Sotheby’s $2.5m US whiskey auction sets record
The American Whiskey Collection auction held by Sotheby’s has made history after garnering US$2.5 million, more than doubling its pre-sale estimates.
The auction took place on Saturday 24 January at 5pm EST at Sotheby’s flagship home in the Breuer Building, Madison Avenue, New York City. It marked the auctioneer’s first live, single-owner American whiskey auction.
Covering bottlings from Old Rip Van Winkle and Old Fitzgerald to Red Hook Rye and beyond, it comprised 360 lots and offered some of the world’s most sought after and rare finds from American whiskey and Bourbon.
The auction’s US$2.5m total has more than doubled its low pre-sale estimates, which were in the US$1.17m and US$1.68m range, Sotheby’s said.
The figure makes it the most valuable single-owner American whiskey collection ever sold at auction, and also the most valuable single-owner spirits auction held in New York.
Through the auction, 100% of lots were sold, 89% of the lots exceeded their high estimates, 96% were acquired by North America-based collectors and a third of the buyers were new to Sotheby’s, with half aged 40 or younger.
Sotheby’s global head of spirits Jonny Fowle said: “This was a landmark moment for American whiskey. Breaking the record for the most valuable American whiskey collection ever sold is a testament to the extraordinary rarity and quality of this collection, as well as the passion and expertise of collectors worldwide.
“The enthusiasm from bidders was phenomenal, reflecting a global appreciation for American whiskey that continues to grow year after year. This exceptional auction has propelled Bourbon and rye into a new stratosphere of desirability.”
The Old Rip Van Winkle 20 Year Old Single Barrel ‘Sam’s’ (1982) fetched the highest price and is also thought to be the most valuable bottle of American whiskey ever sold at auction at US$162,500.
The Bourbon’s pre-sale estimates were between US$70,000 and US$100,00 and its sale on Saturday was its first auction appearance in more than a decade. Sotheby’s held the auction record for a bottle of post-Prohibition American whiskey from when it sold a one-off Old Rip Van Winkle for US$125,000 in March 2025.
Other highlights included Van Winkle 18 Year Old ‘Binny’s’ (1985, 60.8% ABV) going for price of US$106,250; the Very Very Old Fitzgerald ‘Blackhawk’ 18 Year Old (1950, 60.5% ABV) for US$112,000, and Van Winkle 18 Year Old Family Reserve ‘Park Avenue Liquor Shop’ (52.6% ABV) for for US$62,500.
Sotheby’s also highlighted the O.F.C. Bourbon Whiskey 115 Proof 1909’s (57.5% ABV) auction, which saw four bidders drive its price to US$47,500 after pre-sale estimates were between US$13,000 and US$18,000.
Speaking on the ‘Sam’s’ Van Winkle’s record-breaking auction, Zev Glesta, Sotheby’s whiskey specialist, added: “This sale represents a defining moment for American whiskey at auction, underscoring the legendary status of the Van Winkle name and the extraordinary significance of the ‘Sam’s’ Old Rip Van Winkle.
“The result reflects the continued maturation of the global market for the rarest American whiskeys and a growing appreciation for the craftsmanship, heritage, and rarity that define the very best of American distilling.
“A bottle of this calibre is not just a collector’s item but a piece of American whiskey history.”
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