Unknown 19th Century Spirit - Believed To Be Irish Whiskey

1 bottle of unknown spirit. Black single mold bottle typical of 19th-century glassmaking. Natural variations in shape with bubbles and inclusions evident. No seal or label. Approximately 75cl. Driven cork showing significant signs of shrinkage which is consistent with a bottle of this age. Due to the complexion of the glass, we are unable to advise whether there are signs of cloudiness or oxidation. Please note this bottle bears debris and we can not guarantee it will not be disturbed due to handling.

This bottle was part of a consignment of over 100 bottles discovered in a farm out-building in Ireland in 2019.

A randomly selected bottle was analysed and was judged to be mixed grain whiskey, mainly pot-distilled but possibly containing a proportion of continuous distilled whiskey, possibly up to 50%. From the 1800s and matured in wooden casks, probably oak, most likely of American origin. The alcohol content of the sample bottle was found to be 55.6%.

Level of liquid in this bottle is currently: Position 6.

For provenance of this collection please read our Blog to learn more.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION: We cannot guarantee the contents of this bottle nor can we advise that it is drinkable. This bottle is being auctioned as a historical piece, the contents are not guaranteed potable and are not recommended for consumption.

If you do so, it is at your own risk. We highly recommend personal inspection before you bid. Appointments can be made by emailing auctions@whisky-online.com.

We also highly recommend personal collection due to the fragile nature of the bottle and cork. However, shipping is available at your own risk; while every possible effort will be taken to ensure security during transit, no guarantees can be given regarding leakage. Please consider all the above before you place any bids. 

Although we highly recommend that the contents are not consumed, our freelance drinks writer Tim Forbes bravely tasted six different samples back in 2019. We would like to stress that the six samples were tasted from random bottles with different filling levels to give a broad overview of the differing contents, whether good or bad.

You can find our tasting notes over on our Blog.

Comments from Tatlock and Thomson (Leading experts who have provided scientific services to the drinks trade for over a century):  “It is not possible to age exactly the whiskey. Radiocarbon dating may be a further option for you. The analysis we carried out suggests it was a mixed grain whiskey, mainly pot-distilled but there may be a proportion of continuous distilled whiskey, possibly up to 50 per cent. While we are fairly certain it was produced in the 1800s and matured in wooden casks, probably oak, most likely of American origin. From a sensory point of view, the whiskey had an earthy taste and aroma which could have been derived from the site that it was found or from yeast or other microbes used in the fermentation. The general quality relative to today's standards for Irish whiskey, is poor. The method of fermentation would have probably been grains-in since the ester levels were not high.”

NA.