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what's this???

I found two pint bottles of interesting scotch last week when a small family owned grocery store was closing its doors. Back in a dusty corner of a storage room were some bottles of what appeared to be very old, dusty bottles of bourbon and scotch. Two similar bottles caught my attention...VAT 69 black label scotch. What was fascinating were the lids, a sort of pigtail cap with a lever used for sealing the lid to the bottle. The scotch was quite good, but no bottling date appeared anywhere on the labels. The store's owner had no idea of their age. Anyone have some knowledge of how old the bottles might be or, for that matter, information on VAT 69 black label?

Ken

Reply to
Ken Montgomery
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I remember Vat 69 as a decent but not outstanding blend in Canada when I first started drinking scotch 35 or 40 years ago. I have no memory of how it tasted.

Some googling finds that the brand has been around since 1882 and is currently owned by Diageo, which I think is the biggest liquor producer in the world.

Its web site indicates Vat 69 is still being made, and its major markets now are Spain, Venezuela and Australia. The illustration shows a black label, and there's no indication there is more than one expression.

I doubt you have anything special there. It may be several decades old, but for drinking purposes, it's the same as when it went into the bottle

-- a mass-market blend -- if it hasn't got spoiled in the meantime. If it's drinkable, enjoy.

bill

Reply to
bill van

VAT 69 is a decent blended whisky - probably my favourite blend until I discovered Black Bottle. Like most blends it (currently) uses a screw cap.

If I were to hazard a guess I'd say you have some sort of commemorative bottling.

Any chance you could post a picture? If needs be you can email it to me and I'll webhost it for you.

Jim

Reply to
Jim

Thanks Bill. The VAT 69 was well past its prime, I'm sure, but the labeling and closure were visually fascinating. I have had the VAT 69 Gold and it certainly was one of the poorer scotches I've ever had...Ken

Reply to
Ken Montgomery

I should have saved the bottle and cap. Unfortunately, it was disposed of after the scotch was consumed. I talked with a scotch afficionado--an elderly gentleman--who told me the scotch was probably a product of the late 1940s or early 1950s, a time between when corks were primary closures and screw caps were still a novelty.

Reply to
Ken Montgomery

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