of the color.  the box and presentation are outstanding.   ifs in a very large white outer box, then packed inside are cut foam pieces and the presentation case is s in a cream colored, embroidered bag.  The presentation case itself appears to be very well made and is just stellar in person.  The cut of the bottle is pretty special as well.  they have embossed raised letters on the front with a cool copper topped stopper. 

 

The whole thing is beautiful.  Too bad we will never get to sample it.  

[tanstaafl2]

Thanks for the pics. Sounds like the presentation is nicer in person than might be possible to demonstrate in pictures but at least it appears they put some effort into it!

[GaryT]

Thanks for sharing those pics!  I also expect I'll never taste any of this stuff, but do applaud BT's donation of intriguing whiskey (and looks like really special presentation).  I do hope that the various charities are able to benefit from the current madness!

[musekatcher]

Maybe a couple dozen of us could go in together on a bottle?  Its for a good cause.  Wait, that would still be $1000 an ounce..

[Richnimrod]

28 minutes ago, musekatcher said:

Maybe a couple dozen of us could go in together on a bottle?  Its for a good cause.  Wait, that would still be $1000 an ounce..

Emotionally, I'm eager to participate in such a venture; however, economically, I'm far less inclined to bankroll it.

[Hop]

Can't find it again now of course but I stumbled across an online auction for one of these (not sure of the vintage) and it was at $3,500 at that time (around 12/27) with something like 47 more days to go on the auction

 

[GaryT]

6 hours ago, Hop said:

Can't find it again now of course but I stumbled across an online auction for one of these (not sure of the vintage) and it was at $3,500 at that time (around 12/27) with something like 47 more days to go on the auction

 

 

Yeah - I wonder if some of these may fly under the radar and not pull in more than $5k, while others may go over $10k.  I had a similar thought to musekatcher about pooling funds to purchase/sample - but even at a big discount of (gulp) $5k, you're talking about a $200 sample.  Although if the cause is such that enough folks are really looking to support it, a one time donation of $200 (tax free, right?) with a "free drink" might not be the worst thing.

[musekatcher]

20 minutes ago, GaryT said:

 

Yeah - I wonder if some of these may fly under the radar and not pull in more than $5k, while others may go over $10k.  I had a similar thought to musekatcher about pooling funds to purchase/sample - but even at a big discount of (gulp) $5k, you're talking about a $200 sample.  Although if the cause is such that enough folks are really looking to support it, a one time donation of $200 (tax free, right?) with a "free drink" might not be the worst thing.

 

$200 is getting closer to my trigger point - but - the logistics of getting a couple dozen of us together, at the same place, same time for the uncorking, sounds daunting. 

[LCWoody]

4 hours ago, GaryT said:

 

Yeah - I wonder if some of these may fly under the radar and not pull in more than $5k, while others may go over $10k.  I had a similar thought to musekatcher about pooling funds to purchase/sample - but even at a big discount of (gulp) $5k, you're talking about a $200 sample.  Although if the cause is such that enough folks are really looking to support it, a one time donation of $200 (tax free, right?) with a "free drink" might not be the worst thing.

Your right, a speeding ticket is $200 and it taste and feels like shit.

[IowaJeff]

A liquor store by me has a bottle and is planning on auctioned for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.  I don't have any details yet, but they said on facebook that they haven't put it up for auction yet and have already received offers of $3k and $5k. 

 

I'll let you all know if I hear anything.

[biskuit]

For those in the hunt, an Atlanta charity which I've done work with is auctioning off their bottle of 1980 OFC and a full Van Winkle bourbon lineup (10, 12, 15, 20, 23) as part of their annual fundraiser. They have opened bidding to folks outside the event given the high interest in these two lots. I'm guessing these will go for serious money, so us average joes may not have a chance, but if you know any high rollers who want to support a very good cause, this is it.

Here's the crucial info:

The Giving Kitchen, the non-profit that serves Atlanta restaurant workers facing unexpected hardship, will be auctioning off several rare bourbons at its annual Team Hidi event on January 29 and, for the first time, will be taking bids in advance on select lots for those who can’t make it to the sold-out event. Bids on the two lots below will be accepted via email (whiskeygalATL@gmail.com) between Monday, January 23 at 9AM EST and Friday, January 27th at 5PM EST. While these bids allow a wider audience to participate in the auctions, they will serve as the opening bid for each lot, giving supporters in the room the opportunity to bid higher if they so choose.

The first lot of interest to bourbon enthusiasts is a bottle of 1980 vintage O.F.C. Kentucky straight bourbon whiskey, one of only 100 bottles produced by Buffalo Trace, exclusively offered to non-profit organizations at no charge to raise money for their causes. The hand-cut crystal bottle containing this precious whiskey is a replica of an O.F.C. decanter from the early 1900s found in the Buffalo Trace Distillery archives. It comes in a luxurious dark wood display box embossed in copper. According to Buffalo Trace, bottles of this rare collectible are expected to bring in upwards of $10,000 each for the charities they support. For the Team Hidi auction, the Giving Kitchen is pairing the rare 1980 O.F.C. with a multi-course whiskey-themed dinner for 12 people at Atlanta’s Empire State South, one of chef Hugh Acheson’s many lauded restaurants. More information on the O.F.C. limited release can be found at www.ofcvintages.com.

The second lot that will draw heavy interest from bourbon fans is titled, “Who’s Your Pappy,” and includes the entire range of Kentucky straight bourbon whiskey from the Old Rip Van Winkle Distillery - one bottle each of the 10 year Old Rip Van Winkle, 12 year old Van Winkle Special Reserve, 15 year Pappy Van Winkle’s Family Reserve, 20 year Pappy Van Winkle’s Family Reserve, and 23 year Pappy Van Winkle’s Family Reserve. The opportunity to find the full Van Winkle bourbon line-up in one place is incredibly rare. For the Team Hidi auction, the Giving Kitchen is also including a private whiskey tasting and dinner for 20 prepared by the chefs of Atlanta’s Sweet Auburn BBQ at the home of the winning bidder (if in the Atlanta area). 

While these are the only two auction lots that are open to outside bidders, the Team Hidi event will also include more than a dozen other impossible-to-replicate auction lots that celebrate Atlanta and the city’s thriving restaurant community.

THE WHEN & HOW:
The sold out Team Hidi event, featuring the live auction and tastes from more than 50 of Atlanta’s top restaurants and bars will take place Sunday, January 29, 2017, from 5-9PM. Bids for the two lots discussed will be accepted via email (whiskeygalATL@gmail.com) between Monday, January 23 at 9AM EST and Friday, January 27th at 5PM EST. All emails should include the specific lot the individual is bidding on, the single bid they are placing on that lot, and the bidder’s home address. At 5pm EST on January 27th, the Team Hidi auction staff will compile and review the submitted bids on the two lots. The highest submitted bidders on each lot will be contacted to ensure that their bid is legitimate, then their bid will serve as the opening bid for that lot in the live auction – so may or may not end up as the winning bid. The opening bidders will be notified immediately after the auction as to the results.

More info at: http://www.thirstysouth.com/2017/01/09/rare-bourbon-cause-pappy-van-winkle-1980-o-f-c/

[tanstaafl2]

Doesn't really seem like the full "Who's Your Pappy?" lineup without the rye. Not that I have any interest in bidding on either option. The Whiskey dinner sounds fun and Empire State South generally does a great job but I don't have the desire or capacity to make that kind of donation. And if your emailed bid is the "opening bid" but you don't get a chance to participate in the auction from that point forward because you don't have a ticket to the event I don't really see the point in making a bid I the first place.

 

If I am going to give to the Giving Kitchen I suppose I will just go to Staplehouse as it does seem like a worthwhile cause.

Edited January 9, 2017 by tanstaafl2

[biskuit]

Well, it does say "bourbon" lineup on the Pappy ; )

 

And, yeah, any outside bidder will have to make a very serious bid to avoid anyone in the room outbidding them, but it could happen!

[tanstaafl2]

3 minutes ago, biskuit said:

Well, it does say "bourbon" lineup on the Pappy ; )

 

And, yeah, any outside bidder will have to make a very serious bid to avoid anyone in the room outbidding them, but it could happen!

 

Ah! Fair enough. Although you think they could throw in a bottle of the rye as well!

[biskuit]

Damn, that rye is my favorite... 

[Golferpimp1]

Well the one at auction tonight at the fundraiser I was at went for $7k. Had two bidders on
Via phone and one of them ended up winning. Good cause but way outta my price range.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N910A using Tapatalk

[JT3NSB]

14 hours ago, Golferpimp1 said:

Well the one at auction tonight at the fundraiser I was at went for $7k. Had two bidders on
Via phone and one of them ended up winning. Good cause but way outta my price range.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N910A using Tapatalk
 

thats good to hear.  My girlfriends charity selected a local auction company that does high end wine auctions, to sell it.  They ended up with 5 bottles from NC charities that are all in the same auction.   Most hovering around 2 k with 5 or so days left to go.  interesting to see the activity on them.   

[Canarse]

Last night at a local charity auction a bottle of OFC 1980 reportedly went for $12K!  

 

It's definitely for a good cause.  School for young children with developmental issues.  The auction is part of a well established wine event.  I've been there in the past.  Good time.  They get everyone lubed up tasting wine and then start the auction!  We had someone bidding for a friend and I, but the price quickly got out of our range.  

[JT3NSB]

Ours only generated 5500. But there were 5 in the auction. Was a great fundraiser that BT made happen..

[dcbt]

3 hours ago, JT3NSB said:

Ours only generated 5500. But there were 5 in the auction. Was a great fundraiser that BT made happen..

Only 4K for the charity I informed of the bottle (in an auction). I have a feeling a raffle would have been better.

[beasled]

£6,600 last night on whiskeyauctioneer - https://www.whiskyauctioneer.com/lot/55359/buffalo-trace-1980-ofc

[fishnbowljoe]

The ones that I was aware of sold for, $5,750.00, $7,000.00, $5,250.00, $5,500.00, and $7,000.00 respectively. 

 

Joe

[Basil]

I know this is an old post, but.....I attended an auction that had one of these. It was a 1980 labeled bottle and it sold for $28,000.  Gourmet and Grapes event on Kiawah Island early this year.