Bourbon with the Papal Seal: Charity auction opens for 10-year Willett honoring Pope Francis
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Pope Francis has now held his position for a decade. And in Father Jim Sichko's eyes, there's no better way to honor the moment than with a 10-year bottle of high-end Kentucky bourbon – with the Pope's Coat of Arms.
Sichko announced Monday plans to release 125 bottles of a rare 10-year Willett bourbon with the Papal Seal, with money raised going toward supporting the Papal Missionary of Mercy. According to a news release, the bottles will be available through an online auction and raffle on Sichko's website and at Ernie's Spirits on Harrodsburg Road in Lexington.
“As a Papal Missionary of Mercy and one who always brings Pope Francis a bottle of bourbon on my visits, this is a true honor for me and I am grateful for Willett Distillery, the Willett family and especially Willett’s Master Distiller Drew Kulsveen,” Sichko said in the release.
Sichko, based in Lexington, is known for his acts of kindness, including donating 10,000 N-95 masks to the Kentucky Department of Public Health, and his gifts – he made headlines for giving Pope Francis a bottle of Pappy Van Winkle seven years ago. He has been a Papal Missionary of Mercy, one of 1,000 across the world, since he was assigned by the pope in 2016.
The Willett family added the Pope's Papal Seal – his coat of arms – on the limited edition bottles and Sichko hopes Pope Francis will personally sign the first bottle. The bourbon is being released on the 10th anniversary of Francis' election.
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The release said donations for the bottles start at $1,000 and raffle tickets are $100 each. Three bottles will be included in the raffle.
The bourbon selected was from a January 2013 barrel distilled using an original recipe from the Willett Distillery. It was tasted by Sichko, the brand's master distiller, Lexington Bishop John Stowe, single barrel specialist Josh Devitt and other officials.
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Reach Ana Rocío Álvarez Bríñez at abrinez@gannett.com; follow her on Twitter at @SoyAnaAlvarez.
This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: 10-year Willett bourbon auction with Pope Francis' seal now open
