Rare and vintage bourbons
It’s not every day that we’re able to sell rare and vintage Bourbons and whiskeys, but at the Frazier History Museum, we pride ourselves in sharing experiences and goods with people as much as we can. Below are a few of the Bourbons and whiskeys that we’ve been able to sell over the years that you won’t find at your regular neighborhood liquor store.
Old Hickory Fine Old Eastern Rye Whiskey
Product. One pint of rye whiskey, bottled in bond. Distilled by Wiser’s Distillery Limited. Bottled in 1925 by Wiser’s Distillery Limited.
o About the Product. The product of perfect distillation, this whiskey was distilled from the finest type of selected grain, matured in casks in heated bonded warehouses, and bottled at the distillery under government supervision. The bottle’s markings indicate that it was wax-dipped in Montreal and sealed in Ottawa.
o Distillery. Wiser’s Distillery Limited (1857 – 1924); Canadian Industrial Alcohol Co. (c. 1924). Prescott, Ontario, Canada.
o About the Distillery. Established in 1857 in Prescott, Ontario, JP Wiser’s Distillery Limited was acquired by the Canadian Industrial Alcohol Company in 1924. This parent organization moved the distillery’s operations to Corbyville, Ontario.
John Poindexter Old Bourbon
Product. One pint of Kentucky Bourbon (100 proof), aged 12 years, bottled in bond. Distilled in spring 1916** by Wiglesworth Bros. Bottled in spring 1928** by Joseph Wolf.
o About the Product. Introduced by John Poindexter in the 1850s and later acquired by the Wiglesworth Bros. Co., this brand of sour mash bourbon remained in production until Prohibition.
o Distillery. 6th District, RD #10, Wiglesworth Bros. Co. (1869 – 1919). Harrison County, Kentucky, USA.
o About the Distillery. Located on the South Fork of the Licking River four miles northwest of Cynthiana, this distillery was built in 1856 by John Poindexter. In 1869, the Wiglesworth family acquired it, tore it down, and rebuilt it. By 1910, the mashing capacity had been increased to 300 bushels per day and there were three bonded warehouses with storage capacity for 20,000 barrels. In the late 1910s, the officers were J. M. Wiglesworth, president, and W. T. Wiglesworth, secretary-treasurer. Products included Old G. W. Taylor, Poindexter Bourbon, and Wiglesworth Bros. Sweet Mash. The distillery closed at Prohibition.
o About the Bottling Facility. In 1924, all the whiskey in storage at the Wiglesworth Bros. Distillery was transferred to the concentration warehouses of James E. Pepper & Co., a facility in Lexington that had been leased in 1907 for 20 years by Joseph Wolf of Chicago, where was bottled for medicinal spirits.
** Dates vary for the John Poindexter bottles: it was distilled in spring 1914 and bottled in spring 1926.