Tag Archives: liquor

The world’s oldest bourbon sold for US$137,000

Ingledew Bourbon case with bottle

Credit: Skinner Auctioneers

The world’s oldest bourbon whiskey has been auctioned for US$137,000. Skinner Auctioneers who oversaw the bidding process said the bottle, better known as the Old Ingledew Whiskey, was most likely bottled between 1763-1803 after undergoing a Carbon-14 dating test.

“We took a sample and tested by Carbon-14 dating, and determined that with an 81.1% probability that the Bourbon was produced between 1763-1803, which places it in the historical context of The Revolutionary War and the Whiskey Rebellion of the 1790s,” says Joseph Hyman, a fine spirits specialist at Skinner. “The whiskey was not bottled at a distillery destroyed in the war, it is actually bottled by a general store, which is the same way the Scottish whisky Johnnie Walker started.”

Beyond the dating information provided by modern science, the bottle itself was labelled and on it stated that the bourbon was “probably made prior to 1865”. Also included in the short excerpt is the ownership. Interestingly, the bottle belonged to John Pierpont Morgan — or known widely as J.P Morgan, the Wall Street financier.

Ingledew Bourbon Label

Credit: Skinner Auctioneers

Besides the famed banker, the ex-owners of the bottle include James Byrnes, the previous US Supreme Court justice and South Carolina governor and two other sister bottles (in total there were three bottles) were given to Franklin D. Roosevelt and Harry S. Truman. According to Hyman, the bottle that was auctioned off was the only one that remained.

 

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Initial estimates by CNN put the bottle at a cost between US$20,000 and US$40,000 but the final price exceeded by US$100,000. While the final price of the bottle is stunning, it does not make the cut to be the world’s most expensive whiskey. The honours still belong to a bottle of Macallan Fine and Rare 60-year-old 1926, which was sold for a whopping US$1.9 million in 2019. Regardless of the price, the Old Ingledew Whiskey is perhaps the oldest whiskey ever discovered in the world.

By Joseph Low

 

All you need to know about Beringer Wine of the Napa Valley?

Established in 1876, Beringer is the paragon of US wine imbued with the greatness of Napa Valley. Beringer has been making wine with grapes from its own well-maintained and vast vineyards with the expertise of Chief Winemaker Mark Beringer.

It is no surprise that Beringer is the twelve-time winner of Wine & Spirits “Winery of the Year”. With its special curated formulas like Beringer Private Reserve, Beringer Knights Valley and others – which are rated more than 90 points by Robert Parker and Wine Spectator – Beringer has carved out a reputable name among a sea of Old World labels.

 

During Penang Rendezvous 2018, we met Sam Stephens, the ambassador of Beringer and we were honoured to have him to talk about the brand and its legacy.

 

Can you tell us a little about yourself and what you do?
My name is Sam Stephens and I’m the brand ambassador for Treasury Wine Estates. Based in Southeast Asia, I go to all the markets to educate and inspire people about our brand, wines, history and stories behind our brand. I have been working in the wine trade for 23 years now. I’m currently studying for my masters in wine qualification.

 

What is the story of Beringer?
Beringer is actually one of the most storied and famous wineries in America. It is based in Napa Valley, California, which is one of the most premium regions for wine in the U.S. regarded by many.

Beringer was first established in 1876 by two German brothers, who moved to California and saw the potential of the Napa Valley as a fantastic wine region. They established the winery after that and today we are the longest continually produced winery in the US. We have the great great grandson of the Beringer brothers, Mark Beringer as our current chief winemaker.

Can you tell us the difference between Napa Valley wine and traditional European wine?
 In my opinion, Napa Valley is being regarded as an amazing place for premium quality and luxury wine because it has an amazing climate for growing premium quality grapes. It is slightly warmer than usual traditional European places.

Style-wise, you will find Beringer and premium luxury wines richer and more full-bodied, probably right into the character than your traditional burgundy wine. All these have to do with the climate. We also find that Napa Valley wines have just as much elegance and sophistication as the Old World wines, but it is richer in flavour and more full-bodied.

 

What is the difference between drinking culture of Malaysia and that of the US?
The difference is the US has a much more introspectiveness, they drink a lot of local wines. On the other hand, here in Malaysia, we don’t have a local wine source. Therefore, Malaysians drink a wider scope of wine and I think they are really embracing premium American wines like Beringer. This is because they understand the quality, heritage and history particularly behind the brand like Beringer.

I think Malaysia’s wine culture is really growing exponentially at the moment, particularly here in Penang. We are seeing some amazing premium wine boutiques stocking up wines and we met some really engaged consumers who enjoyed the variety the wines bring to their life. In fact, it is a very social thing which you can enjoy drinking wines while sharing stories with your friends. For me, Malaysia’s wine culture is considered at the exploratory stage.

Can you give us some tips on how to find a good wine?
With wine, it comes down to knowing what you like. So, I always recommend people taste everything, try as much as you can because that allows you to build your own portfolio of what you like and what you don’t like, that is very important.

A good tip for finding a good quality wine is never go for the cheapest wine, whether you buy it at the restaurant, the grocery store or the wine merchant. Generally, you get a much better attempt if you go up one or two price level. So the idea is to look at something that is closer to the range of MYR 100 and above, instead of MYR 50 or MYR 60.

Let’s take Beringer as an example, we have a fantastic entry level gourmet wine. With that, can you step up to founder level, which is just MYR 20 more, and you can really taste the difference. And if you continue to step up to Napa Valley range, which what we showcased here today, it gives you another level of complexity, intensity and richness. Therefore, a couple of steps up the price ladder will give you a much more premium wine and enjoyable experience.

 

Lastly, in your point of view, how do Malaysians perceive U.S. wine especially Beringer?
I have been to Malaysia nine times last year including this Penang trip, I found out that people start to embrace US wine and premium US wine on the same level as the traditional European wine.

With the discovery of wines like our Knights Valley, Private Reserve and white wine Chardonnay, I think people in Malaysia seemed really excited about the quality coming out of Napa Valley and the luxury wines they are able to access here.

 

Discover more about Beringer wines on www.beringer.com.