By Kevin Gibson

Pat’s Whiskey Collection just became the largest private whiskey collection ever to go to auction.

Through Oct. 19, bourbon and whiskey fans will be able to register for the auction and place bids at Whiskey Auctioneer, with shots at highly sought-after bourbon and whiskey such as a near-complete Buffalo Antique Collection, Pappy Van Winkle bottles and a legendary 1974 A.H. Hirsch Reserve.

Is your mouth watering yet?

The collection includes more than 9,000 bottles, with American whiskey and bourbon the focal point. There are highlights aplenty, like:

• A comprehensive collection of Old Fitzgerald bottlings from the Van Winkle era, produced using revered liquid stocks from the legendary Stitzel-Weller distillery
• More than 25 sought-after bottlings from the Van Winkle family tree of bourbons including the 23 Year Old Pappy Van Winkle, one of the most desirable, collectable bourbon whiskies in the world.
• Almost 100 bottles of Jack Daniel’s including Sinatra Century, Old No.7 Inaugural Bottle and the Gold Medal series.
• Noteworthy collections from Very Olde St. Nick, Willett Family Estate, Michter’s and Orphan Barrel

In short, it’s a is a contemporary gold mine of ridiculously hard-to-find rare bourbons and ryes, per Fred Minnick himself.

The collection’s owner (whose last name is redacted),

While Pat will hold back some favorites for his own consumption, the remainder of Pat’s Whiskey Collection will be sold across multiple auctions over the next nine months.

The collection’s owner (whose last name is redacted) said in a press announcement that collecting the whiskey “defined for me what the journey of whisky discovery was supposed to look like, akin to a historic drinking game to be played over a decade or more.”

He added, “The history of American whiskey is fascinating and complex. Untangling the threads and putting the pieces back together is a true journey of exploration and discovery. One you should embark on without preconceived ideas of whiskey snobbery and a preparedness to have your palate awed at every twist and turn.”