Corks in whiskey bottles

[david kipling]

Re-reading a favourite Evelyn Waugh war novel, I notice he refers to a corkscrew when someone opens a bottle of whiskey. He's writing about WW2, and I wonder if plain corks were commonly used? I am familiar only with cork stoppers removable by hand.

[Acker]

Hi David and welcome to the SMW forum.

I would myself only be familiar with corks which you removed by hand. the only reason to use a corkscrew i would think would be if ihe cork had been pushed too far into the bottle.

[david kipling]

I appreciate your quick response.
Maybe going back 60 years or more, plain corks were used? Do any other forum members know? The writer Evelyn Waugh was always very accurate factually, as well as enjoying a drink or four himself!

[Calder]

Plain corks would have been common in days gone by, you still get the odd bottling now such as this Clan Denny Islay bottling

[Samson]

[david kipling]

Thanks; I'm glad ot be reassured that Waugh was accurate. I have never come across Clan Denny. I am new to good whiskey. For years I drifted along with Smith's Glenlivet, until I inherited an Ardbeg from my father, and it truly hit the spot.
How would you all compare Clan Denny with Ardbeg, please?
While I'm at it, sorry for the overdone size and colour of my texts It is an indulgence, often rebuked on forums, that I am now letting go of.

[Kray]

David Clan Denny Islay is a no age statement vatted malt (or blended malt as they call it now) containing Ardbeg, Bowmore, Bunnahabhain, Caol Ila and Laphroaig and it is bottled by Hunter Hamilton Company, Glasgow which belongs to Douglas Laing who are a Glasgow based independent bottling. It is an excellent smoky whisky and well worth a try if you ever come across it.

[Keith]

Douglas Laing now bottle the Clan Denny in a normal round bottle and it comes in a cardboard tube. I havent tried it since they changed the bottle. I need to look out for a bottle as the decanter shaped Clan Denny Islay was a decent dram.