awesome Scotch collection for sale

I might be interested in a couple bottles once you get the list.

 

Lots of evaporation going great on there, corks will crumble.

 

Here's my dos centavos...

The picture didn't lend itself to being able to read many of the labels, although there are a few that stand out:

The VAT 69 on the far left is from the 1960's; blended Scotch, unusual bottle (the squat bottle as they called it), could be $150-180 in retail value

The Teacher's Highland Cream, also bottled in the 1950's-1960's, stands in the middle front. As far as I can tell from the way the label appears. Another whisky in broad circulation at that time.

Way in the back, the label with the black and white horse is a bottle of White Horse Whisky, a blended. The bottle looks like one from the 1950's, and the value can vary significantly in that era. It is an 8-year old blend in most cases, but they numbered their bottles, so it isn't that hard to figure out what it is. A normal bottle would probably be $150-300 today as a collectible, although a spring cap variety (with a spring or clip that allows you to open and close without searching for the stopper, pretty popular in mass market whiskies of that era) could be more than $1K.

None of the other bottles were visible enough to make more than a random guess. I'm interested to see the list if you get it, if for no other reason than to match the bottle to its maker.

In general, whisky does not have a cork, but a stopper (most often made from cork). The bottle is intended to stand instead of lie down like wine, which means there will be some evaporation. Absent other factors (exposure to sun or heat, mostly), it is normal, and does not affect the taste of the remaining liquid. It also does not age once out of the cask, so the taste will be remarkably the same as when it was purchased.

I'd tell him not to wash or clean the bottles, or disturb any of the packaging more than it is now. They are the equivalent of a "garage find" and someone may pay more for its original condition.

Blended whisky does not generally carry the value of an old bottle of single malt, though. The single malts are often valuable if they are the right brand, or come from an era where a brand was considered the best, etc. The blendeds were and are considered as drinks for mass consumption, although in the past ten years or so, they are beginning to compete well against their single malt cousins.

Until the recent craze to "collect", whiskies were considered as ways to stay warm on cold nights. That might mean there aren't many bottles left, which could help re value. There's also the possibility that one of them, however, could be a rare find, so it is critical to note any specifics on the labels re date bottled, serial numbers, specific type and notations, etc.

You can go to one or more of the Whisky Exchange-type sites and see what the bottles sell for, or possibly contact one of the whisky societies in the US or abroad for help. With rare exception, they are worth only what someone will pay for them, so shop any estimates around before deciding what to do.

 

Looking a little closer, the table seems to be filled with blended Scotch; I'd be surprised if there weren't bottles of Haigs, Bells and Buchanan, amongst others. Most of the bottles look like 1940's-1950's, so his estimate of the collection's age is probably pretty accurate.

There is a bottle of Ballantines in the squarish bottle midway back on the right side of the table (our left). If it is from the 50's, it would be worth around $250.

Next to the Ballantines on its right is a bottle of Glenlivit; unknown age.

There appears to be a bottle of Grants just right of the Ballantines closer to the front (the most popular whisky then and now, not an exclusive brand).

To the right of the Grant's, it looks like a bottle of Ambassador 25 (in the square bottle). The bottle looks to be from 1948-50; if so, it could be worth $150-200.

In the front, it seems to be a bottle of JW Black, although there are tags missing.

Left side mid-table is a bottle of Black and White Scotch, and the two bottles at our extreme left look like Dewars White Label, although the label seems off a bit, so perhaps not.

I re-read the OP, and the provenance, if proven, could add worth to it if a collector feels the brag factor of previous ownership is worth anything. Dwight was a noted Scotch drinker, so if these belonged to a brother, he probably shared them with his famous sibling in the White House.

OK, back to work; I have a life beyond Scotch, but can't remember why right now...

 

I had a 1941 Glenlivet and was very surprised to learn it wasn't worth anywhere near what I thought it should've been, so I drank it!

 

Looks like a Talisker in the back right?

 

Can't see clearly enough (I blew up the photo, but started to lose resolution pretty quickly). If it's Talisker, it would be a single malt; they shut down during WW2 and had a fire after re-opening, so if it is pre-war, it could be a more valuable bottle.

For the rest (except VAT 69, which is hard to miss) I was looking at the placement of seals and similar cues (plus knowing what people generally drank back then) to inspect those I could see well enough. The Ambassador box is at the back left as you look at the photo- brightest white with a red checked band about a half-inch below the open lid. Back right as we look at it looks like a Lagavulin bottle tag (vertical placement) but I can't find a photo of one of their old bottles to see if it is similar. Much better to do this than look at football, too...

 

De nada; let me throw a dart and have one for scouting them out hahahaha

 

It'd be interesting to hear what you find out or if you end up purchasing some or all of it. That's a pretty cool find whether you like scotch or not.

 

Here is what I see looking at the various photos. I'll do some loose vale estimates as I get some time later today (any xx's you see are obscured words)...

Back left as we look at it, the Ambassador 25 previously noted
Another Ambassador bottle to its left, no age statement
Ballantines and Grants as already noted
Ambassador box at back as noted
Old Forester box to its left, with Old Forrester bottle in front of it (round dark bottle, vertical stripe seal)
Black and White as noted
Gilbey’s Spey Royal Scotch to the left of Black and White, ten years old red stripe above label, Ajax liquor co., inc., shorter triangle bottle
Grant’s in green bottle behind the triangle bvottle of Gilbey’s
Taller 750ml bottle of Gilbey’s Spey-Royal to the left of the triangle Gilbey’s

Two bottles of Hudson’s Bay Royal Charter, tall bottles far left as you look at the picture
VAT 69 as noted at the front on that side
John Dewar and Sons, Perth, bottle fourth back. “Ne plus ultra” the very finest scotch whisky
Hudson’s Bay 1676 fifth bottle back on that side
Martins bottlecap behind it, xx George (St George, most likely) brand, red seal mid-label
Unk liquor, dark glass short bottle, poss 500 ml

Behind the Teachers, Seagrams, short bottle
Haig’s (Haig & Haig) two bottles behind the Seagrams
Old 1889 Brand Bourbon Whiskey (Kentucky) to the right of the Seagrams
Behind 1889, partially obscured Whyte xx ay’s 21 year old in clear round decanter bottle
To the left of Whyte, Corby’s Canadian Whisky, Montreal

Back right of the table, box for the Old Forrester that sits in front of it to its right. Old Forrester is in round dark color bottle with round label
In front of Old Forrester, Henry Watterson 16 years old, square dark color bottle with mustachio’d man on label

Along the right edge of the table as we look at it:
Two bottles of Old Rarity, one with significant evaporation
In front of the second bottle from the back, unknown square bottle, just can’t read the label, Henry J xx, The Amber of xx
Another bottle of Gilbey’s Spey-Royal ten years old in front of that
Second from the front is “Cream of the Barley” “extra special liquor Scotch whisky, looks like Alexander Stewart, Dundee
At the front, Campbell’s Pride of Edinburgh Special Liqueur Whisky

In the first line-up photo from left:
Unknown dark cognac bottle, no label visible
Henry Watterson 16 years old
Looks like the Merry Squire
Old Fashioned OTW straight bourbon whiskey
Xx lez Port
Gosling’s Black Seal
Unkonw bottle (Louis xx?)
Unknown bottle Cordializer
Sazerac cocktail
Merito ruby port, medium sweet
Two bottles of Kings Peppermint Schnapps
Bottle of Ron Moreno Superior Rum, Puerto Rico, Eduardo G onzalez
Bacardi Rum (Cuban era)
Barcardi Rum, Barcardi Superior de Bacardi y C., Puerto Rico
Ron Zorro Rum
Hennessey cognac, string wrapped bottle

Bob H

 

Thanks, no trouble, though. It is interesting to see these old bottles, most of which are otherwise lost to history. Back then, they were more useful as targets for plinking with BB guns than much else. When anything gets old enough, it goes from old to antique, I suppose... I'll see what some of the might be worth. Bob H

 

Any update on this? Did you buy it Rob? Would be a pretty cool story if nothing else!!

 

Doin a little necromancing tonight. Did you ever buy any of this? Like I probably already mentioned above I'm not a big scotch fan but I do think finding a collection like this amazingly interesting and cool.

 

That's too bad, would have liked to have heard about some of them.