Inside the Auction: Bourbon Legends, Cult Favorites, and the Hunt for Purple Reign

Some weeks, the auction lineup feels like a good playlist — a few classics, a few deep cuts, and at least one track that makes you stop mid-sip and say, wait, what?

This week’s Aged in Oak October Spirits Auction is exactly that kind of lineup — five bottles that don’t just pour bourbon, they pour stories.

Willett Single Barrel 12 Year — The Purple Reign XII (Bottle #127)

There’s a reason collectors whisper about Willett purple tops like secret passwords. Each release feels less like a product and more like an event — the kind of bottle that makes grown bourbon hunters refresh auction pages at 2 a.m.

The Purple Reign XII continues that tradition: a 12-year single barrel bottling that’s become modern folklore. Expect the signature Willett heat, a velvet swirl of caramelized oak, dark cherry, and leather, with a finish that outlasts small talk. Bottle #127 isn’t just a drink; it’s a collector’s bragging right and a piece of the purple crown.

Pappy Van Winkle’s Family Reserve 15 Year

Cue the slow clap. Pappy 15 has entered the room.

It’s the bourbon that launched a thousand lotteries — the bottle that turned casual drinkers into full-blown enthusiasts. Distilled at Buffalo Trace using the Van Winkle wheated mashbill, this 15-year expression is often considered the sweet spot of the lineup: old enough for deep oak complexity, young enough to keep that decadent vanilla and butterscotch center alive.

Tasting notes? Think dessert without apology — brown sugar, maple, dried fruit, and a touch of old leather chair. For those chasing bourbon royalty, this is your coronation bottle.

Thirteenth Colony Double Oaked

Georgia’s Thirteenth Colony Distillery might not have the old Kentucky ZIP code, but this bottle proves great bourbon doesn’t care about borders. The Double Oaked finish adds layers of richness and toasted drama — like watching a familiar movie in 4K for the first time.

Expect waves of dark cocoa, roasted marshmallow, and spice cabinet warmth that linger long after the glass is empty. It’s approachable, bold, and refreshingly under-the-radar — a sleeper hit in a lineup of legends.

Weller C.Y.P.B (Craft Your Perfect Bourbon)

Born from Buffalo Trace’s 2015 “Craft Your Perfect Bourbon” crowd-sourcing experiment, C.Y.P.B represents what bourbon fans actually asked for: wheated, around 8 years old, and bottled at 95 proof.

The result? A pour that feels like someone read your tasting journal and bottled it. It’s creamy, with notes of honeyed vanilla, soft oak, and a buttercream finish that reminds you why the Weller name continues to haunt wish lists.

If you’ve ever wondered what happens when the internet designs a bourbon, this is it — and it turns out, the internet has pretty good taste.

Peerless Double Oaked

Peerless has become the darling of the small-batch world, and this Double Oaked release shows why. When a barrel doesn’t hit their exact flavor profile, they don’t toss it — they rebarrel it into fresh charred oak. The result? Twice the character, twice the depth, and a sensory experience that’s pure bourbon theater.

It’s smoky and sweet, with a hit of dark chocolate, toasted oak, and caramel so rich it feels like it should come with a spoon. One sip, and you’ll understand why “mistakes” at Peerless taste better than most distilleries’ successes.

Final Pour

This week’s auction lineup doesn’t play favorites — it spans royalty, rebels, and rising stars. From Pappy’s cult-status allure to Peerless’s bold reinvention, these bottles tell the ongoing story of bourbon’s past, present, and future.

So, whether you’re in it for the sip or the chase, pour yourself something special and head to the auction block — where every bottle comes with a backstory worth retelling.

👉 View all lots and place your bids at AgedInOakAuctions.com