{"product_id":"a-h-hirsch-reserve-15-year-old-gold-wax","title":"A. H. HIRSCH Reserve Pot Still 15 Year Old Gold Wax Distilled 1974 Bottled 1990 (Perfect Wax) 700ml 700ml","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDistilled 1974. Bottled 1990. Perfect wax seal. A.H. Hirsch Reserve Pot Still 15 Year Old Gold Wax — one of the most celebrated and historically significant American rye whiskeys ever produced, distilled at the Michter's Pot Still Distillery in Schaefferstown, Pennsylvania before its closure and now available in what collectors consider the finest surviving physical condition: a Perfect Wax example.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe A.H. Hirsch Reserve is the product of Adolph Hirsch, a former Seagram's executive who in 1974 commissioned a run of Pennsylvania pot still rye whiskey at the Michter's Stiegel-era distillery in Schaefferstown — one of the oldest distillery sites in America, with distilling roots tracing to before the Revolution. The whiskey was distilled from a rye-heavy mash in genuine copper pot stills, laid down by Hirsch in barrels, and then largely forgotten as Michter's fell into financial difficulty. When the distillery finally closed in 1989, the surviving barrels were acquired and bottled as the A.H. Hirsch Reserve — preserved exactly as Hirsch had laid them down 15 years earlier.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe result is a whiskey without commercial parallel — a genuine pot still American rye from 1974, from a distillery whose pre-Prohibition-era copper pot still tradition had essentially died everywhere else in the country by that point. Distiller Julian Van Winkle III (of the Van Winkle bourbon dynasty) played a role in the preservation and distribution of the Hirsch Reserve, further connecting this bottle to American whiskey's most celebrated lineage. The Gold Wax variant — in a 700ml European export format — represents the Continental distribution of this historic liquid. \"Perfect Wax\" is the collector's designation for bottles whose wax seal is intact and undamaged, the highest physical condition grade in the Hirsch collector hierarchy.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eSpecs\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cul\u003e \u003cli\u003e \u003cstrong\u003eDistillery:\u003c\/strong\u003e Michter's Pot Still Distillery, Schaefferstown, Pennsylvania (closed 1989)\u003c\/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e \u003cstrong\u003eStyle:\u003c\/strong\u003e Pennsylvania Pot Still Rye Whiskey\u003c\/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e \u003cstrong\u003eDistilled:\u003c\/strong\u003e 1974\u003c\/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e \u003cstrong\u003eBottled:\u003c\/strong\u003e 1990\u003c\/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e \u003cstrong\u003eAge:\u003c\/strong\u003e 15 years\u003c\/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e \u003cstrong\u003eSeal:\u003c\/strong\u003e Gold Wax — Perfect Wax (intact seal)\u003c\/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e \u003cstrong\u003eSize:\u003c\/strong\u003e 700ml (European export format)\u003c\/li\u003e \u003c\/ul\u003e\u003cp\u003eBrowse all \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/woodencork.com\/collections\/rare\"\u003erare spirits at Wooden Cork\u003c\/a\u003e or all \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/woodencork.com\/collections\/rye\"\u003erye whiskey\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eFrequently Asked Questions\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cul\u003e \u003cli\u003e \u003cstrong\u003eWhy is the A.H. Hirsch Reserve considered the most celebrated American rye whiskey?\u003c\/strong\u003e The Hirsch Reserve is American whiskey's Rosetta Stone — the last commercially bottled example of genuine Pennsylvania pot still rye from a pre-Prohibition-era distillery, distilled in 1974 from a tradition that had essentially died everywhere else. It bridges American whiskey's founding heritage and the modern era in a single bottle that cannot be reproduced under any circumstances: the distillery is closed, the equipment is gone, and the 1974 barrels are exhausted.\u003c\/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e \u003cstrong\u003eWhat is Perfect Wax and why does it matter to collectors?\u003c\/strong\u003e The A.H. Hirsch Reserve was bottled with distinctive wax seals. Perfect Wax designates a bottle whose wax seal is completely intact and undamaged — the highest physical condition grade in the Hirsch collector hierarchy. Wax integrity is a key factor in both provenance documentation and collector premium.\u003c\/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e \u003cstrong\u003eHow does the 700ml Gold Wax differ from the domestic US format?\u003c\/strong\u003e The 700ml format is the European export specification, slightly smaller than the domestic 750ml bottle. The Gold Wax designation identifies this specific wax color variant within the Hirsch Reserve bottling program.\u003c\/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e \u003cstrong\u003eIs the A.H. Hirsch Reserve 15 Year Gold Wax still available?\u003c\/strong\u003e Yes — one Perfect Wax bottle in current stock. Among the most historically significant American whiskey bottles in the Wooden Cork catalog.\u003c\/li\u003e \u003c\/ul\u003e\u003cscript type=\"application\/ld+json\"\u003e{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@type\":\"FAQPage\",\"mainEntity\":[{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"Why is the A.H. Hirsch Reserve the most celebrated American rye?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"The last commercially bottled genuine Pennsylvania pot still rye from a pre-Prohibition-era distillery, distilled in 1974 from a tradition that had died everywhere else. The distillery is closed, equipment gone, 1974 barrels exhausted \\u2014 it cannot be reproduced.\"}},{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"What is Perfect Wax?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"The highest physical condition grade in the Hirsch collector hierarchy \\u2014 a bottle whose wax seal is completely intact and undamaged.\"}},{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"Is the Gold Wax Perfect Wax still available?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"Yes \\u2014 one bottle. Among the most historically significant American whiskey bottles in the Wooden Cork catalog.\"}}]}\u003c\/script\u003e","brand":"A. H. Hirsch","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":49128325153020,"sku":"Scott","price":11399.05,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0800\/6605\/2348\/files\/A4D4E5CA-F93C-45AC-A86C-0B8FDCFB7829.jpg?v=1779559570","url":"https:\/\/thebourbonvaulthq.com\/products\/a-h-hirsch-reserve-15-year-old-gold-wax","provider":"THE BOURBONVAULT HQ","version":"1.0","type":"link"}