June 1st 2025 – June 14th 2025: Second Spirit Auction Highlights

We have such an incredibly diverse set of offerings in this auction, but as we were putting it together there were some bottles that stood out–sometimes because of what was in the bottle, and sometimes because what was outside the bottle! Here is our top 10 list, in no particular order (and apologies to the other 300+ bottles that didn’t make this list).

Weller's Antique Reserve (Stitzel-Weller Distillery) 10 Year Old Original Barrel Proof Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey (4/5qt) Starting bid: $4,750.00 Before there was the 7-ish Year Weller Antique 107, this beauty came on the market. 100% Stitzel-Weller juice. If you collect Old Fitzgeralds Stitzel-Wellers, you really should add this to your collection. The bottle is pristine and would be a great core addition.

NV Hibiki 17 "Kacho Fugetsu Limited Edition" Japanese Whisky (700ml) Current bid: $1080.00 To me, Japanese whiskies are the perfect intro for bourbon drinkers into the world of Scotch. Elegant yet complex. No sharp edges. And then this wonderful whisky is put into one of the most beautiful decanters ever made (only topped by the 21- and 30-year-old Kacho Fugetsu).

1993 Springbank 25 Year Old "The Perfect Fifth" First Fill Sherry Butt No. 315 Cask Strength Single Malt Island Scotch Whisky (750ml) Starting bid: $1400.00 “The Perfect Fifth” lives up to its name; anyone who thinks Springbank’s rabid popularity is overhyped will have their doubts stamped out by this heavenly cask-strength treat of a sherry bomb. This is an iconic, generous representation of the best Campbeltown has to offer. I wish I could delete parts of my memory in order to try this again for the first time. It simply sings.

NV Ichiro's Malt Chichibu "Single Cask #5882 (Clever Cask)" Japanese Single Cask Single Malt Whiskey (700ml) Starting bid: $950.00 Another amazing Japanese whisky. Winnie the Pooh on the label. Enough said.

NV Michel Couvreur "Peaty Overaged" K&L Exclusive Malt Whisky Current bid: $52.00 Whenever a K&L Exclusive bottle is consigned to us for auction, we feel proud. It’s like our child that we sent away to college has come home as an adult. Scotch whisky, further aged in France by a Belgian (who sadly passed in 2013). Taste the madness.

2009 Ledaig 12 Year Old "Old Particular" K&L Exclusive Single Hogshead Cask Strength Island Single Malt Scotch Whisky Current bid: $82.00 One might find it self-serving for a K&L employee to champion a K&L exclusive release, but I couldn’t resist this raw, seductive dram from an under-appreciated distillery such as Tobermory. Whiskies from the Isle of Mull tend to be graceful expressions that embody a sense of place and aren’t trying to be from any other. Despite its younger age, this cask-strength sipper conjures images of saltwater splashing on rocky beaches, deep green moss, and smoke lingering from a distant beach fire. A dram to transport you.

2009 Rochelt Wachauer Marille Apricot Brandy (700ml) Current bid: $350.00 I would buy this just for the bottle (and I would have, but someone has already placed a bid on it!). These brandies are super rare in the U.S. and even more rare in this 700ml format. When I spoke about this bottle with friends who have tried it, they got a faraway look in their eyes. Sensory memories? Or maybe I was just boring them…

NV Longrow 15 Year Old "Red" 2022 Release Pinot Cask Finished Campbeltown Single Malt Whisky Current bid: $170.00 This excellent release blew me away with its finish: aged for 11 years in bourbon and finished in New Zealand Pinot Noir casks, the bright fruit flavors embrace and amplify this earthy, umami-rich whisky without overwhelming it with unnecessary tannins. The softness of the wine creates a perfect union with the smoke and spice of this Campbeltown expression, resulting in something uniquely delightful.

2023 Van Winkle Family Reserve 13 year Rye Whiskey Current bid: $670.00 Seriously? Picking a Pappy for the list?  Did we also pick a Dodgers/Yankees World Series? Okay, sometimes the overdog is the overdog because it’s just better. If you have never tried the Van Winkle Rye, I’m sorry for you. It’s everything that rye should be: spicy, warm, fragrant, but it’s also not a punch-you-in-the-face 197-Proof bruiser. Yes, it’s expensive. But at less than $30.00 per one ounce pour, you can guiltlessly enjoy this for years to come.

1990 Ardbeg Airigh Nam Beist 2008 Release Islay Single Malt Whisky Current bid: $310.00 Unapologetic Peat-Heads should snag when they can. Meaning “Shelter of the Beast” in Scots-Gaelic, this 2008 release was created during a less-active period of the famed Islay distillery. Slightly more refined and mellow than their 2006 release, this heavily peated malt possesses a massively rich bonfire flavor that unfolds with heaps of very dry baking spice, seawater, and a very long finish. Not one to pass up for Islay aficionados.

Special Category: Most Over The Top Packaging. (Tie) NV Eagle Rare Double Eagle Very Rare 20 Year Old Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey Starting bid: $7240.00 and NV Macallan "Distil Your World - Mexico" Limited Release Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky (700ml) Starting bid: $3280.00 The former has a blown glass eagle inside the bottle, an eagle stopper, and a case that, when you open it, lights up the bottle from the top and bottom. The latter comes with a pair of gloves so that you don’t leave your dirty finger prints on the limited-edition artwork that comes inside every box… assuming you can actually open the box; it took me about 5 minutes before I finally figured it out. Another 2 minutes and I was going to start looking for a crow bar…

- Steve Birer, K&L Rare Spirits Acquisition Director