Found a bottle of Cognac from 1969...

[Rogers72]

While cleaning out my late grandmothers home, I found a bottle of Courvosier with a tax stamp dated Feb 1969 on it. I would assume that it is like most spirits and does not age after it has been bottled but would it still be any good to drink? I may just save it as a keepsake. My experience with Cognac is almost non-existent but it appears to just be their basic V.S. It has been stored at the bottom of a dark closet for 40 years at about 75 deg. I would assume. What do you guys think?

[android]

While cleaning out my late grandmothers home, I found a bottle of Courvosier with a tax stamp dated Feb 1969 on it. I would assume that it is like most spirits and does not age after it has been bottled but would it still be any good to drink? I may just save it as a keepsake. My experience with Cognac is almost non-existent but it appears to just be their basic V.S. It has been stored at the bottom of a dark closet for 40 years at about 75 deg. I would assume. What do you guys think?

KG will know the answer.

[thechenman]

Unless it holds some special sentimental value as it relates to your grandmother, I would open it up and give it a try. Cognac does not age in the bottle, and if you stored adequetely should taste fine. Or better yet...save it until her birthday and crack open the bottle and enjoy a glass or two with a cigar in her honor.

[Ken Gargett]

Unless it holds some special sentimental value as it relates to your grandmother, I would open it up and give it a try. Cognac does not age in the bottle, and if you stored adequetely should taste fine. Or better yet...save it until her birthday and crack open the bottle and enjoy a glass or two with a cigar in her honor.

comletely agree. make certain it is their basic and that you have not stumbled on to something truly special but otherwise, it will be a basic cognac, perhaps a little dusty and without any real freshness.

[n2advnture]

I had a similar situation when my uncle passed away several years ago. Since my father doesn't drink, he gave me the collection of alcohol. Stuff from the 50's, 60's & 70's.

I knew nothing about this stuff so I called all the mfgs. Most do not age in the bottle but they all did tell me that there are people who pay a premium for old bottles for the collectibility of the labels.

I had 6 bottles of port that I couldn't find anything about (Cockburn). I sent digital pictures to all the auction houses and nobody could tell me anything about that particular bottle but they all guessed that it was just a basic tawny port and wouldn't estimate a value.

Not being a port drinker, I started to give the bottles to people who I knew appreciated port (gave 1 to Roman aka "Docrks"). Everyone I gave the bottle to said it was one of the best bottles of port that they had ever had for the exception of 1 bottle that apparently wasn't very good.

Not that it matters because I still would have given it away to those who would appreciate it more than I would, it turns out that each bottle was worth about $1200 USD

[tucomapache]

I got a 36 year old bottle of Crown Royal I need to crack open soon.. It also had the date stamp...

[Ken Gargett]

I had a similar situation when my uncle passed away several years ago. Since my father doesn't drink, he gave me the collection of alcohol. Stuff from the 50's, 60's & 70's.

I knew nothing about this stuff so I called all the mfgs. Most do not age in the bottle but they all did tell me that there are people who pay a premium for old bottles for the collectibility of the labels.

I had 6 bottles of port that I couldn't find anything about (Cockburn). I sent digital pictures to all the auction houses and nobody could tell me anything about that particular bottle but they all guessed that it was just a basic tawny port and wouldn't estimate a value.

Not being a port drinker, I started to give the bottles to people who I knew appreciated port (gave 1 to Roman aka "Docrks"). Everyone I gave the bottle to said it was one of the best bottles of port that they had ever had for the exception of 1 bottle that apparently wasn't very good.

Not that it matters because I still would have given it away to those who would appreciate it more than I would, it turns out that each bottle was worth about $1200 USD

i've got some very old bottles of inner circle rum - more for sentimental and curiousity reasons than quality.

any chance you'd still have a photo of the cockburns. their 1927 is one of the greatest vintage ports i've ever tried.

[Rogers72]

Thanks for the help guys. I checked and it definitely appears to be the run-of-the-mill V.S. I will crack it open and try it soon and review it along with a cigar.

[semery74]

My Parents passed away several years ago. My sister allowed me to take all the alcohol from the house. Crown Royal, Seagrams VO,...nothing extravagant. All of which I had not really taken the opportunity to try up until cracking open their samples. The Crown and Seagram's I remember having wonderful aromas and really thinking to myself I could drink this on a regular rotation. But after finishing the those bottles, I ran out to get more from the liquor store. The new bottles are just not equal to the 40 year stuff. Either some sort refinement in the bottle had occurred, the recipe had changed, the distillation process is now different, or the ingredient quality has declined.