Sotheby’s Achieves the Most Valuable Auction of American Whiskey – Sale of Bourbon & Rye Totals $1.6 Million

NEW YORK, 21 MARCH 2022 – This weekend at Sotheby’s in New York, a sale of Bourbon & Rye Whiskey achieved $1.63 million – becoming the most valuable auction of American whiskey ever staged and doubling the pre-sale estimate.

The top lot was a bottle of Lenell’s Red Hook Rye 24 Year Old Barrell #4, which doubled its pre-sale high estimate, selling for $43,750 (lot 543). The price achieved matched the amount paid for a bottle in Sotheby’s sale of The Thoroughbred Collection in April 2021 – the company’s first American Whiskey auction – making this the most valuable bottle of Rye Whiskey ever sold at auction. In total, across all four of LeNell’s single barrel releases, only 852 bottles exist, making it not only one of the most valuable American Whiskeys ever produced, but also one of the rarest.

Sharing the top spot was a double vertical of Pappy Van Winkle from the 2020 and 2021 releases, comprising 12 bottles, which also realised $43,750 (lot 535). Other notable lots includes a bottle of Michter’s Single Barrel Bourbon 20 Year Old sold for $27,500, almost seven times its pre-sale low estimate (lot 482), and a case of six bottles of Willett Family Estate Single Barrel Bourbon 10 Year Old, which soared to $17,500, fifteen times its pre-sale low estimate (lot 606).

The sale was a resounding success, with close to 100% of the lots sold, and 75% of those lots achieving prices above their high estimates. With demand for American whiskeys invariably domestic and spread across the United States, 93% of the lots were acquired by collectors based in North America. Almost 60% of the buyers were new to Sotheby’s, and overall, 77% of the buyers were aged in their 40s or younger, and 42% were aged in their 30s or younger.

Featuring two of the most significant collections to come to the market in a single sale, the auction was led by the American Muscle Collection (lots 1 – 534), which takes its name not only from its unparalleled range of rich and robust US Bourbons and Rye Whiskeys, but also from the collector who built this significant catalogue of bottles. Rich “RJ” Gottlieb is the owner of one of the most legendary Chevrolets in existence, the 1969 “Big Red” Camaro, referred to by many as “the baddest muscle car ever”.

The second significant collection was The Three Continents Collection Part III (lots 586 – 750). These whiskeys were part of a 5,000 bottle-strong collection of Scotch and Japanese whisky as well as Bourbon and Rye from the USA that has been allocated across five Sotheby’s auctions in 2021 and 2022. This weekend’s sale exclusively contained American whiskeys from this collection.

Please refer to the sale page for individual lot results.

About Sotheby’s Wine

Established in 1744, Sotheby’s is the world’s premier destination for art and luxury. Sotheby’s promotes access, connoisseurship and preservation of fine art and rare objects through auctions and buy-now channels including private sales, e-commerce and retail. Our trusted global marketplace is supported by an industry-leading technology platform and a network of specialists spanning 40 countries and 50 categories, which include Contemporary Art, Modern and Impressionist Art, Old Masters, Chinese Works of Art, Jewelry, Watches, Wine and Spirits, and Interiors, among many others.

Sotheby’s Wine’s annual worldwide auction sales of wine and spirits hit a record $132 million in 2021, a 44% increase on 2020. Sotheby’s Wine currently holds the world records for any whisky collection ever sold at auction, any private wine collection ever sold at auction, the most valuable bottle of wine ever sold at auction and the most valuable bottle of spirits ever sold at auction.

In addition to auction, Sotheby’s Wine launched a retail business in 2010. With a retail store located in Sotheby’s New York headquarters and e-commerce at www.sothebyswine.com, Sotheby’s Wine offers a carefully curated selection of wines from the world’s most prestigious producers and important regions. Expertly assembled by our experienced specialists, the selection is built upon lasting relationships with winemakers from across the globe, with bottles that are ready for immediate consumption, in addition to investment-worthy wines from highly sought-after vintages. A second retail location opened in Sotheby’s Hong Kong galleries in 2014.

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* Estimates do not include buyer’s premium or overhead premium. Prices achieved include the hammer price plus buyer’s premium and overhead premium and are net of any fees paid to the purchaser where the purchaser provided an irrevocable bid.

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