Unicorn Auctions

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Black Maple Hill is owned by California Vineyards Inc. (CVI Brands), a wine and spirits distributor that was neither dis...
08/20/2026

Black Maple Hill is owned by California Vineyards Inc. (CVI Brands), a wine and spirits distributor that was neither distillery nor bottler.

The very first bottlings were contracted to Julian Van Winkle III at his Old Commonwealth facility in Lawrenceburg. Post-2002—after Van Winkle entered a joint venture with Buffalo Trace—CVI Brands forged a partnership with Kentucky Bourbon Distillers (KBD) in Bardstown as an alternative source for bottling.

The Lawrenceburg marked Black Maple Hill single barrel bourbons are incredibly rare but the rye, even rarer. In fact this is the very first bottle of Lawrenceburg rye (Cask R2) we've ever listed.

The Bardstown marked Black Maple Hill single barrels are some of the hardest to find and most sought after whiskey bottled from this era. Like most sourced product from this time period, the provenance of the whiskey was never confirmed although many have speculated pre-fire Heaven Hill based on flavor profile.

Did You Know? Kentucky Bourbon Distillers began as a non-distiller producer and rose to notoriety by sourcing, selecting and bottling mostly premium whiskey for the enthusiast and export markets. Many brands bottled by KBD used a DBA (doing business as) on the rear label which added to the mystique and confusion over the years.

Domaine Gros Frere et Soeur, or ‘Brother and Sister,’ emerged when siblings Gustave and Colette Gros combined their shar...
08/20/2026

Domaine Gros Frere et Soeur, or ‘Brother and Sister,’ emerged when siblings Gustave and Colette Gros combined their shares of the legendary family Louis Gros estate in 1963. The slowly-evolving 1998 vintage from their 8-hectare plot in Richebourg is ready to drink now through 2035.

The oldest—and rarest—example of the Kentucky Vintage series ever bottled by Kentucky Bourbon Distillers (KBD) in Bardst...
08/19/2026

The oldest—and rarest—example of the Kentucky Vintage series ever bottled by Kentucky Bourbon Distillers (KBD) in Bardstown. This version is a Japanese export and was bottled at 94 proof.

The source of the bourbon was never confirmed. Some have speculated because of the 1974 distillation date that it was entirely possible these were “old Willett” distilled; meaning before the original distillery shut down and converted its production to ethanol used for industrial fuel. Others have speculated Heaven Hill as a potential source.

Did You Know? Kentucky Bourbon Distillers began as a non-distiller producer and rose to notoriety by sourcing, selecting and bottling mostly premium whiskey for the enthusiast and export markets. Many brands bottled by KBD used a DBA (doing business as) on the rear label which added to the mystique and confusion over the years.

This release of Old Mock—sometimes jokingly referred to as "Old Mork" because of the label font—was bottled by the A.Ph ...
08/18/2026

This release of Old Mock—sometimes jokingly referred to as "Old Mork" because of the label font—was bottled by the A.Ph Stitzel Distillery in 1933.

It's interesting to note that the Stitzel Distillery was one of only six licensed for medicinal whiskey production during Prohibition, yet they did bottle a significant amount of sourced product for other "bulk holders" during this period as well.

Did You Know? Pre-1900, there was an actual "Old Mock Distillery"—Boyle County, Distillery #158—located just northeast of Danville, KY. Their primary brand was in fact, Old Mock. By 1910 the distillery was completely out of operation.

You can find this bottle and more pre-prohibition pints live in our August 2026 No Reserves II auction!

08/16/2026

Extremely rare, 4 year bonded Weller rye whiskey, distilled in 1939—only a few years after the distillery opened—and bottled as World War II raged in 1943.

According to the included correspondence from Stitzel-Weller, a limited quantity of this exact rye was produced for Wisconsin upon special request.

Did You Know? This isn’t the only “Weller” bottle with rye whiskey inside. There were also bottles of W.L. Weller Rye packaged during the Prohibition era, pre-Stitzel-Weller, when A. Ph. Stitzel was still operating.

Distilled: Spring 1939, Bottled: Fall 1943

Wisconsin state tax stamp, Stitzel-Weller

A first appearance at Unicorn!

Lotta's Home is an extremely rare private label bottled in 1998 by Julian Van Winkle III for Stephan Macha, owner of Wei...
08/15/2026

Lotta's Home is an extremely rare private label bottled in 1998 by Julian Van Winkle III for Stephan Macha, owner of Weine & Feines in Heidelberg, Germany.

Macha carried a variety of American rye whiskeys at his shop and had this private label commissioned and named after his daughter, Lotta. Exactly 60 bottles were produced and exported, this one time.

In 1998, standard Van Winkle Rye in the cognac style bottles remained a Japanese-only export (numbers only) and the 60 bottles of Lotta's Home were reportedly drawn from that same stock; single source Medley rye, before it was tanked or blended with anything else. The bottles were packaged at exactly 95.6 proof.

Did You Know? The “1207” on the label is actually Lotta’s birthday, 12/07, which is printed in EU format for July 12th.

1998, Lawrenceburg, "green glass" bottling

The Hirsch 18yr is considered the rarest variant and according to Julian Van Winkle III, between 30-40 cases of the 18yr...
08/14/2026

The Hirsch 18yr is considered the rarest variant and according to Julian Van Winkle III, between 30-40 cases of the 18yr were bottled, the majority of which were exported to Japan. Compared to the 20yr, already rare in its own right, which Julian quoted as having "500 cases" bottled.

The Hirsch distillate was copper pot distilled in 1974 by Pennco and is believed to have yielded a 400-barrel batch.

Did You Know? Chicago's very own Chuck Cowdery wrote an entire book—"The Best Bourbon You'll Never Taste"—about this bourbon and its variants.

Distilled: Spring 1974

A first appearance at Unicorn!

Prior to the Buffalo Trace joint venture with the Van Winkle brand, there was no such thing as Pappy 15. Old Rip Van Win...
08/13/2026

Prior to the Buffalo Trace joint venture with the Van Winkle brand, there was no such thing as Pappy 15. Old Rip Van Winkle 15 was the precursor and the only option available at 15 years old and 107 proof.

A standard Old Rip 15 squat bottling is rare enough, but a private single barrel selection is a true unicorn. Most don't know these Stitzel-Weller distilled rarities even exist.

Single barrel picks from this era were marked in several different ways over the years. This 2003 Sam's selection has a distinct "stamp-like" marking toward the lower middle of the label and is one of the few factory labeled NCF (non chill filtered) picks.

Did You Know? Sam's Wines & Spirits was a respected Chicago liquor emporium dating back to 1942. Sam's is recognized for bottling a few of the most sought after privately selected bourbons of all time during the early-2000s. The chain was ultimately bought out by Binny's in 2009.

Did You Know? Brown-Forman is one of the only distilleries that uses widespread heat cycling, a process that allows stea...
08/12/2026

Did You Know? Brown-Forman is one of the only distilleries that uses widespread heat cycling, a process that allows steam pipes to carry heat throughout the warehouses during colder months. According to master distiller Chris Morris, every year of heat cycling accounts for an extra half year of traditional aging. So the overall profile of a King 15 year is closer to that of a 23 year bourbon.

Bottle #: 2 of 8

Standard bottles of Pappy 15 are rare enough, but did you know an even rarer, single barrel private selection version ex...
08/11/2026

Standard bottles of Pappy 15 are rare enough, but did you know an even rarer, single barrel private selection version existed from 2004 through 2010? Julian Van Winkle III collaborated with a very small group of dedicated bar, restaurant and liquor store owners to create some of the most sought after privately selected bourbons of all time.

Husk—definitely the most well known of any Pappy 15 pick ever done—was selected and bottled in late 2010 by chef Sean Brock to commemorate the grand opening of Husk restaurant in Charleston, South Carolina.

Brock claimed the whiskey was 19yr Stitzel-Weller sourced although Julian Van Winkle III has later stated he believed it was just 15 years old. Either way, the bottle had a legendary reputation both inside and outside the restaurant, with only a handful of the original 120-140 bottles making it off premise, still sealed.

Civic Center Liquor—Barrel #11, selected and bottled in 2004 for Civic Center Liquor in San Francisco—was one of the very first done under the Pappy 15 label. The whiskey inside is late-1980s distilled Stitzel-Weller.

Did You Know? Civic Center Liquor was family owned. The store operated for nearly 50 years before finally closing down permanently in 2016.

Did You Know? The laser code is 2010 and according to Julian Van Winkle III this makes it one of the very last private selections of Pappy 15 before the program was discontinued.

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