HOPE'S IN Fall Whiskey Event 2023

Generously Donated by Jorge and Deb Cruz 3 night, 4 day stay on Amelia Island: Beautiful, pet friendly, newly renovated 2-bedroom, 2-bath villa located at the exclusive Omni Amelia Island Plantation Resort. Guests can enjoy beach access directly across the street, biking and walking trails, as well as the beautiful golf courses offered by the Omni Amelia Island Plantation Resort. The charming and historic downtown of Fernandina Beach is a short 15-minute drive away! Exclusive Locals Hosted "Whiskey Deck": Sip rare whiskey and enjoy cigars with locals. Lunch with a Director: Complimentary lunch with one of HOPE'S IN's Directors, Courtney McGovern Choice of private fishing trip, or private sightseeing boat cruise or round of golf at exclusive Long Point Golf Course *Winners resposible for airfare and transport to and from airport.

# 100

Sold

Weller 12

The brand is named after William Larue Weller, a distiller who is credited by some as being the first to use wheat as the secondary grain in straight bourbon as opposed to the more commonly used rye. Notably, William Larue Weller hired the famous Julian Van Winkle, who would later be known as “Pappy.” Van Winkle began his career working for Weller. Weller 12 Year is the most sought after of the “common” W.L. Weller lineup, and is one of the three bottles that were, at one time, released on an ongoing basis and commonly seen on liquor store shelves. Weller 12 Year is the most sought after of the “common” W.L. Weller lineup, and is one of the three bottles that were, at one time, released on an ongoing basis and commonly seen on liquor store shelves. Playing it straight isn’t always as effortless as it may seem. Truly nailing the fineness of a straightforward bourbon might be just as hard or even harder than creating something with a unique twist. A classic bourbon nose through and through consisting of rich vanilla, sweet caramel, and robust oak. A touch of red fruit sweetness accents the oak nicely by adding a slight degree of jest. A thick buttery viscosity is immediately striking. Within it holds a wealth of rich oak notes that border between young and old. This sweet spot works well to also highlight its warm caramel and thick vanilla notes without any individual part becoming overpowering. Excellently balanced, it presents its flavors on an even keel. Already packing a nice amount of intensity for a 90 proof bourbon, it’s during the Weller 12 Year’s finish that a gentle ramp up of heat and intensity occurs. Pecan, caramel, and a faint red fruit note are the first to take advantage of it. Saying this falls in the quintessential bourbon nose category would be an understatement, this is the very definition of it. https://www.breakingbourbon.com/review/weller-12-year

$400Highest Bid

1Bids

Angela Wilcox Highest Bidder

# 101

Sold

WILLIAM LARUE WELLER BOURBON WHISKEY 750ML

For over 200 years, The Buffalo Trace Distillery has been defined by a dedication to one craft: making fine bourbon whiskey. By honoring tradition and embracing change, Buffalo Trace Distillery has earned its place of leadership among the legendary spirits makers of the world. Uncut and unfiltered, this hand-bottled bourbon is barrel proof. Weller substitutes wheat for the traditional rye grain, a production method pioneered by W.L. Weller. Fragrant scents of caramel corn, new leather, plums, light toffee and pipe tobacco. The palate tastes of marshmallow, salted almonds, nougat, figs and dates. This whiskey finishes smooth, composed and flavorfully sweet. F. Paul Pacult's Spirit Journal rating: 5 stars/Highest Recommendation. "Yet another textbook on bourbon-making by BTD. BRAVO!" - F. Paul Pacult. Whisky Advocate rating: 95 "It's a hearty drink, but the finish is very fresh and invigorating. It takes a back seat to none." -Whisky Advocate

$1,500Highest Bid

1Bids

Bryce Simon Highest Bidder

# 102

Sold

Pappy Van Winkle | Old Rip Van Winkle 10yr

This year marks a special milestone as it is the 20t anniversary of the partnership between the Van Winkle family and Buffalo Trace Distillery. Trusting Buffalo Trace to continue the family legacy started more than 125 years prior. The Van Winkle line of whiskeys have won a multitude of awards through the years, including the 20-year-old receiving a double gold medal, best bourbon, best small batch bourbon at the 2018 New York International Spirits Competition and the 15-year-old taking home a Gold Medal at the 2019 San Francisco World Spirits Competition. Nose: Very sweet, with notes of honey, dulce de leche, caramel. Taste: Medium-bodied palate with dried fruit and nuts. Each sip finishes with a very long bold wave of floral honey, caramel, and toasted barrel flavors which counter the weight of the alcohol. Finish: An elegant balance between oak, grain, and maturation. https://www.breakingbourbon.com/bourbon-whiskey-press-releases/buffalo-trace-distillery-announces-annual-van-winkle-bourbon-release

$1,600Highest Bid

1Bids

Robert Coursey Highest Bidder

# 103

Sold

Rock Hill Farms

Rock Hill Farms, like so many of Buffalo Trace’s bourbons, isn’t easy to find at MSRP. As is the case with many Buffalo Trace products, this usually sells for much more on shelves and even higher on the secondary market. Named for the rich farmland along the Kentucky River, Rock Hill Farms is part of Buffalo Trace’s Bourbon Mashbill #2 family. Rock Hill Farms was the highest proof Mashbill #2 bourbon sold in the United States, until in 2020 when it was eclipsed by Blanton’s Gold as the highest proof Mashbill #2 bourbon. Rock Hill Farms is part of the ever-popular Buffalo Trace Mashbill #2 single barrel bourbons. This includes Elmer T. Lee Single Barrel, Blanton’s Single Barrel, and the recently announced stateside release of Blanton’s Gold Single Barrel. The two main differentiators between all of these single barrels are their varying proof along with varying warehouse aging locations. The nose opens with light summer cherries, berries, baked apples, and light hay. Behind these scents is a delicious bed of vanilla, cinnamon bark, and charred oak. For a 100 proof bourbon there isn’t a hint of ethanol, which allows you to concentrate wholey on the scents that are present without being distracted. Light spice mixes with a creamy dose of leather and oak. Swirling the sip pulls forward sweeter flavors of allspice, vanilla sticks, toasted sugar, and a light hint of cocktail cherries. A large dose of rye spice opens up the finish. This spice is joined with hints of creamy vanilla, evergreen, and oak. The rye spice is the constant, as a long lingering combo of toasted oak and rye spice hangs on. https://www.breakingbourbon.com/review/rock-hill-farms-single-barrel-bourbon

$450Highest Bid

1Bids

Helen Ye Highest Bidder

# 104

Sold

BLANTON'S ORIGINAL SINGLE BARREL

Believe it or not, up until just a few years ago, it was relatively easy to buy a bottle of Blanton’s any time of the year. Fast forward to today, and you wouldn’t be faulted for thinking Blanton’s is the hardest bourbon to find in America. With each bottle adorned with a topper that displays an individual letter and a horse in a different race position. A bouquet of honey, vanilla, light bubble gum, and orange citrus peel opens things up. Lying gently beneath are hints of barrel char and toasted sugars that tussle with floral notes. Light cinnamon and baking spices top things off. The scents are nuanced and inviting, creating a satisfying opening to open the sip. he palate hits with an initial sweetness, housing notable flavors of light caramel, honey, muted vanilla, and brown sugar. Underlying the opening flavors are leather, charred oak, and a rye spice, which bubbles to the top. A crisp finish rounds out the sip with vanilla, caramel, leather, dry oak, rye spice, and light peppercorn. There’s a pleasing sweet heat that lingers once all the other flavors fade. https://www.breakingbourbon.com/review/blantons-original-single-barrel-bourbon-2021

$300Highest Bid

1Bids

Brian Sullivan Highest Bidder

# 122

Sold

GEORGE T. STAGG

George T. Stagg built the most dominant American distillery of the 19th century, during a time known as the Gilded Age of Bourbon. Uncut and unfiltered, this robust bourbon whiskey ages for nearly a decade and boasts the bold character that is reminiscent of the man himself. F. Paul Pacult's Spirit Journal rating: 5 stars/Highest Recommendation. "Amazing, yet again." - F. Paul Pacult. Rating: 96.5 "One of the whiskeys of the year, easily." - Jim Murray's Whisky Bible Brown sugar | Amaretto | Cognac | Rum | Stewed apples | Nicely layered with a strong intensity | More unique scents than past releases. Amaretto | Hazelnut | Prune | Vanilla | Thick sweet oak | Approachable for its proof. Leather | Pomegranate molasses | Thick oak | A fleeting trace of musty tannic oak https://www.breakingbourbon.com/review/george-t-stagg-2022

$1,000Highest Bid

1Bids

John Greenwood Highest Bidder

# 106

Sold

Jefferson Ocean Very Small Batch - The Sandbar Bar

Jefferson’s Ocean Aged at Sea series was created as an experiment to see how much of an impact aging barrels on a ship would have on a bourbon. According to the company, “each voyage of Jefferson’s Ocean typically crosses the equator four times, visits five continents and over 30 ports on an average sailing.” The bourbon barreled for OCEAN Voyage 19, uses wheat in its mash bill as its small grain instead of the typical rye. Reminiscent of Voyage 15, the less flavorful wheat allowed the sweetness of the corn to build through the maturation process. Once barreled and put to sea, the bourbon was immediately and continually influenced by the salt air and constant movement of the ship. OCEAN Voyage 19 traveled to 30 ports on 5 continents and crossed the equator 4 times in the process. With each crossing, there was an extreme contrast in temperature as the ship transitioned from winter to summer and vice versa without the buffer of spring and fall. Extreme heat caused the sugars of the corn to caramelize in the wood and work their way into the bourbon as the wood contracted with the extreme fall in temperature. Without having to compete with the spice of the rye, the bourbon of OCEAN Voyage 19 took on a great deal of vanilla and salted caramel corn as its dominate flavor with a subtle wood finish. https://www.breakingbourbon.com/review/jeffersons-ocean-aged-at-sea-voyage-15-special-wheated-mash-bill

--Highest Bid

--Bids

# 105

Heavens Door

Heaven's Door Spirits was founded in 2015 by Bob Dylan in collaboration with Spirits Investment Partnership ("SIP"). Heaven's Door has won countless awards for its uncompromising quality and evolving collection of craft whiskey, including the #1 Consumer Choice Award at the 2021 San Francisco World Spirits Competition, and was cited as the "Best Bourbons of the Century...So Far" by the Robb Report. As Bob Dylan's first and only consumer brand partnership in his career, Heaven's Door is a true reflection of his visionary artistry and uncompromising spirit. Each bottle of Heaven’s Door showcases Dylan’s distinctive welded iron gates he created in his studio, Black Buffalo Ironworks. Heaven’s Door Tennessee Straight Bourbon Whiskey is distilled and aged for a minimum five years in new American oak barrels. The sour mash distillation process and non-chill filtered bottling allows this mature whiskey to remain consistent, as well as create reliable flavor profiles that come from being aged in single story warehouses. Aromas of caramel, vanilla, and oak with hints of charred wood and toasted grains. Smooth and lasting finish of caramel, cinnamon and nutmeg. https://www.heavensdoor.com/

$175Highest Bid

1Bids

Melissa Coy Highest Bidder

# 107

Sold

Yamazaki 12

Japanese whisky is starting to appear in more bars and restaurants throughout the United States. While still in its early stages of introduction to most American whiskey drinkers, Japanese whisky is generally held in high regard by experienced whiskey connoisseurs. Suntory is the oldest whisky making company in Japan. Its origins stretch back to a small shop, started in 1899 by Torii Shinjiro, which specialized in selling imported wines. Today, it is the country’s largest and most recognizable producer of quality whisky. Yamazaki 12 Year Old was introduced to the market in 1984 and was the first seriously marketed Japanese single malt whisky. Now, Yamazaki is an internationally coveted brand, winning award after award. You know you have quality when you have Yamazaki. The 12-year-old offering from A creamy character that is noticeable on both the nose and on the palate. There is a bright tropical fruit note that is reminiscent of a sunny, summer day picnic, with pineapple, citron, honeysuckle, and pine sap aromas appearing before dried fruit notes begin to appear. Warm apricot jam, vanilla wafer, and berry flavors dance over the palate while an undercurrent of spice runs just underneath the surface flavors providing complexity and depth. https://www.thespruceeats.com/yamazaki-12-year-japanese-whisky-review-761588

$600Highest Bid

1Bids

Carl Triemstra Highest Bidder

# 108

Sold

Old Elk/ Velvet Elk

This is a single barrel, barrel pick bottle. In its simplest terms, it means just what the name implies. Somebody picked that particular barrel out of all the others. Old Elk Distillery was founded by Curt Richardson, also the visionary behind Otterbox. A proprietary “Slow Cut” proofing process is used, whereby proofing water is added over a period of several weeks or more as compared with a more typical proofing process of only 24-48 hours. The intent of this process is to preserve the congeners present in the bourbon. Old Elk’s bourbon uses four times more malted barley than conventional recipes, creating a rich, smooth flavor, in harmony with caramel cues evoked by charred barrels, and spicy notes of rye. The most prominent is the name scribed on the front label - Greg Metze. A veteran master distiller, Metze may just be one of today’s most prominent distillers you’ve rarely heard of. The marketing and conversations with Metze consistently use one word - smooth. Buttery caramel, dark and sweet cherries, oak & some cedar, too; a bit of rye spice, mild cinnamon, and a hint of citrus; moderate alcohol for the proof. Oak, char, black pepper, grain & citrus continue into a fairly long finish; mild to moderate burn. https://www.breakingbourbon.com/review/old-elk-blended-straight-bourbon

--Highest Bid

--Bids

# 109

Gift Card and Cubs Tickets

Generously donated by Kevin Willoughby from Beyond Financial Advisors. 2 Cubs Tickets, $100 Lettuce Entertain You Gift Card Great seats! Section 220 Row 7 Seats 7,8 Choice from various dates $100 gift card to get food before or after

$500Highest Bid

1Bids

Ron Showmaker Highest Bidder

# 110

Sold

Coffee Lovers Raffle Basket

Generously Donated by Big Shoulders & Dollop Coffee Co Big Shoulders reusable mug Two bags of Big Shoulders Coffee Bag of HOPE'S IN original coffee blend- Cafe Volcon $50 Gift Card to Dollop Coffee Co

--Highest Bid

--Bids

# 111

Old Rip Van Winkle 12

The Old Rip Van Winkle Distillery has a four-generation history. The Van Winkle family’s involvement in the bourbon industry began in the late 1800s with Julian P. “Pappy” Van Winkle, Sr. Pappy and a friend and fellow Weller salesman Alex Farnsley eventually bought the wholesale house and also partnered with Mr. A. Ph. Stitzel on the purchase of Mr. Stitzel’s distillery. In May of 1935 at the age of 61, Pappy opened the newly completed Stitzel-Weller Distillery in South Louisville. Its prominent brands were W.L. Weller, Old Fitzgerald, Rebel Yell, and Cabin Still. Pappy had a heavy influence on the operations there until his death at the age of 91. Nose: Rich and decadent with butterscotch, toffee, vanilla and hints of nectarine and satsuma adding to the complexity. There is still a wisp of bready wheat present which is perfectly balanced with the spicy and rich oak notes. Taste: Butterscotch and toffee are prominent in the taste but there are also hints of spiced praline which contribute to the long, round finish that is sweet without being cloying. Finish: An outrageously well-crafted bourbon that pays homage to its source ingredients but shows that oak, the right distillate, and patience can create unparalleled depth and balance. https://www.breakingbourbon.com/bourbon-whiskey-press-releases/buffalo-trace-distillery-announces-annual-van-winkle-bourbon-release

$1,700Highest Bid

1Bids

Paul Steadman Highest Bidder

# 112

Sold

Varchas and Cigars Raffle

Generously Donated by Dave Quigley From Shankar Distillers out of Troy Michigan. Founded by archasvi Shankar. Founder, President, Entrepreneur…whiskey enthusiast. Although his first businesses in the US were technology-based, he was always fascinated with American Whiskey products and wanted to find a way to create one of his own to share in the US and bring home to India to share with his friends and statesmen. Made from high-quality grains and finished with Great Lakes waters, this Straight Bourbon Whiskey is smooth and finishes with a little spice. Honey gold in color, well-balanced, aged bourbon with the aroma of heavy caramel, vanilla and oak. Taste gives way to smooth flavors of caramel, vanilla, cocoa, and a little smoke, finishing with a balance of roasted nuts, spice and caramel.

--Highest Bid

--Bids

# 113

Old Rip Van Winkle 12

--Highest Bid

--Bids

# 114