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Kenny Uisge
Member
Joined: 10 Dec 2010
Posts: 6
Location: In the shed, Surrey
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 Posted: Fri Dec 10, 2010 10:18 pm Post subject: Newbie with a dilema - what do I do with these 1970's malts. |
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First off - bought my first bottle of MACALLAN today - that'll be the Christmas treat - the last bottle I had was a Glen Ord (finished a couple of months back) - not the Singleton - the square bottle - had a few of those over the years; first visited the distillery (on my way up to Lewis) in the early 90's and fell in love with the dram - I personally prefer the previous bottlings to the Singleton, but...
Anyway... I'm an engineer born-and-bred in London with Hebridean parents, both now crossed the divide...
When my dad died in 2001 he left the family with a pretty good collection of minature malts - around 800 - the will split everything down the middle but I felt I did not wish the minature collection broken up, so I let my sister have them...
Whilst clearing the house up on the Island I found a selection of malts and blends adn a few came south with me - they've been stored in the loft since 2002 and they came down today to find out the obvious - should they be sampled, saved, or sold on...?
The logic... there was a manager of a Youngs pub on the Thames called the Bull at Barnes, a well known Jazz venue, but it also used to have a significant selection of Malts - Dan used to say that he had the "largest collection of single malts to drink in London...
I was working in the site one day when I noticed a rather unusual box on his back-bar - a bottle of St Magdalen... I asked if he had connections with Linlithgow, and he was suprised to admit he had, but asked how I knew and I pointed to the bottle - my dad had a minature (as he had many others now gone) so I knew of its rarity...
He opened it on the spot and insisted I join him in a dram... to say I was shocked was an understatement...
"They're here to be drunk, not to be looked at; it's just that no one has ever had the nerve to ask me to open the bottle..." (I think all he needed was an excuse to open it...  )
I don't have enough experienece to discuss nose, etc, but I can tell you that it was an exceptionally smooth drink, not that disimmilar to the old Glen Ord to me... 
So - six bottles two of which I believe are blends - as follows...
20 year old "The Real MacKenzie" with the cut-glass bottle and stopper, in box
1972 dated 70 proof Talisker (some "angels" have had a minor go and it has some minor sediment?)label is damaged
12 yr 47% 94 US proof Glendullan in box - label is discoloured
12 yr 70 proof Glenlivet in box
12 yr Glenesk in round box with stuck on 40% label
12 yr 76 proof Dewars "Pure Malt" in box (bought in Woolworths for £8.05)
None of then is in tip-top condition - I can post pics if anyone wants to verify if anything uncertain...
Any advice would be greatfully appreciated...
Yet another Kenny... 
_________________
I should never have opened that one... Oh well... Slainte Mhath...! |
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soundmangt4
Double Malt Member
Joined: 30 Aug 2010
Posts: 134
Location: Bromsgrove, UK
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| Posted: Sun Dec 12, 2010 9:18 am Post subject: |
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Open, drink, enjoy!
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Rob Hughes
Scotch Malt Whisky Society member
www.smws.co.uk |
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Andy M
Master Of Malts
Joined: 09 Jul 2007
Posts: 1212
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| Posted: Sun Dec 12, 2010 2:47 pm Post subject: |
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Hi Kenny
I am no expert on whisky valuation but i think some of your bottles will be worth quite a few pounds. For example the Glenesk which was known as Hillside before 1980 could be worth quite a bit. Glenesk closed in 1985 so i would think it is a 1980s bottling you have, if you look over at The Whisky Exchange they have a couple of 1980s bottling, one priced at £299 and one priced at £1200. I think TWE also have the Glendullan 12 priced at £199. I am sure the other bottles you have will be worth quite a bit also.
I know you cant put a price on sentimental value but i would recommend contacting one of the whisky specialist auctioneers who should be able to give you a better idea of all your bottles value. I recommend Mctears in Glasgow or Bonhams in Edinburgh. You could also contact The Whisky Exchange who buy as well as sell rare and collectable whisky like yours so they may make you an offer. |
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Bookie
Master Of Malts
Joined: 15 Sep 2008
Posts: 945
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| Posted: Sun Dec 12, 2010 3:33 pm Post subject: |
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Hi Kenny
Only you can decide on whether to drink them or not but it does look like your dad kept these knowing they would be worth something one day. With you living in London i would recommend talking to the people at The Whisky Exchange who should be able to help you with a value and perhaps make you an offer for them, probably best leaving it to the new year though as it will be hectic this time of year at the TWE shop i would think. |
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Kenny Uisge
Member
Joined: 10 Dec 2010
Posts: 6
Location: In the shed, Surrey
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| Posted: Sun Dec 12, 2010 8:00 pm Post subject: |
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Thanks for the responses...
I appreciate the "sentiment" Soundman - and Bookie, I'm in no rush to part with or open any of them but, I am realsitic, and I know what I like (Glen Ord - pre "Singleton" though I found Scapa to be a nice dram)...
I would hate to open one of them knowing it had a rarity value and find it not to my taste - that would be a shameful waste...
The only one I previously looked up was the 20 yr MacKenzie (blend?) - I brought that down from the loft in 2008 planning to open it for what would have been my late parent's 50th but I made the mistake to look it up... it was bought for my mum (who couldn't stand whisky - go figure) - I was tempted again for our 20th last year, but... the Glen Ord came out...
When my dad was on his way out (2001 - wife, daughter and I spent his last month with him up in Lewis), He asked me to bring in a Glenfiddich (his prefered) and some glasses so he could share some drams with his friends - sentimentality...? yep, still have the glasses and I was the last one to share a dram with him and my wife and I spent his last night with him at the hospice...
The great love of his life was his minature collection - I could not think of it being broken up - my sister's responsibility now...
Andy - checked the references you pointed me to and they are there - lower values... (wife nearly had kittens when I said the latter price  )
Couldn't find a direct reference to the '72 Talisker but noticed that they reference "Distillery" - bottle notes "G&M" which I know do there own bottling and marketing...? I also am concerned about the "sediment...?"
The Glenlivet and the Dewars I presume are not so uncommon - does anyone have knowledge on these, re taste...?
I've started to read some of your postings - some serious purchases people...
I'm on call the week up to Christmas eve so the Macallan will be saved for post this point...
Slainte
Kenny
_________________
I should never have opened that one... Oh well... Slainte Mhath...! |
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Big Mac
Master Of Malts
Joined: 02 Nov 2006
Posts: 2216
Location: USA - Formerly Scotland
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| Posted: Mon Dec 13, 2010 1:38 am Post subject: |
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| Kenny Uisge wrote: | | Couldn't find a direct reference to the '72 Talisker but noticed that they reference "Distillery" - bottle notes "G&M" which I know do there own bottling and marketing...? I also am concerned about the "sediment...?" |
Sounds like this is an independent bottling of Talisker from Gordan & Macphail who are a well respected independent bottler. i wouldnt be too concerned about the sediment it is most likely an non chill filtered whisky. A non-filtered whisky that is 46% ABV or lower will go cloudy when water or ice is added and when the whisky is cooled. This is seen as undesirable by some consumers, and the distillers react by removing the offending particles from the whisky, so that this doesn't happen. The distillers want their whisky to be seen as a top quality product. Whiskies above 46% ABV do not require chill filtration, as the higher alcohol level prevents this cloudiness from occurring.
Cloudiness is caused by the natural fatty acids, esters and proteins that are present in the whisky. These occur naturally during the distillation process and are also imparted from the cask during maturation. When the whisky is cooled, these fatty acids, esters and proteins clump together to give the cloudiness. A whisky that is not chill filtered is also likely to develop sediment in the bottle if stored in a cool place, but this is harmless.
Many believe the removal of the natural fatty acids, esters and proteins alters/removes some of the aroma, flavour and characteristics and leaves you with a diluted product. Therefore it is common with independent bottlers to not chill filter whisky.
I would think this bottle would be considered rare and collectable and may fetch £100 -£200 maybe more just my guess. Talisker is a very good whisky IMO so i am sure you wont be disappointed with it if you decide to open it.
Dewars is a decent blend and very popular particularly in the US, but it looks like you have a Dewars Pure Malt which could mean it is a blended malt. The term Pure Malt is not allowed to be used these days as it is misleading. If i recall correctly this bottle may be from the 1980s. i am sure you will enjoy it if you decide to open it. I would guess there will be a lot of Aberfeldy in it as the distillery is owned by Dewars, so i would guess it will be a pleasant fruity whisky. Probably worth a few pound given its age.
Glenlivet is a decent whisky also if you decide to drink it. A 1970s/1980s bottling of Glenlivet will be worth a few pound also £100-£200 maybe more.
The prices i quote are just my guesstimate if you decide to sell at auction for example it just depends on the bidders on the day they could fetch much more or less than the prices i have mentioned. |
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Kenny Uisge
Member
Joined: 10 Dec 2010
Posts: 6
Location: In the shed, Surrey
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| Posted: Wed Dec 22, 2010 10:20 pm Post subject: |
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You've been most helpful with that info... thanks...
I'll do some thinking on this and check out some ideas in the new year...
I'd be reticent to go to auction with these; if I did decide to part with them I'd probably look for an exchange deal as I don't wish to "profit" from these...
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I should never have opened that one... Oh well... Slainte Mhath...! |
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