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removing whisky labels

Maybe someone can offer a few ideas on this subject. I have always kept a record of all bottles of single malt scotch (and bourbon as well)that I have finished by removing the label and putting it in a small sketch book(about 70 labels so far). The general method I use is pouring steaming hot water over them although some require a good soaking. Glenmorangie and Signatory labels slide right off and Balvenie and Ardbeg OB labels are always a fight, several being damaged beyond repair.

Does anyone else have any alternative methods, especially for Murray McDavid and Blackadder labels? The former must be superglued on and the ink on the Blackadder labels runs when exposed to liquid. I have heard of a product aimed at the wine market that is basicly an adhesive that one places over the label and then rips it off the bottle, but I can not find this product. Does anyone know where to find it or does it even work? I now have a box of 16 empty bottles that are taking up closet space, so suggestions are appreciated.

Whisky212

Reply to
David
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David:

Acidentaly, I stumbled across this:

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Regards Ivar Svensson

Reply to
Ivar Svensson

Hi David,

As Ivar mentioned, Loch Fyne Whiskies

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sells a whisky label peeler. If you try it out let the group know how it works.

Regards, Johanna

Reply to
Johanna

I just ordered a pack of 20 from The Wine Enthusiast (thank you El Capitan) and will let everyone know how they work out. I should have them in a week or so.

Thank you all for the help, David

Reply to
David

Homebrewers usually have the handle on how to remove pesky labels since their usual goal is to reuse the bottle for their beer. Two products readily come to mind and are very good at soaking off labels and not damaging them. One is idophor, an inexpensive sterilant, mercurochrome like concentrate that dilutes from bright red to dull red when mixed with water. Another product is called Beerline Cleaner. It's easy on the labels and will dissolve the glue in short order. Both products are commonly available at homebrew shops or easily available online.

Ken

Reply to
Ken Montgomery

Since I work in a company which primarily prints wine labels, I can offer some informed opinions on this. (Yes, I get all the free wine labels I can drink ;>) The "easy" labels are applied to the bottle with collagen-based adhesive (ie: hide or fish glue) which dissolves handily in hot water. The "difficult" ones have a PSA (ie: self-adhesive) backing, which doesn't. I don't know whether the product you mention would help either. It would have to dissolve the adhesive without affecting the ink. As far as the Blackadder label's running ink, it may have been printed on a digital press (ie: "big fancy-ass copier"), and the ink melts at boiling water temperature. That's just a guess.

Russ

Reply to
bluppo

Just received 20 label savers from The Wine Enthusiast and went straight after the biggest problem labels, Murray McDavid and Blackadder. The Murray McDavid (a 1991 Springbank) came off without too much effort, the most important part being to put lots of pressure along the label's edge so that it doesn't rip. The Blackadder did not fair so well (a 10yo Mortlach) with the label now destroyed.

Reply to
David

Taking a moment's reflection, David mused: | | Just received 20 label savers from The Wine Enthusiast and went | straight after the biggest problem labels, Murray McDavid and | Blackadder. The Murray McDavid (a 1991 Springbank) came off without | too much effort, the most important part being to put lots of pressure | along the label's edge so that it doesn't rip. The Blackadder did not | fair so well (a 10yo Mortlach) with the label now destroyed.

Thought of using a glass cutter, and saving the bit of bottle behind it along with the label?

Reply to
mhicaoidh

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