Van Winkle breaks record at $107,715

A private barrel release of Van Winkle 18-year-old Bourbon for Binny’s shattered the record for the ’most expensive Bourbon ever auctioned’ at US$107,715.

The bottle sold in October, setting a new benchmark as the highest-selling 750ml post-Prohibition Bourbon bottle ever sold on Unicorn Auctions. The winning bid includes the hammer price of US$86,000, a 15% buyer’s premium and a 10.25% tax. Distilled on 10 June 1985, the rare Van Winkle Special Reserve was bottled in 2003 for Chicago’s beverage depot Binny’s and originally retailed for US$119.99. The unfiltered, barrel-proof Stitzel-Weller Bourbon, dubbed by enthusiasts as ‘Binny’s 18’, has become a crown jewel for collectors and drinkers alike. Bottled at 60.8% ABV, it is the second highest-proof Van Winkle ever released. The rare bottling is unnumbered, but it is believed that just 80 to 100 bottles were released, most of which were immediately consumed. The historic sale is the first time any major auction house has hosted a Van Winkle 18-year-old Special Reserve Bourbon from Binny’s. “We’re excited to set a new standard with the sale of this legendary bottle,” said Phil Mikhaylov, CEO of Unicorn Auctions. “This record-breaking moment not only showcases the passion collectors have for the rarest finds but also reinforces Unicorn as the ultimate destination for discovering and trading the world’s most coveted spirits. This is just the beginning of what’s to come both across the US and internationally.” Making history Binny's 18 is frequently compared to the Very Very Old Fitzgerald Blackhawk 18, a historic 1969 release also bottled at 18 years and a similar proof. Fitzgerald Blackhawk was sold on 27 May 2024 and previously held the record for the most expensive 750ml Bourbon auctioned at US$100,100 after taxes and fees. The all-time highest sale for a Bourbon is held by a six-litre bottle of 1982 Buffalo Trace Old Fashioned Copper Bourbon, which sold for US$154,000 at Unicorn. The sale of Binny’s 18 marks a special chapter in Bourbon history, as it embodies the bond between Bourbon pioneer Julian Van Winkle III and Chicago. Ultra-rare, high-value Van Winkle private releases, such as the Twisted Spoke, Delilah’s 10th Anniversary, Sam’s 20-Year, and now Binny’s 18, were all bottled during the same era, exclusively for Chicago’s bars and retailers. Unicorn Auctions – founded by Mikhaylov, Cody Modeer and AJ Heindel – allows consumers worldwide to buy, sell, store and digitally manage spirit collections through an online and app-based platform. Since its inception, Unicorn has facilitated more than four million total bids, created more than US$100 million in lifetime platform sales, and vaulted hundreds of thousands of bottles from around the globe. The title of ‘most expensive bottle of whiskey ever sold’ is held by the ‘controversial’ Craft Irish Whiskey Co's collaborative seven-piece set with Fabergé, which sold in early 2024 for US$2.8 million. The runner-up, and the ‘most expensive bottle of Scotch’, is The Macallan 1926 Adami, which was sold in November 2023 at a Sotheby's auction for £2,187,500 (US$2,714,250).