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Photo libraries, in ascending order by bottling year
Mount Vernon Pure Rye Whiskey, Quart, Pre-Prohibition ~1915
Not to be confused with the whiskey made at George Washington’s Mount Vernon estate starting in 1798, this Mount Vernon brand was started by Edwin A. Clabaugh and George U. Graff of Baltimore. They sold the brand to Henry S. Hannis of Philadelphia in 1873; it was later purchased by Cook and Bernheimer, a wholesaler from New York. There was also a “Mt. Vernon” rye competitor, causing confusion in the marketplace. It appears based on cursory label research that multiple distillers were contracted to produce the whiskey; this bottle was distilled by the Hannis Distilling Company of Pennsylvania. This bottle was likely filled around 1915; one can imagine that it was hoarded away before prohibition began in 1920, which kept it from being consumed and allowed it to survive over a decade intact. The foil enclosure with a twist-wire has proven to be an excellent seal over the century plus. Note there is no alcohol percentage listed on the bottle.
O.F.C. Bonded Bourbon, Medicinal Pint, 1916-1925
This OFC is a pivotal bottle in bourbon history. The Geo T Stagg shows that the bourbon was made at the Frankfort distillery that is now Buffalo Trace; however, this seems to be the last year where the Albert Blanton name showed up on a tax strip. Reference the bottle posted here that is one year after this tax strip is introduced, showing 1926 and Geo T Stagg distillery.
This is a bottle that was likely originally packaged as a medicinal pint, but later was rebottled in regular bourbon garb. The giveaway is the do not refill warning on the glass, which didn’t begin until after prohibition.
Photos and commentary courtesy of Bourbon Benevolence.
O.F.C. Rebottled Medicinal, Bonded, 1916-1926
This is a bottle that was likely originally packaged as a medicinal pint, but later was rebottled in regular bourbon garb. The giveaway is the do not refill warning on the glass, which didn’t begin until after prohibition.
Middleton Golden Rye, Bonded, pint, 1917-1927
Distilled at the Van Hook Distillery, Harrison County, KY
Dougherty’s Private Stock Rye, Medicinal Pint, Bonded
The strip is gone from this bottle but it was likely filled ~1930.
Bourbon De Luxe Medicinal Bonded, pint, 1916-1932
This is a pint sold at a drug store during prohibition. These bottles came in cardboard boxes to make them more presentable at the pharmacy. Notice the very cool and unique “cap remover.”
American Medicinal Spirits Special Old Reserve, pint, 1917-1932
Posted in Miscellaneous
Tags: 1932, american medicinal spirits, bottled in bond, bourbon, prohibition
Tags: 1932, american medicinal spirits, bottled in bond, bourbon, prohibition
Waterfill and Frazier 17yr Bonded Medicinal Pint – 1916-1933
Distilled by the Davis Co Distillery #2 in the 2nd District of Kentucky.
A. Ph. Stitzel distributed this brand. The assumption would be that Julian “Pappy” Van Winkle Sr would have been a sales rep for the brand because it was produced before Van Winkle, Alex Farmsley, and Arthur Stitzel opened Stitzel Weller distillery in 1935.
Pictures and commentary courtesy of Bourbon Benevolence
Seagram’s Pedigree Straight Bourbon, Canada, 8yr 100pf, 1934
Today bourbon is required to be produced in USA to be called bourbon, but it wasn’t always so.
Photos courtesy of Glenn Riven
Taylor Springs 5yr Bonded, Pint, 1935-1940
Distilled at Glencoe in Louisville.
Photos courtesy of Dave Kording.
Churchill Bourbon, Bonded 5yr Pint, 1936-1941
Interesting text on the rear label regarding an Old Grand Dad connection.
Posted in Miscellaneous, Old Grand Dad
Tags: 1941, bottled in bond, bourbon, churchill, old grand dad
Tags: 1941, bottled in bond, bourbon, churchill, old grand dad
Glenmore Stoneware Jug, 4/5qt ~1941
Photos courtesy of James Hensley. This bottle is interesting in that no ABV is indicated; assumedly it was affixed on a hanging tag or some other means.
Old Eastwood Bonded 7yr, 1 Quart, 1936-1943
This bottle is interesting in that it was distilled at Heaven Hill and bottled at Stitzel-Weller.
Old Eastwood was a private label brand for Taylor drug stores in Louisville
Kentucky (Taylor Drug stores sold all of their stores to Rite Aid in 1996).
Photos and information courtesy of Spencer Holcomb.
Posted in Heaven Hill Brands, Miscellaneous
Tags: 1943, bottled in bond, bourbon, old eastwood, stitzel weller
Tags: 1943, bottled in bond, bourbon, old eastwood, stitzel weller
Masterpiece Bonded 7 1/2yr, 4/5qt, 1936-1944
A private-label Stitzel-Weller bourbon bottled for a grocer in Kansas City.
Posted in Miscellaneous, Old Fitzgerald
Tags: 1944, bottled in bond, bourbon, masterpiece, stitzel weller
Tags: 1944, bottled in bond, bourbon, masterpiece, stitzel weller
Stuart’s Rare Old Brand Bonded Whiskey, 1939-1947
Note that this bottle, while bottled-in-bond, is a whiskey and not specifically a bourbon. The label notes “Colored and Flavored with Wood Chips” and “This whiskey stored 8 years in used cooperage.”
Photos courtesy of Randall Borkus
Club Bourbon 7yr, 93pf, Stitzel Weller, 4/5qt, 1954
Bottled for the Pacific-Union Club on Nob Hill in San Franciso.
Photos courtesy of Thomas Oakes
Cherry Circle Private Stock, Bonded, 4/5qt, 1947-1954
Bottled for the Chicago Athletic Association by Stitzel-Weller, and bearing the Cubs logo.
Masterpiece Bonded 8yr, 4/5qt, 1947-1955
A private-label Stitzel-Weller bourbon bottled for a grocer in Kansas City.
Posted in Miscellaneous, Old Fitzgerald
Tags: 1955, bottled in bond, bourbon, masterpiece, stitzel weller
Tags: 1955, bottled in bond, bourbon, masterpiece, stitzel weller
House of State 7yr 86pf, ~1960
This appears to be a private-label bourbon bottled by an unknown Kentucky distiller for “State Liquor Store” In Glendale, CA.
Geeting & Fromm Kentucky Nectar, Bonded, 1957-1967
Posted in Heaven Hill Brands, Miscellaneous
Tags: 1967, bottled in bond, bourbon, geeting & fromm, heaven hill, ndp
Tags: 1967, bottled in bond, bourbon, geeting & fromm, heaven hill, ndp
Old Elk Straight Bourbon 4yr 101pf, 4/5qt, ~1967
This bottle is interesting in that it states it was distilled “for” Stitzel Weller, so presumably distilled elsewhere.
Photos courtesy of Justin Thompson.
W.C. Fields Private Stock Bourbon, 8yr, 86pf, ~1969
Selected and bottled by Turtle Bay Distilling Co., Lawrenceburg, Kentucky
Photos courtesy of Nathan Ernst
Old Quaker Bourbon, 4yr 86pf, 4/5qt, Export ~1972
This whiskey was distilled at the Old Quaker distillery, the “other” distillery in Lawrenceburg, Indiana, which was owned by Schenley.
Photos courtesy of mimmotron
