Whole barrel of Pappy Van Winkle bourbon is available for first time in Sazerac auction
Sazerac is offering some very special Kentucky bourbons to help those impacted by January’s wildfires in California.
For the first time, the Frankfort distillery is offering a chance to purchase an entire barrel of Pappy Van Winkle 15-Year-Old bourbon.
The fundraiser also includes a raffle for a complete bottle set of the Pappy Van Winkle Collection and a bottle of the ultra-rare Eagle Rare 25.
All the offerings will be available online at Sazeracgivesback.com; bidding is open to 11:59 p.m. ET Feb. 23. One winner for each price package, excluding the Pappy Van Winkle barrel, will be randomly drawn and notified the week of March 3.
Where will the money go?
Money raised from the Sazerac benefit auction will go to the World Central Kitchen, whose relief team has been distributing free hot meals to first responders and families. More than 600,000 meals have been served already.
Funds will also go to support Another Round Another Rally, which helps bar and restaurant workers impacted by the loss of businesses and jobs. Their disaster relief fund has given out more than $100,000 already.
“Our hearts break for those who have been impacted by the devastating wildfires that have swept across California this year,” said Jake Wenz, president and CEO of Sazerac. “The fires have caused immense destruction, and the toll on the Los Angeles community is profound. Through this program we hope, humbly, to offer a small bit of aid to World Central Kitchen and Another Round Another Rally as they continue their much-needed support of the California community during this difficult time.”
An estimated 50,000 acres burned in the Palisades and Eaton communities of Los Angeles, destroying 16,000 structures and killing at least 28 people.
How to bid on Pappy barrel, bottles
To help, you can bid on the barrel of Pappy Van Winkle, the first single-barrel ever made available for purchase since Sazerac’s relationship began with the Van Winkles in the early 2000s, according to the distillery. The barrel was specially selected from the heart of aging warehouses at Buffalo Trace Distillery for this auction, according to a news release.
A single barrel should produce about 125 bottles of bourbon; bidding began at $10,000 and will increase in increments of $1,000. The winner will receive a monetary price equal to the value of the lot, which may be used to purchase the bottles yielded from the barrel as well as the empty barrel, according to the release.
By 5:30 p.m. on Feb. 11, bidding on the barrel had already topped $300,000, according to a spokesman.
The Pappy Van Winkle Collection includes Old Rip Van Winkle 10 Year, Pappy Van Winkle 12 Year, Pappy Van Winkle Family Reserve Rye 13 Year, Pappy Van Winkle 15 Year, Pappy Van Winkle 20 Year, and Pappy Van Winkle 23 Year.
And the Eagle Rare 25 is the oldest expression ever released from the Eagle Rare portfolio. It was the first bourbon aged in Warehouse P, a state-of-the-art warehouse constructed to test if it was possible to extend maturation and aging for American whiskey.
For both the collection and the Eagle Rare 25, entrants will receive one entry for every $50 donation made through the registration site; there is no cap on the amount you can donate. Winners will get a monetary prize equal to the value of the bottle or bottles won, which may be used to purchase the bottles.
