Photo libraries, in ascending order by bottling year

Weller 10yr 101pf Decanter, ~1985

This bottle appears to be the Weller-branded equivalent to this Old Fitzgerald decanter from a similar era.

Photos courtesy of Dirk Roberts.

Posted in Weller
Tags: 1985, bourbon, decanter, stitzel weller, weller

Old Rip Van Winkle Very Special Stock, 12yr 90.4pf, 1985

Posted in Old Rip Van Winkle
Tags: 1985, bourbon, old rip van winkle, stitzel weller

Original Barrel Brand, 5yr, 107pf, 750ml – 1985

Posted in Heaven Hill Brands
Tags: 1985, bourbon, heaven hill

Evan Williams Antebellum Decanter, 7yr, 90pf, 750ml ~1985

Photos courtesy of Chris Athens

Posted in Heaven Hill Brands
Tags: 1985, bourbon, decanter, evan williams

Old Fitzgerald 10yr 101pf Decanter, 750ml ~1985

Photos courtesy of Ted Doggett.

Posted in Old Fitzgerald
Tags: 1985, bourbon, old fitzgerald, stitzel weller

Old Grand Dad 86pf, 750ml, 1986

Posted in Old Grand Dad
Tags: 1986, bourbon, national distillers, old grand dad

Virgin Bourbon 15yr, 101pf, 750ml, Export – 1986

This was an export bottle for the Japanese market by Heaven Hill.
Photos courtesy of Shawn Ziemann

Posted in Heaven Hill Brands
Tags: 1986, bourbon, heaven hill, virgin bourbon

Eagle Rare 10yr 90pf Lawrenceburg Export, 750ml, 1986

Posted in Eagle Rare
Tags: 1986, bourbon, eagle rare

Old Fitzgerald Prime 80pf, 200ml, 1986

Old Fitzgerald Prime 80 proof 200 ml, circa 1986. What appears to be an ’86’ embossed on the bottom of the glass dates the bottle to 1986 or shortly thereafter. This bottle is sealed by what appears to be a numbered red tax strip, which is curious given that the red stamp requirement on all non-bonded liquor was repealed by the Deficit Reduction Act of 1984. ‘Faux’ unnumbered tax strip paper was used to tamper-seal some bottles into the 1990’s – in the case of Old Fitzgerald, at least until 1993.

Posted in Old Fitzgerald
Tags: 1986, bourbon, old fitzgerald, prime

Henry McKenna 80pf, Lawrenceburg, 750ml, 1986

Posted in Miscellaneous
Tags: 1986, bourbon, Henry McKenna

Wild Turkey 8yr 101pf, 750ml, 1986

Photos courtesy of Chris Dion.

Posted in Wild Turkey
Tags: 1986, bourbon, wild turkey

Old Taylor 6yr 86pf, 375ml, 1986

Posted in Old Taylor
Tags: 1986, bourbon, national distillers, old taylor

Weller Special Reserve 90pf NAS, Liter, ~1986

Posted in Weller
Tags: 1986, bourbon, stitzel weller, weller

Old Joe Boone Bonded, 750ml, 1986

Posted in Miscellaneous
Tags: 1986, boone, bourbon, old joe

Old Fitzgerald 1849, 90pf, 1987

Posted in Old Fitzgerald
Tags: 1987, bourbon, old fitzgerald, stitzel weller

Van Winkle Special Reserve Corti Brothers NAS, 90.4pf – 1987

Posted in Old Rip Van Winkle
Tags: 1987, bourbon, corti, old rip van winkle, single barrel

Benchmark 86pf Louisville, 750ml, 1987

Posted in Benchmark
Tags: 1987, benchmark, bourbon, seagrams

Marshall Fields Bourbon, 750ml, 1987

Posted in Miscellaneous
Tags: 1987, bourbon

Old Grand Dad 80pf Export, 750ml – 1987

Photos courtesy of MaltMartin.

Posted in Old Grand Dad
Tags: 1987, bourbon, old grand dad

Booker’s Bourbon, lot C-B-16-79, 120.9pf, 750ml, ~1987

A very early example of Booker’s, distilled in 1979 and released in 1987-1988. The very first edition was reportedly 120.9 proof, hand-signed and numbered by Booker, with a commemorative seal and no bottle number; the second version (pictured here) was still 120.9 proof, still hand-signed and numbered by Booker, without the commemorative seal and numbered. The third edition was 121.4 proof and machine-signed and numbered.

Posted in Jim Beam
Tags: 1987, bookers, bourbon, jim beam

Wild Turkey 12yr Beyond Duplication – Export, 750ml, 1988

The 12 year is many people’s favorite in the Wild Turkey lineup. It started with the “Beyond Duplication” bottles in the early 1980s, which was replaced by the “cheesy gold foil” label bottle in the mid-80s, then the split-label in the mid-90s. The export market got the Beyond Duplication and gold foil labels longer than the US market. Finally, the export-only version persisted in a few markets. All are top quality pours.

Besides the Japanese character sticker on back, you can also tell it’s the export version because it has the capsule top rather than the tax strip style on the earlier US bottles.

Posted in Wild Turkey
Tags: 1988, bourbon, wild turkey

Bourbon Royal 12yr, 101pf, 750ml, 1988

Bourbon Royal was a Heaven Hill product exported to Japan.

Posted in Heaven Hill Brands
Tags: 1988, bourbon, bourbon royal, heaven hill

Weller 7yr, 90pf Decanter, 750ml ~1988

Posted in Weller
Tags: 1988, bourbon, decanter, stitzel weller, weller

Wild Turkey 8yr 101pf, 750ml, 1988 – Japan Reimport

Posted in Wild Turkey
Tags: 1988, bourbon, wild turkey

Hoffman Rare Selection Bourbon, 750ml, 86pf ~1988

An export brand sold in Japan

Posted in Miscellaneous
Tags: 1988, bourbon, hoffman

Old Kentucky 13yr, 96pf, 750ml, Export – 1988

This was a KBD export for the Japanese market.
Photos courtesy of Shawn Ziemann

Posted in Kentucky Bourbon Distillers
Tags: 1988, bourbon, export, kbd

Old Fitzgerald Prime 80pf, 750ml, 1988

Posted in Old Fitzgerald
Tags: 1988, bourbon, old fitzgerald, prime, stitzel weller

Benchmark 80pf 1.75L, Louisville, ~1988

Posted in Benchmark
Tags: 1988, benchmark, bourbon, seagrams

Old Setter Bourbon, 80pf, 200ml, 1988

Posted in Miscellaneous
Tags: 1988, bourbon, maryland, old setter

Ancient Age Bourbon, 80pf, 750ml – Late 1980s

Photos courtesy of Colby Phillips

Posted in Ancient Age - Buffalo Trace
Tags: ancient age, bourbon

Old Rip Van Winkle 4yr 86pf 750ml Lawrenceburg, ~1988

This export bottle is marked 88 on the glass, but could have been bottled a year or two later.

Posted in Old Rip Van Winkle
Tags: 1988, bourbon, old rip van winkle, stitzel weller

Old Rip Van Winkle 10yr 107pf Lawrenceburg, ~1989

Posted in Old Rip Van Winkle
Tags: 1989, bourbon, old rip van winkle, stitzel weller

Booker Noe’s C-C-16-82, 126pf ~1989

Photos courtesy of mimmotron

Posted in Jim Beam
Tags: 1989, beam, bookers, bourbon, jim beam

Yellow Rose of Texas Bourbon, Heaven Hill Export Brand – Late 1980s – early 1990s

Several versions of Yellow Rose of Texas, in NAS, 8yr, 12yr, and 15yr.

Photos courtesy of Shawn Ziemann

Posted in Heaven Hill Brands
Tags: bourbon, export, heaven hill, yellow rose of texas

Penthouse 10yr, 80pf, 750ml, Export – 1989

Heaven Hill export bottle for the Japanese market.
Photos courtesy of Shawn Ziemann

Posted in Heaven Hill Brands
Tags: 1989, bourbon, export, heaven hill

Wild Turkey 8yr 101pf, 1.75L w/gift box, 1989

Posted in Wild Turkey
Tags: 1989, bourbon, wild turkey

Weller Special Reserve 7yr 90pf, 375ml – 1989

Posted in Weller
Tags: 1989, bourbon, stitzel weller, weller

J.W. Dant Bottled In Bond, liter, 1989

Posted in J.W. Dant
Tags: 1989, bottled in bond, bourbon, jw dant

Old Grand Dad 86pf, 375ml, 1989

Old Grand Dad 86 proof 375 ml, circa 1989. Note the UPC code, government warning, alcohol by volume reference and dot matrix code which establishes the bottle to at least November 1989. ‘F89′ text in the bottom left corner of the front label and a ’89’ embossed on the bottom of the glass likely dates the bottle to 1989 or shortly thereafter. This coupled with the red shield and 86259 in the UPC indicate the bottle likely holds the coveted whiskey from National Distillers.

Posted in Old Grand Dad
Tags: 1989, bourbon, national distillers, old grand dad

Wild Turkey 8r, 86.8pf, 1989

Posted in Wild Turkey
Tags: 1989, bourbon, wild turkey

Van Winkle Family Reserve 12yr, 90.4pf, late 1980s – Red Foil

Bottled in the late 1980s for export, this bottle predates the “Lot A” and “Lot B” 12yr bottlings.
Two different versions have been spotted; this one with the red foil capsule, and one with black wax.

Posted in Old Rip Van Winkle
Tags: bourbon, old rip van winkle, stitzel weller

Rebel Yell 80pf, 750ml ~1989

Photos courtesy of Kevin Flack

Posted in Rebel Yell
Tags: 1989, bourbon, rebel yell, stitzel weller

Maker’s Mark VIP Bottle, 90pf, 750ml ~1989

Posted in Maker's Mark
Tags: 1989, bourbon, Maker's Mark

Hirsch Reserve 15yr 95.6pf, Block Letter Label

This was the original Hirsch 15 year offering. Photos courtesy of Brian Daigle.

Posted in A.H. Hirsch
Tags: ah hirsch, bourbon, michters

Van Winkle Family Reserve 12yr, 90.4pf, late 1980s – Black Wax

Bottled in the late 1980s for export, this bottle predates the “Lot A” and “Lot B” 12yr bottlings.
Two different versions have been spotted; one with the red foil capsule, and this one with black wax.

Posted in Old Rip Van Winkle
Tags: bourbon, old rip van winkle, stitzel weller

Maker’s Mark Limited Edition Gold Wax 101pf, ~1989

Photos courtesy of Rudy Haak

Posted in Maker's Mark
Tags: 1989, bourbon, Maker's Mark

Van Winkle Family Reserve 16yr 101pf, Red Wax, 1990

The Van Winkle Family Reserve 16 & 17 year were reportedly bottled using whiskey from the Boone distillery, which was also used for the first bottles of Pappy 20.

First two photos courtesy of ‘The Old Barrelhouse’ Australia.

Posted in Old Rip Van Winkle
Tags: 1990, bourbon, old rip van winkle, stitzel weller

Weller Centennial 10 yr BHC, 750ml, Louisville

The year on this is actually unknown. There’s no year on the bottle glass, and it has a government warning, so that would put it some time between 1989 and 1999 when the brand was sold to Buffalo Trace and the city was changed from Louisville to Frankfort on the label.

Posted in Weller
Tags: bourbon, centennial, weller

Baker’s Bourbon, 7yr, 107pf, 750ml, First Edition – 1990s

Photos courtesy of Shawn Ziemann

Posted in Jim Beam
Tags: baker's, bourbon

Colonel Randolph 16yr 116pf, 1990

Colonel Randolph was a bottling done for overseas markets by Julian Van Winkle III. Roughly 130 cases were bottled. It’s the highest proof bottling done with the famous PA-distilled batch of A.H. Hirsch bourbon.
Photos courtesy of Brian Daigle.

Posted in A.H. Hirsch
Tags: 1990, ah hirsch, bourbon

Benchmark 80pf NOLA, 750ml, 1990

Posted in Benchmark
Tags: 1990, benchmark, bourbon

Nathan Stone’s Private Stock Bourbon, 105pf, 750ml ~1990

Nathan Stone’s was a private bottling done by Julian Van Winkle III for the Japanese market.

Photos courtesy of Shawn Ziemann

Posted in Miscellaneous, Old Rip Van Winkle
Tags: 1990, bourbon, export, old rip van winkle

Elmer T. Lee 107pf, 750ml, 1990

This bottle was dubbed by the whiskey community as the “Butt Ugly Bottle” or BUB.

Posted in Ancient Age - Buffalo Trace
Tags: 1990, bourbon, buffalo trace

Wild Turkey 8yr 101pf, 750ml, 1990 – Japan Reimport

Posted in Wild Turkey
Tags: 1990, bourbon, wild turkey

Wild Turkey 8yr 101pf, 750ml, 1990

Posted in Wild Turkey
Tags: 1990, bourbon, wild turkey

Maker’s Mark Limited Edition Gold Label 101pf, ~1990

Gold wax, gold label, gold box. Maker’s offered this domestically from around 1983 until 1993, then they made it an export only product to the Far East thereafter. It, like Maker’s Select, was discontinued around the year 2000.

Posted in Maker's Mark
Tags: 1990, bourbon, Maker's Mark

Wild Turkey 12yr Gold Foil Label, 750ml, 1990

Posted in Wild Turkey
Tags: 1990, bourbon, wild turkey

Old Rip Van Winkle 15yr 750ml Lawrenceburg, ~1990

This is a very early Old Rip 15, from one of the first years it existed. Notice the faux tax strip and lack of government warning.

Posted in Old Rip Van Winkle
Tags: 1990, bourbon, old rip van winkle, stitzel weller

A.H. Hirsch 15yr 95.6pf, Script Label

This version of the 15yr was bottled after the Van Winkle style 15 yr label. It was technically bottled after it had turned 16 yrs. Photos courtesy of Brian Daigle.

Posted in A.H. Hirsch
Tags: ah hirsch, bourbon, michters

A.H. Hirsch 16yr, 91.6pf, Blue Wax Script Label

This was the first bottling of the AH Hirsch 16. Photos courtesy of Brian Daigle.

Posted in A.H. Hirsch
Tags: ah hirsch, bourbon, michters

Boone’s Knoll 16yr, 91.6pf

This was one of three brands the Michter’s distillate was bottled under, along with A.H. Hirsch and Van Winkle Lot H. Photos courtesy of Brian Daigle.

Posted in A.H. Hirsch
Tags: ah hirsch, boones knoll, bourbon, michters

A.H. Hirsch 16yr, 95.6pf, Squat Gold Wax

This was the last bottling of the Hirsch 16 at the higher 95.6 proof. Photos courtesy of Brian Daigle.

Posted in A.H. Hirsch
Tags: ah hirsch, bourbon, michters

A.H. Hirsch 16yr, 91.6pf, Squat Black Wax

This was the first version of the Hirsch 16 that was bottled at the lower 91.6 proof. Photos courtesy of Brian Daigle.

Posted in A.H. Hirsch
Tags: ah hirsch, bourbon, michters

Van Winkle 16yr 90pf, Gold Wax, 1990

The Van Winkle Family Reserve 16 & 17 year were reportedly bottled using whiskey from the Boone distillery, which was also used for the first bottles of Pappy 20.

Photos courtesy of ‘The Old Barrelhouse’ Australia.

Posted in Old Rip Van Winkle
Tags: boone, bourbon, old rip van winkle

Van Winkle Family Selection “Lot H” 16yr, 95.6pf

The Lot H bottles were likely bottled using whiskey from the Michter’s distillery, which was also used for the famous A.H. Hirsch bourbons. Photos courtesy of Brian Daigle.

Posted in A.H. Hirsch, Old Rip Van Winkle
Tags: ah hirsch, bourbon, michters, old rip van winkle

Old Rip Van Winkle Non Age Stated 107pf Lawrenceburg, ~1990

Posted in Old Rip Van Winkle
Tags: 1990, bourbon, old rip van winkle

A.H. Hirsch 16yr, 91.6pf, Gold Wax Tall Bottle

This is the second to last original bottling of the Hirsch 16, prior to the recent humidor bottle. Photos courtesy of Brian Daigle.

Posted in A.H. Hirsch
Tags: ah hirsch, bourbon, michters

A.H. Hirsch 16yr Export, Dripping Gold Wax

Posted in A.H. Hirsch
Tags: ah hirsch, bourbon

A.H. Hirsch 16yr, 91.6pf, Gold Foil Top

The gold foil was the final original bottling of the Hirsch 16, prior to the recent humidor bottle. Photos courtesy of Brian Daigle.

Posted in A.H. Hirsch
Tags: ah hirsch, bourbon, michters

Anderson Club Bourbon, 1994 10yr and 1991 15yr, 86pf, 750ml

Heaven Hill export label.
Photos courtesy of Shawn Ziemann.

Posted in Heaven Hill Brands
Tags: 1991, 1994, anserson club, bourbon, export, heaven hill

Van Winkle Special Reserve 12yr Lot A, 1991

Lot A was a one-time release, which was followed by the Lot B, which has been produced since.

Posted in Old Rip Van Winkle
Tags: 1991, bourbon, old rip van winkle, stitzel weller

Wild Turkey 8yr 101pf, 750ml, 1991

Posted in Wild Turkey
Tags: 1991, bourbon, wild turkey

“The Kentucky” 8yr, 101pf, 750ml, Export – 1991

This was an export bottle for the Japanese market, purportedly bottled by Jim Beam.
Photos courtesy of Shawn Ziemann

Posted in Miscellaneous
Tags: 1991, bourbon, export

Old Grand Dad 86pf, 1.75L, 1991

Posted in Old Grand Dad
Tags: 1991, bourbon, national distillers, old grand dad

Old Grand Dad 86pf, 750ml, 1991

Photos courtesy of Chris Dion.

Posted in Old Grand Dad
Tags: 1991, bourbon, national distillers, old grand dad

Old Fitzgerald Bonded, 750ml ~1991

Posted in Old Fitzgerald
Tags: 1991, bottled in bond, bourbon, old fitzgerald, stitzel weller

Van Winkle Special Reserve Lot B Lawrenceburg, 1991

Posted in Old Rip Van Winkle
Tags: 1991, bourbon, van winkle

A.H. Hirsch 16yr Gold Wax Export

Posted in A.H. Hirsch
Tags: ah hirsch, bourbon

Van Winkle Family Selection “Lot H” 17yr, 95.6pf

The Lot H bottles were likely bottled using whiskey from the Michter’s distillery, which was also used for the famous A.H. Hirsch bourbons. Photos courtesy of Brian Daigle.

Posted in A.H. Hirsch, Old Rip Van Winkle
Tags: ah hirsch, bourbon, michters, old rip van winkle

A.H. Hirsch 17yr, 95.6pf, Gold Wax Script Bottle

The gold wax A.H. hirsch 17 is essentially the same whiskey bottled as the Van Winkle Lot H 17 year. Photos courtesy of Brian Daigle.

Posted in A.H. Hirsch
Tags: ah hirsch, bourbon, michters

A.H. Hirsch 18yr, 93pf, 1992

AH Hirsch 18 yr is the rarest of all of the AH Hirsch releases. There were only 37 cases (444) bottles released. Speculation was that it was the remaining inventory of the bourbon that was tanked and released as a 17 year old (Some say it didn’t actually meet the requirements for an 18 year label). It is the only Hirsch offering that wasn’t either 91.6 or 95.6 proof (it was 93 proof). It is possible that was because that particular dilution made for an even number of cases. The bottle pictured here represents one of only 24 bottles that were sold domestically. Gordon Hue, who owned all of the Hirsch stock, released the rest of them overseas.

Posted in A.H. Hirsch
Tags: 1992, ah hirsch, bourbon

Blanton’s Single Barrel, 750ml, 1992

Posted in Ancient Age - Buffalo Trace
Tags: 1992, blantons, bourbon, buffalo trace

Wild Turkey 80 Proof, 750ml, 1992

Posted in Wild Turkey
Tags: 1992, bourbon, wild turkey

Old Fitzgerald Prime 80pf, liter, 1992

Posted in Old Fitzgerald
Tags: 1992, bourbon, old fitzgerald, prime, stitzel weller

Maker’s Mark Select 95pf “Black Label” ~1992

Maker’s Mark Select 95 proof, circa 1992 with black wax, label, and box. This was an export-only offering sent to the Far East and Europe. Note it was the only time in Maker’s history that they emblazoned both the box and bottle with “BOURBON” in all caps. They wanted to be sure the foreign buyers knew exactly what was in the bottle. The Select was discontinued around the year 2000.

Posted in Maker's Mark
Tags: 1992, bourbon, Maker's Mark

Old Rip Van Winkle 10yr 107pf Lawrenceburg, ~1993

Posted in Old Rip Van Winkle
Tags: 1993, bourbon, old rip van winkle, stitzel weller

Van Winkle Special Reserve Corti Brothers 19yr Red Wax, 90.4pf ~1993

Posted in Old Rip Van Winkle
Tags: bourbon, corti, old rip van winkle

Old Grand Dad Bottled In Bond, 375ml, 1993

Posted in Old Grand Dad
Tags: 1993, bottled in bond, bourbon, national distillers, old grand dad

Old Fitzgerald Bonded, 200ml, 1993

Old Fitzgerald bottled-in-bond 200 ml, circa 1993. Note the UPC, government warning, ABV reference and faux green tax strip. A ’93’ embossed on the bottom the glass date the bottle to 1993 or shortly thereafter. To the best of my knowledge, Old Fitzgerald discontinued use of the faux tax strip seals within a year or two of this bottling.

Posted in Old Fitzgerald
Tags: 1993, bottled in bond, bourbon, old fitzgerald

A.H. Hirsch 19yr, 93pf

Photos courtesy of Brian Daigle.

Posted in A.H. Hirsch
Tags: ah hirsch, bourbon, michters

Old Rip Van Winkle 15yr 107pf Lawrenceburg, ~1994

Old Rip Van Winkle 15 year was produced from 1989-2003, when it was replaced by Pappy 15. Many connoisseurs prefer the Old Rip to the Pappy, and the Lawrenceburg bottles are especially valued, possibly because they were non chill filtered before the move to Buffalo Trace in 2002. Early ORVWs came in a slightly taller bottle with a sharper angle on the shoulder. You can see in the last photo the difference between 1998 (left) and 1994 (right) bottles.

Posted in Old Rip Van Winkle
Tags: 1994, bourbon, old rip van winkle, stitzel weller

Wild Turkey 8yr, 1.75L, 1994

Posted in Wild Turkey
Tags: 1994, bourbon, wild turkey

Old Fitzgerald Prime 80pf, 750ml, 1994

Old Fitzgerald Prime 80 proof 750 ml, circa 1994. Note the UPC code, government warning and alcohol by volume reference which establishes the bottle to at least November 1989. A ’94’ embossed on the bottom of the glass likely dates the bottle to 1994 or shortly thereafter. An interesting detail to note is ‘inc.’ (incorporated) having been dropped from the Old Fitzgerald Distillery name around the 1994 timeframe, which further establishes the provenance of this bottle. The unique embossed diamonds on the shoulder of this bottle are typical of the ‘diamond neck’ bottle design distributed during the early 1990’s.

Posted in Old Fitzgerald
Tags: 1994, bourbon, old fitzgerald, prime