A rare breed of bourbon has been fetching high prices at auction, with a Blackhawk bourbon recently selling for $71,375 through Unicorn Auctions, a Ravenswood-based auction house. This bottle is tied deep to the Chicago Blackhawks, the Wirtz family, and a storied history of distillers, priced accordingly to reflect its scarcity and the legacy behind it, NBC Chicago reports.
Boasting a robust 121 proof, this particular spirit was distilled in the 1950s by Stitzel-Weller, designed exclusively for the family that has owned the Blackhawks since 1954. With only a limited number thought to be still out there, Unicorn Auctions saw previous sales of the Very Very Old Fitzgerald 18 Year bourbon reach even loftier sums of $106,500 in October and $100,125 in May 2024, according to a Chicago Sun-Times article.
Despite a trend of people steering away from alcohol since the pandemic, Unicorn Auctions has experienced remarkable growth. The company reportedly sells between 4,000 and 6,000 bottles weekly, handling everything from bar coding to professional photography, while keeping over $100 million worth of product in a controlled vault in Chicago. "We've grown to well over 100,000 customers now, almost entirely organically," said Phil Mikhaylov, co-founder of Unicorn Auctions, in an interview given to NBC Chicago.
The recent auction's notoriety is not just about the bourbon but the platform dealing in these rare spirits. Employing about 80 people, Unicorn Auctions is a unique entity in the alcohol trade since it operates on consignment, allowing it to legally ship alcohol across the U.S. "This is freaking epic," Mikhaylov told NBC Chicago, revealing a heat map display showing live bids from an ongoing spirits auction at the company's warehouse.
One standout offering from October's auction, in line with the Chicago Blackhawks's centennial celebration, included a tasting experience fetching $222,250 at a Blackhawks game. Hosted by Julian Van Winkle III and Blackhawks chairman Danny Wirtz, it featured tastings of the 18-year Blackhawk bourbon and selections from the Van Winkle family. Proceeds were part of a larger lot raising over $425,000 for the Chicago Blackhawks Foundation, as reported by the Chicago Sun-Times. "This bottle is more than a rare whiskey," Wirtz stated, "It's a piece of our family and team's shared history, both in the world of hockey and spirits industry."
Reflecting on the broader picture, Bourbon accounts for roughly 65% of Unicorn's transactions, with the auction house moving over 100,000 bottles under $100 in a bid to reach mass consumers rather than just the elite collector. "Bourbon is having a moment right now," Mikhaylov stated in the Chicago Sun-Times interview, hinting at the enduring appeal of the spirit among an array of customers, including millennials and Generation Z, who are traditionally seen as shunning alcohol more than previous generations.
