Christie’s to Auction ‘Unprecedented’ Collection of Pre-Prohibition Whiskey

Next Friday, Christie’s Auction House will offer a collection of more than 40 cases of pre-prohibition whiskey, which it describes as “extraordinary” and “unprecedented.”

The stash of bonded and unopened whiskey was discovered in 2017 in a secret vault, hidden behind a bookcase in a Los Angeles property. According to Christie’s, the vault was constructed by trader and banker J.B. Leonis in the 1920s, who saw the impending rise of prohibition.

The auction lots include 12 quarts of Old Crow Bourbon, distilled in 1912; 24 pints of Hermitage Whiskey, distilled in 1914; and 5 quarts of Green River Straight Whiskey, distilled in 1910. Christie’s expects each lot to sell for $10,000, $9,500, and $3,500, respectively.

Christie’s is particularly excited about the whiskey collection, which it says is “the most comprehensive and important collection of pre-Prohibition bourbon ever to appear at auction.”

Also being offered during the day’s sale are rare collections of Bordeaux, Burgundy, and Madeira.