FRANKFORT, Ky. — Several rare whiskeys will be up for auction soon in Kentucky.
Kentucky's Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control is auctioning confiscated alcohol online for the first time ever. The auction will go live on the ABC's website here.
The auction was made possible thanks to a new law Gov. Andy Beshear signed in April that expanded the Malt Beverage Education Corporation. The law gave the ABC power to auction alcoholic beverages that were confiscated in closed criminal investigations as a method of disposal.
The auction begins on Nov. 27 and closes promptly at midnight on Dec. 11.
Some of the rare offerings include two bottles of Old Rip Van Winkle 10 Year and a vintage porcelain decanter of Old Fitzgerald bourbon from 1973 with an intact stamped paper seal. There are also plenty of high-dollar whiskeys in the mix, including a bottle of Blanton's Gold, EH Taylor and more.
Not all of the offerings are rare. There are also several run-of-the-mill offerings such as Evan Williams, Red Drum Rye, Ancient Age 90, and a "stock your bar" mix of spirits that includes bottles like Jim Beam Vanilla and Jack Daniels Tennessee Fire Whiskey.
If you win one of the auctions, you will have to pick up the items physically in Frankfort, Kentucky. The state said the auction items cannot be shipped.
Money from the winning bids will go toward alcohol responsibility programs in the state.
“We are proud to help finance educational programs that promote responsible alcohol use by adults and awareness programs for youth, including Project Prom and Project Graduation,” said ABC Commissioner Allyson Taylor. “We look forward to seeing the response to this auction and have started planning additional auctions for 2025.”
