Why Early Stitzel-Weller Was Some of the Best Bourbon Ever Made

Wheated mash bills, off-the-charts ester content, and a founder who refused to rush aging: the science behind one of bourbon's most enduring legends.

There are certain names in bourbon that have become mythical, and Stitzel-Weller is one of them. Founded in 1935 when distributor W.L. Weller & Sons merged with A. Ph. Stitzel Distillery, the brand quickly became a leading producer of bourbon that would change the way Americans drink for generations.

Among collectors and industry insiders, Stitzel-Weller’s early output is considered peerless. Bottles tied to the distillery now command staggering prices at auction and collectors chase anything that can be traced back to its warehouses. The brand was among the first to introduce whiskey drinkers to a smoother, sweeter bourbon that lacked the bite most were accustomed to drinking.

As Stitzel-Weller bottled up its final releases and ceased production, its distinctive liquid quietly passed into the hands of a few people who understood its value early. One of those early evangelists is Marci Palatella, the founder of Preservation Distillery, whose experience sourcing and working with Stitzel-Weller stocks offers a rare window into what made this now-legendary liquid so iconic.

What Made Stitzel-Weller's Bourbon Different From Everything Else

While there are several producers that helped define the bourbon category in its early days, Stitzel-Weller quickly became one of Kentucky’s most important distilleries because it approached production with a near-obsessive focus on quality.

Its wheat-forward mash bill helped Stitzel-Weller differentiate its bourbon. The classic combination of corn, malted barley, and a flavoring grain can veer in very different flavor directions depending on which grain a distiller chooses. While most bourbon at the time leaned on rye, which made stronger, spicier pours with a distinct bite, Stitzel-Weller opted to highlight bourbon’s softer, rounder notes. 

According to our general manager Kyle Lloyd, who’s seen some research on early Stitzel-Weller, the whiskey’s esters were off the charts compared to every other bourbon at the time. Lloyd suggests this is perhaps due to the yeast and possibly a lower distillation point, but notes those are speculations. Generally speaking, higher ester content bourbon often hews more aromatic and expressive, and fruitier notes push it into a sweeter flavor territory. 

Utilizing wheat also meant a slower maturation would be required for the spirit to reach a smooth texture. Stitzel-Weller Distillery’s founder Julian “Pappy” Van Winkle Sr. insisted that whiskey should be aged generously and released only when ready, never letting market demand rush the process of achieving greatness. That practice defined the distillery’s output and reimagined how select producers, including Preservation Distillery, operate today.

Why Stitzel-Weller Closed in 1992—and What Happened to the Bourbon

Stitzel-Weller was helmed by three generations of Van Winkles over its 37-year run. Pappy Van Winkle’s son Julian Van Winkle Jr. took over in 1965 after the founder’s death, and grandson Julian Van Winkle III took the reins when his father passed away in 1981.

During Julian Van Winkle III’s time at the helm of this legendary distillery, bourbon consumption came to a screeching halt. Drinking trends shifted toward vodka and gin, so whiskey distilleries shuttered and much of the industry was consolidated. In 1992, Stitzel-Weller Distillery followed suit and shut down operations, leaving behind an abundance of premium, mature whiskey aging in warehouses with no clear long-term plan.

Much of the product was sold off in bulk, without fanfare. In hindsight, that feels almost impossible—especially considering a bottle of 1982 Old Rip Van Winkle 20 Year Old Single Barrel from the Stitzel-Weller Distillery recently garnered $162,500, setting a record for one of the most valuable single bottles of American whiskey ever sold at auction.

At the time, Americans just didn’t have the palate for bourbon the way we do now. “Even by industry accounts, it was an outdated, old-man’s drink,” Palatella says. “Back then there were only a couple of insiders who quietly started picking up small lots of some great old barrels and bottling them for sale.”

How Marci Palatella Acquired the Stitzel-Weller's Bourbon

Thanks to opportune timing and smart foresight, Palatella was one of those beneficiaries that scooped up excess bourbon from Stitzel-Weller. After years brokering liquor and wine closeouts, Palatella saw a hole in the market. She wanted to package up the old-school bourbon she fell in love with and market it to a new generation of drinkers, a plan that led her straight to Julian Van Winkle III.

The two worked together in the Eighties as Van Winkle III bottled liquid that he helped source for Palatella’s first line of Very Olde Saint Nick, which has since gained a cult-like following at Preservation Distillery. So once the distillery closed and the warehouses of premium bourbon needed to be offloaded, Palatella’s relationship with Pappy Van Winkle’s grandson helped her gain access to a significant volume of remaining Stitzel-Weller whiskey stock, which was still being treated as just a commodity.

Stitzel-Weller has cemented its unicorn status, but Palatella has never forgotten that the distillery’s remaining liquid is finite and sacred. Every barrel opened and blend created brings the total closer to zero. “Once I got my hands on all that old whiskey, I decided, ‘I don’t want to release it right now. I want to do it at the right time,’” Palatella says. “We’ve been releasing it in small amounts, and we have enough to do that for a very long time.”

For as long as that liquid remains available, bottles will command staggering prices at auction and larger supplies will make for one-of-a-kind bottles by those who utilize it in blends. For Palatella, who encountered Stitzel-Weller and stockpiled it before it became legend, recognizing something extraordinary before the rest of the world caught on has been more valuable than she could have imagined.