The limited edition humidor box presentation of A.H. Hirsch Reserve 16 Year the same 1974 Pennco Distillery pot still bourbon in an elegant humidor case. 400 barrels total, translating to only 4,244 cases. America’s first five-star spirits rating.

In spring 1974, a batch of bourbon was distilled at the small copper pot stills of the Pennco Distillery near Schaefferstown, Pennsylvania a distillery tracing its origins to the mid-1700s and listed as a National Historic Landmark. After the distillery was purchased in foreclosure and renamed Michter’s, and following a subsequent foreclosure in 1989, Adolph Hirsch a former director of Schenley Distillers acquired all 400 barrels of the now 15-year-old bourbon. This translated to only 4,244 cases. Working with Julian Van Winkle III, he brought it to market as A.H. Hirsch Reserve. The bourbon received America’s first-ever five-star spirits rating.

The Gold Foil Humidor Edition presents this historic bourbon in an elegant limited edition humidor case one of the most distinctive presentation formats in American bourbon’s modern history. The humidor box elevates an already extraordinary liquid into a complete collectible object: the 1974 Schaefferstown pot still bourbon in its rarest surviving presentation variant.

Tasting Notes

• Nose: Rich sweetness creamy vanilla and caramel, oak spice, and the distinctive pot still grain character found nowhere in modern American bourbon.
• Palate: Smooth and profoundly complex soft toffee and vanilla with layers developed over 16 years in the wood.
• Finish: Dry and oaky with smoke, baking spices, and a touch of black pepper.

Specs

• Distilled: Spring 1974
• Distillery: Pennco Distillery (later Michter’s), Schaefferstown, Pennsylvania (est. c.1753)
• Distillation: Small copper pot stills
• Age: 16 years
• Total production: 400 barrels / 4,244 cases
• Presentation: Gold foil, limited edition humidor box
• Size: 750ml

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Frequently Asked Questions

• What is the humidor edition? The humidor edition presents A.H. Hirsch Reserve 16 Year in a limited edition humidor case a luxury display box for one of America’s most historically significant bourbons. The liquid is identical to the gold foil standard bottling; the distinction is entirely the presentation.
• Why is 4,244 cases significant? 400 barrels produced approximately 4,244 cases roughly 51,000 bottles total across all 16-year variants. With decades of attrition, surviving bottles are a tiny fraction of even this limited original production.
• What is the connection to Julian Van Winkle III? Julian Van Winkle III personally oversaw the bottling of A.H. Hirsch Reserve. His involvement in this non-Pappy project demonstrates the extraordinary regard the whiskey community had for the 1974 Schaefferstown stock.
• Can this bourbon ever be reproduced? No. The Schaefferstown distillery closed in 1990. The combination of the 1974 grain crop, copper pot stills, Pennsylvania provenance, and 16 years of aging cannot be replicated under any circumstances.

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