My Dad's 50 year old 'Vintage' Jack Daniels

[number six]

So my dad has this bottle of Jack Daniels he got sometime in the early 70s. He claims it's gotta taste really good given how old it is.

Problem is, it's spent most of the last 30 years in a Florida garage, so as you can see in picture #2 it's got quite a bit of things growing in it. So in short, no way in hell I'd drink any bit of this.

Now I have had some properly aged Jack Daniels before, the Father in Law has a bottle from the 1960s that hasn't been in a Florida Garage that actually did acquire a quite pleasant taste over the years. That's probably the oldest I've come across.. Anyone try anything older?

[Ron Donohue]

I have an early 1950’s bottle of Pinch.  It is sealed, has never been opened and has been in a climate controlled home for as long as my dad had it.  He got it some time in the early 70s from a friend that had owned a liquor store since the 1940s.  I have a picture, but no skills to put the picture in.

[Niloc]

It is sealed

That right there, is the key, and the one Number Six's father is missing.

[Ron Donohue]

I actually have another bottle of a related brand that I have not been able to date.  Apparently, lots of folks have old bottles of Pinch (which is a blended scotch) and not many of the other, so the research on that one is a bit more elusive.

[k7]

this is ron's

[Ron Donohue]

Thanks, Chris

[stf]

Once bottled, spirits are not supposed to "age".
Aging is done in the barrel.
Well, at least that's the theory.
Your dad bottle was open, so the alcohol has certainly evaporated. It does not look good, but how does it smell now?

[tufnel1530]

Id drink it and then calmly drive myself to the hospital. 

[Chris]

Yeah don't drink that. Once enough alcohol evaporates it's no longer safe to enjoy. And it hasn't aged, at least not in the good way.

I have a little collection going of rum minis, mostly 70s-80s. Oldest one I have is a 1940s Lemon Hart. There's partial evaporation, sadly, so it'll just have to stay on the shelf. My early 80s bottle of Lemon Hart is good to go though, suppose one day I'll open it.

[number six]

I have an early 1950’s bottle of Pinch.  It is sealed, has never been opened and has been in a climate controlled home for as long as my dad had it.  He got it some time in the early 70s from a friend that had owned a liquor store since the 1940s.  I have a picture, but no skills to put the picture in.

Yeah I'm sure it's not anywhere near the science experiment that the bottle I posted is.

[number six]

That right there, is the key, and the one Number Six's father is missing.

Probably that and the combination of the heat.

If I was Ashens I could drink it on a brown couch for youtube but I don't fancy the after effects.

[number six]

Once bottled, spirits are not supposed to "age".
Aging is done in the barrel.
Well, at least that's the theory.
Your dad bottle was open, so the alcohol has certainly evaporated. It does not look good, but how does it smell now?

I haven't had the guts to open it and take a sniff but next time I'm over there i'll see.. but my guess is like a swamp at this point.

[number six]

Yeah don't drink that. Once enough alcohol evaporates it's no longer safe to enjoy. And it hasn't aged, at least not in the good way.

I have a little collection going of rum minis, mostly 70s-80s. Oldest one I have is a 1940s Lemon Hart. There's partial evaporation, sadly, so it'll just have to stay on the shelf. My early 80s bottle of Lemon Hart is good to go though, suppose one day I'll open it.

Yeah makes sense.

Any alcohol I buy usually doesn't live long enough to 'age' in any shape or form lol.

[Chris]

Any alcohol I buy usually doesn't live long enough to 'age' in any shape or form lol.

On the subject, has anyone here done aging experiments with small (1-5L) barrels? It's a fun way to take meh liquor and improve it within 1-2 months. I aged some Buffalo Trace in a small barrel and it turned out great, then I aged Appleton 12 in the same barrel to impart some bourbon flavor into the rum, and that turned out nice as well. The barrel is basically junk at this point, maybe I'll age hot sauce in it before tossing it out.

We're doing dry January this month and it's been rough, like this has to be the worst month ever to quit drinking. Got a shelf full of bourbon and rum waiting to be raided next week lol.

[wsrainc]

I need to get in on this. I've developed a serious taste for aged bourbons. Tell me where one would acquire such barrels, should they be so inclined?