Photo libraries, in ascending order by bottling year

J.H. Traynor & Co. High Tide Bourbon Whiskey, ~1910

Photos courtesy of Dan Sweeney, whose great grandfather owned the J.H. Traynor company. Feel free to read more about the history on Dan’s informative site.

Posted in Miscellaneous
Tags: bourbon, high tide, j.h. traynor, pre-pro, pre-prohibition

Old Taylor Bonded, 4/5qt, 1915-1919

This bottle is particularly interesting for its remarkable resemblance to the current bottles of Old Taylor, right down to the tube it was packaged in.

Posted in Old Taylor
Tags: 1919, bottled in bond, bourbon, old taylor

Old Taylor Bonded, 1915-1919

Posted in Old Taylor
Tags: 1919, bottled in bond, bourbon, old taylor, pre-prohibition

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.

Posted in Miscellaneous
Tags: 1925, bourbon, medicinal, ofc, prohibition, schenley, stagg

O.F.C. Rebottled Medicinal, Bonded, 1916-1926

Posted in Miscellaneous
Tags: 1927, bottled in bond, bourbon, medicinal, ofc, prohibition

Old Fitzgerald Bonded Medicinal Pint, 1917-1930

Posted in Old Fitzgerald
Tags: 1930, bourbon, old fitzgerald, prohibition

American Medicinal Spirits Special Old Reserve, pint, 1917-1932

Posted in Miscellaneous
Tags: 1932, american medicinal spirits, bottled in bond, bourbon, prohibition

Old Taylor Medicinal Pint, Bonded 1916-1933

Photos courtesy of Glenn Riven

Posted in Old Taylor
Tags: 1933, american medicinal spirits, bottled in bond, bourbon, old taylor, prohibition

Old Stagg Special Reserve, 19yr Bonded Medicinal Pint, 1914-1933

This bottle was the flagship label for the Geo T Stagg distillery In Frankfort Kentucky that is now Buffalo Trace. This bottle is nearly identical to the 18 year Old Stagg posted here except it was barreled one year earlier. These bottles are prime examples of how much whiskey had to sit in barrels for long periods of time and how distilleries must have really struggled during Prohibition.

Also the embossed Stagg and corn inlays are very unique with these Prohibition and Pre-Pro Staggs.

Pictures and commentary courtesy of Bourbon Benevolence

Posted in Ancient Age - Buffalo Trace
Tags: 1933, bourbon, medicinal, old stagg, prohibition, stagg

Old Taylor Medicinal Bonded, pint, 1917-1933

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.

Posted in Old Taylor
Tags: 1933, bottled in bond, bourbon, old taylor, prohibition

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

Posted in Miscellaneous
Tags: 1934, bourbon, seagrams

Old Grand Dad Bonded Medicinal Pint, 1917-1934

Distilled in Louisville by Richard E. Wathen.
Photos courtesy of Ted Doggett.

Posted in Old Grand Dad
Tags: bottled in bond, bourbon, old grand dad, prohibition

Old Stagg Special Reserve 24yr, 122pf, pint, mid-1930s

Photos courtesy of Mark Schroer

Posted in Miscellaneous
Tags: barrel proof, bourbon, schenley, stagg

Taylor Springs 5yr Bonded, Pint, 1935-1940

Distilled at Glencoe in Louisville.
Photos courtesy of Dave Kording.

Posted in Miscellaneous
Tags: 1940, bottled in bond, bourbon, glencoe, taylor springs

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

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.

Posted in Miscellaneous
Tags: 1941, bourbon, decanter, glenmore, stoneware

Old Schenley Bonded Pennsylvania Bourbon, 1qt, 1936-1941

Photos courtesy of Jason Sunstein.

Posted in Miscellaneous
Tags: 1941, bottled in bond, bourbon, pennsylvania, schenley

Old Fitzgerald 4yr, 90pf, Quart ~1941

Photos courtesy of Kurt Suda

Posted in Old Fitzgerald
Tags: 1941, bourbon, old fitzgerald, stitzel weller

Glenmore’s Kentucky Tavern, 6yr, Bonded 1936-1942

Posted in Miscellaneous
Tags: 1942, bottled in bond, bourbon, glenmore, kentucky tavern

Glenmore’s Kentucky Tavern, 6yr Bonded, 1936-1942

Posted in Uncategorized
Tags: 1942, bottled in bond, bourbon, glenmore, kentucky tavern

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

Weller Special Reserve Bonded, 1936-1943

Posted in Weller
Tags: 1943, bottled in bond, bourbon, stitzel weller, weller

Bonded Beam, quart, 1938-1943

Posted in Jim Beam
Tags: 1943, bottled in bond, bourbon, jim beam

Old WL Weller Special Reserve 7 year Bonded, 1936-1944

This bottle was very likely distilled during the very first year (or 1.5 years) after Stitzel Weller opened on Derby Day, May 5, 1935. It does not have a foil wrapper under the tax strip similar to most of the early Stitzel Weller bottlings. This bottle is taller and thinner than the years that came after. It is an Extremely Rare bottle, and thought to be one of less than 10 still in existence. This bottle is a beautiful marker of history when Julian Van Winkle Sr, Alex Farnsley, and A. Ph Stitzel joined forces to resurrect and build a brand that would change the bourbon world by producing it at a new world class facility.

Photos and commentary courtesy of Bourbon Benevolence.

Posted in Weller
Tags: 1944, bottled in bond, bourbon, stitzel weller, weller

I.W. Harper Bottled In Bond, 4/5qt, 1940-1944

Posted in I.W. Harper
Tags: 1944, bernheim, bottled in bond, bourbon, iw harper

Glenmore’s Kentucky Tavern, Bonded 1940-1944

Posted in Miscellaneous
Tags: 1944, bottled in bond, bourbon, glenmore, kentucky tavern

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

Bonded Beam, pint, 1941-1945

Posted in Jim Beam
Tags: 1945, beam, bottled in bond, bourbon, jim beam

Old Grand Dad Bonded Pint, 1941-1945

Posted in Old Grand Dad
Tags: 1945, bottled in bond, bourbon, national distillers, old grand dad

Weller Bonded, 6-1/2 yr, 1938-1945

Posted in Weller
Tags: 1945, bottled in bond, bourbon, stitzel weller, weller, wl weller

Old Log Cabin Bourbon, 1945

Posted in Miscellaneous
Tags: bourbon, national distillers, old log cabin

I.W. Harper Bottled in Bond 5yr, 1941-1946

Posted in I.W. Harper
Tags: 1946, bernheim, bottled in bond, bourbon, iw harper

Old Crow Bonded Bourbon, 4/5qt, 1941-1946

Photos courtesy of Kurt Suda

Posted in Miscellaneous
Tags: 1946, bottled in bond, bourbon, Old Crow

Old Fitzgerald Bonded, 4/5qt, 1940-1947

Posted in Old Fitzgerald
Tags: 1947, bottled in bond, bourbon, old fitzgerald, stitzel weller

Weller Special Reserve 7yr Bonded Pint, 1940-1947

Posted in Weller
Tags: 1947, bottled in bond, bourbon, stitzel weller, weller, wl weller

Old Taylor Bonded, 4/5qt, 1947

Posted in Old Taylor
Tags: 1947, bottled in bond, bourbon, national distillers, old taylor

Glenmore’s Kentucky Tavern Decanter, Bonded 1942-1947

Posted in Miscellaneous
Tags: 1947, bottled in bond, bourbon, decanter, glenmore, kentucky tavern

Old WL Weller Special Reserve 7 year Bonded, 1940-1948

Very similar bottle used by Stitzel Weller for the WL Weller SR line for 20+ years. Since Stitzel Weller opened in 1935, this was whiskey from only their fifth year of production making it very rare. Much of the popularity of Stitzel Weller seems to have come from the Old Fitzgerald brands that didn’t start until 1941 (and didn’t gain mass popularity until several years later). Anything bottled in these first six or seven years of production is extremely rare.

Photos and commentary courtesy of Bourbon Benevolence.

Posted in Weller
Tags: 1948, bottled in bond, bourbon, stitzel weller, weller

Old Fitzgerald Bonded 6yr, 1942-1949

Posted in Old Fitzgerald
Tags: 1949, bottled in bond, bourbon, old fitzgerald, stitzel weller

Glenmore Kentucky Tavern Bonded Decanter, 4/5qt, 1949

Posted in Miscellaneous
Tags: 1949, bottled in bond, bourbon, glenmore

Very Old Fitzgerald 8yr, 1941-1949

This is the earliest Very Old Fitzgerald I’ve seen. I’d be interested to hear from anyone who has seen an earlier one.

Posted in Very Old Fitzgerald
Tags: 1949, bottled in bond, bourbon, stitzel weller, very old fitzgerald

I.W. Harper Bonded Decanter, 1946-1950

Photos courtesy of Ken Greenly

Posted in I.W. Harper
Tags: 1950, bottled in bond, bourbon, decanter, iw harper

Old Forester Bonded, 1947-1951

Posted in Old Forester
Tags: 1951, bottled in bond, bourbon, brown forman, old forester

Old Fitzgerald Bonded, 4/5qt, 1947-1951

Posted in Old Fitzgerald
Tags: 1951, bottled in bond, bourbon, old fitzgerald, stitzel weller

Old Fitzgerald Bonded, 1947-1951

Posted in Old Fitzgerald
Tags: 1951, bottled in bond, bourbon, old fitzgerald, stitzel weller

Old Weller Original 5yr 106pf, 4/5qt – 1951

Photos courtesy of Brian Lovejoy

Posted in Weller
Tags: 1951, bourbon, stitzel weller, weller

I.W. Harper Bonded Decanter, 1946-1951

Photos courtesy of Josh Pippy

Posted in I.W. Harper
Tags: 1951, bottled in bond, bourbon, iw harper, schenley

Old Fitzgerald Bonded Diamond Decanter, 1947-1951

Photos courtesy of Tyler Fabian

Posted in Old Fitzgerald
Tags: 1951, bottled in bond, bourbon, old fitzgerald, stitzel weller

Old Grand Dad Bonded, Pint, 1947-1952

Posted in Old Grand Dad
Tags: 1952, bottled in bond, bourbon, national distillers, old grand dad

Rare Old Fitzgerald, Bonded 1947-1952

Posted in Old Fitzgerald
Tags: 1952, bottled in bond, bourbon, old fitzgerald, stitzel weller

Old Forester Bonded Decanter, 1948-1952

Posted in Old Forester
Tags: 1952, bottled in bond, bourbon, brown forman, decanter, old forester

Old Grand Dad Bonded, w/Gift Box, 1948-1952

Posted in Old Grand Dad
Tags: 1952, bottled in bond, bourbon, gift box, national distillers, old grand dad

21 Brands Bonded, Old Joe Distillery, 1945-1952

Posted in Miscellaneous
Tags: 1952, 21 brands, bottled in bond, bourbon, old joe

Old Fitzgerald Diamond Decanter, 4/5qt, Bonded, 1953

Posted in Old Fitzgerald
Tags: 1953, bottled in bond, bourbon, decanter, old fitzgerald, stitzel weller

Conrad’s 1874 Brand, 94.4pf, Pint ~1954

Photos courtesy of Ian Verno.

Posted in Miscellaneous
Tags: bourbon, conrads

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

Posted in Miscellaneous, Old Fitzgerald
Tags: 1954, bourbon, club bourbon, stitzel weller

Cherry Circle Private Stock, Bonded, 4/5qt, 1947-1954

Bottled for the Chicago Athletic Association by Stitzel-Weller, and bearing the Cubs logo.

Posted in Miscellaneous
Tags: 1954, bottled in bond, bourbon, cherry circle, cubs, stitzel weller

Hill and Hill Bourbon, 4yr 86pf, 1954

Posted in Miscellaneous
Tags: 1954, bourbon, hill and hill

Old Fitzgerald Bonded Decanter, 1948-1954

Photos courtesy of Tyler Fabian

Posted in Old Fitzgerald
Tags: 1954, bottled in bond, bourbon, old fitzgerald, stitzel weller

Chapin & Gore 86pf, 4/5qt ~1955

Posted in Miscellaneous
Tags: 1955, bourbon, chapin & gore

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

Hotel Muehlebach 13 Year Bourbon, 13yr 100pf, ~1955

This is essentially a 13yr Very Old Fitzgerald bottled by Stitzel Weller for Hotel Muehlebach in Kansas City, MO.

Posted in Very Old Fitzgerald
Tags: 1955, bottled in bond, bourbon, stitzel weller, very old fitzgerald

Wild Turkey 100th Anniversary Decanter, 4/5qt, 101pf, 1955

This bottle featured a hand-blown crystal decanter (possibly hand-painted also?) made by Hovmantorp, Sweden. It was made to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Austin Nichols grocery wholesale company.

Photos courtesy of Terry Traw

Posted in Wild Turkey
Tags: 1955, austin nichols, bourbon, decanter, wild turkey

Glenmore Old Kentucky Tavern 8yr, 4/5qt, 1955

Posted in Miscellaneous
Tags: 1955, bourbon, glenmore, kentucky tavern

Old Fitzgerald Bonded 6yr, 4/5qt, 1948-1955

Photos courtesy of Tyler Fabian

Posted in Old Fitzgerald
Tags: 1955, bottled in bond, bourbon, old fitzgerald, stitzel weller

Henry McKenna, 4/5qt, Early 1970s

Posted in Miscellaneous
Tags: bourbon, Henry McKenna

Old W.L. Weller Special Reserve Bonded, Pint, 1947-1955

Posted in Weller
Tags: 1955, bottled in bond, bourbon, old weller, stitzel weller, weller, wl weller

Four Roses Yellow Label 86pf, 1955

Posted in Four Roses
Tags: 1955, bourbon, four roses

Four Roses Blend of Straight Bourbons, 1956

The reason this is called a “blend of straight bourbon whiskeys” is that Seagrams had multiple distilleries, in different states. If it was all distilled in one state it could simply be labeled straight bourbon whiskey, but I imagine this had some bourbon distilled in Kentucky and also some distilled in Indiana, so by regulation it had to be called a blend of straights.

Posted in Four Roses
Tags: 1956, bourbon, four roses, seagrams

Old Forester Bonded Sputnik Decanter, 4/5qt, 1952-1957

Posted in Old Forester
Tags: 1957, bottled in bond, bourbon, brown forman, decanter, old forester

I.W. Harper Bonded Decanter, 1952-1957

Posted in I.W. Harper
Tags: 1957, bottled in bond, bourbon, decanter, iw harper

Waldorf Astoria Stitzel-Weller Bourbon, 4yr, 90pf ~1957

Posted in Miscellaneous
Tags: 1957, bourbon, stitzel weller, waldorf astoria

Wild Turkey 8yr, 4/5qt, Brooklyn, 1957

Wild Turkey 8 year, 101 proof was the staple of the line for decades. Unlike many brands, Wild Turkey kept the age statement and higher proof for a long time, which led to its perception of high quality. The ages started to drop in the 1990s, and the proofs have only recently started to go down.

Shortly after this bottling, the label changed from stating “Brooklyn – New York” to “New York, NY.”

Posted in Wild Turkey
Tags: 1957, bourbon, wild turkey

Conrad’s Laurel Springs Bonded, Pint ~1958

Photos courtesy of Ian Verno.

Posted in Miscellaneous
Tags: 1958, bottled in bond, bourbon, conrads, laurel springs

Old Forester Bonded “Lamp” Decanter, 1953-1958

This decanter came with a mail-in envelope to order a kit that would convert the empty bottle into a lamp, similar to how some enterprising young bourbonites are making them today.