What can stay in a bottle for 23 years and still be good?

December 12, 2005 11:03 AM

OldLiquorFilter: Help me find a decent bottle of something 23 years old and containing alcohol.

I want to get my (very hard to shop for) father a bottle of liquor for Christmas from the year I was born - 1982. After a very unfortunate incident with a 1982 bottle of Sauternes and a rotten cork, I'd really like some advice on what kind of drink I should be looking for. Whiskey? Bourbon? The downside is I'm sort of poor - I'm looking at a top price of $30, *maybe* $50 at the most. Dad has pretty high-end tastes, but I don't have a job.

On top of that - anyone know where I could get this mythical bottle in Philadelphia, or its suburbs?

posted by kalimac to food & drink (19 comments total)

I don't think you will be able to find a 23 year old Scotch for less than $80, maybe not less than $100.

A 1982 wine will run you hundreds of dollars.
posted by The Jesse Helms at 11:12 AM on December 12, 2005

Give a call to Welsh's Liquor Store in Lambertville or Kreston's Liquor Mart in Wilmington and ask for assistance.

Your quest will go poorly if you try to use Pennsylvania liquor stores.
posted by I Love Tacos at 11:12 AM on December 12, 2005

Oh, and I'm sorry to say that I also predict failure on your budget.

I glanced through the scotch lists at D&M, and didn't see anything in your price range. I'd be very surprised to find a wine in your price range that is that old and hadn't passed it's prime ten years prior.
posted by I Love Tacos at 11:17 AM on December 12, 2005

There are several 23-year-old whiskies available.
posted by Thorzdad at 11:18 AM on December 12, 2005

Your quest will go poorly if you try to use Pennsylvania liquor stores.

Definitely. Try Moore Brothers if you want wine. You won't find anything 23 years old in your price range, but they'll find you something interesting, I'm certain.
posted by Rothko at 11:28 AM on December 12, 2005

I'd suggest a bottle of port. It looks like you ought to be able to find some within your price range.
posted by ewagoner at 11:30 AM on December 12, 2005

Second on the perhaps overly optimistic budget, but that's still a really sweet thing to do.
posted by StickyCarpet at 11:32 AM on December 12, 2005

Port. It should be possible to find a 1982 vintage in your price range. Here are a couple that come close.
posted by mr_roboto at 11:34 AM on December 12, 2005

Excellent suggestion, ewagoner! I had totally forgotten about ports! A good, vintage, port is a great, unique gift.
posted by Thorzdad at 11:35 AM on December 12, 2005

Another vote here for port. According to this chart, the 1982 vintage was ‘good’ (rather than ‘very good’, ‘excellent’ or ‘outstanding’) so should be relatively affordable.
posted by misteraitch at 11:41 AM on December 12, 2005

Just for another option, blow $1k on an '82 Lafite Rothschild. It actually was a very good year for that house, although I present it more for interest. :)
posted by kcm at 12:10 PM on December 12, 2005

At least with scotches, a 1982 bottling probably won't be listed as a 23-year-old since age is measured only until the time bottled.
posted by Hubajube at 12:24 PM on December 12, 2005

Oh my God, you guys are amazing. Port it will be, and thank you! Clearly, I am a noob at this, and I and my father appreciate your advice :)

As a bit of a rider - is there anything that can be done with some long-spoiled dessert wine? (The 1982 Sauternes in my original post.) This stuff is foul, but would it be transformed, if I cooked with it? Backup plan is to pour out the contents and just keep the bottle around for decoration.
posted by kalimac at 1:00 PM on December 12, 2005

Port++. I can't stand the stuff, but my father absolutely adores it.

Not_shopping_in_PA++. The liquor store in my hometown in Missouri had better wine selections than the shithole "Mega Stores" here in Philly. I almost cried when I walked into one for the first time and discovered they a) don't have a real meade, and b) don't have a goddamn thing from the Loirraine Valley.

re: ressurecting your wine: Nope. If it's foul, it'll stay foul regardless of what you do to it. There may be an ancient Hare with Spoiled Wine recipe from Lower Slabovia or something, but I assure you that it's not going to be something you enjoy.

Throw it out.
posted by Netzapper at 1:14 PM on December 12, 2005

Not_shopping_in_PA++

Oh dear God yes. The state stores here make one weep. And if you still want real, good mead, drop me an e-mail. I know a guy in Southern DE who makes his own (for sale in large quantities), I can get you in touch with him. Huge range of excellent flavors - I especially recommend the Thunder Oak, honey mead mixed with brandy. Amazing stuff.
posted by kalimac at 1:18 PM on December 12, 2005

The general rule is to never cook with anything you wouldn't drink.

Go with the dump and recycle plan.
posted by terrapin at 1:22 PM on December 12, 2005

Not_shopping_in_PA *= INT_MAX;

I regret my two years in the Allegheny valley for this very reason (and the driving, dear lord, the driving). Look up the PA liquor laws if you're bored and want a laugh: no more than one 6-pack from a bar, no less than a case from a distributor, wine and liquor yet elsewhere and probably not other than business hours. Yay tolerance! Thus ends the derail.
posted by kcm at 1:28 PM on December 12, 2005

kcm - hey, at least the stores are open on Sundays now! That's...improvement. For us.

Oh, and don't forget - no buying single beers and of course no alcohol outside of state stores (The Wine and Spirits Shoppe, and specially-licensed beer distributors).

And people wonder why I want to go to leave the state for grad school.
posted by kalimac at 1:38 PM on December 12, 2005

The Minnesota answer is to go to Haskell's liquor store. They sell gift bottles of Armagnac with specific vintage years, so it's no problem to get a 1982 Armagnac. Their website lists 1982 Castille Armagnac at $64.99. Getting it into Pennsylvania may require a wink and a nudge.

Last time I bought armagnac there, the clerk told me that almost all the bottles of old armagnac they sell are for exactly your situation--"it's the year I was born".
posted by gimonca at 2:55 PM on December 12, 2005