Jamesons Irish Whiskey 1866-1887

Jamesons 1866.

Front Label Reads: Jameson's Pure Irish Majority Whiskey Made At The Distillery Dublin  1866.  Bottled In Bond By The Dublin Port & Dock Board On Attaining A Majority In 1887.

Rear Label Reads: S.Dening Wine & Spirit Merchant 72 High Street Barnstaple Single mould blown bottle typical of late 19th century glass production.

Natural variation in shape with bubbles and inclusions evident. Plain lead foil capsule over driven cork. Top of capsule shows significant erosion and rusting to reveal cork underneath although the remaining part of the upper capsule is still visibly attached to the rest of the foil (see images). Cork visibly shrunken and aged underneath which is consistent with a bottle of this age.

A small amount of natural sediment has deposited in the spirit which remains perfectly clear and visibly in excellent condition suggesting it should still be completely drinkable. 

Natural wear and aging evident to both front and rear labels. All text still legible under close scrutiny.

No indication of strength or capacity given. 1 distinct 45 degree cut to lower left front label approximately 3cm in length.

Other signs of wear and tear evident throughout consistent with age of bottle. Overall condition is very good for the bottle’s age and the level is remarkable.

This bottle has come from a private family in southern England. It was gifted to the vendor's grandfather around 1950 and has been in the family ever since.

The Wine Merchant referred to on the label was the Dening Wine & Spirit Vaults. The business closed in 1967 after a trading history stretching back over 300 years making it one of the oldest licensed premises in Barnstaple. 

The bottle itself was most likely produced to mark the arrival at 'majority age' of the Dublin Port & Docks Board in 1887, hence the use of the term 'Majority' on the label. Terence Brown's footnote in the Penguin edition of Dubliners reads: "The Dublin Port and Docks Board (Newly constituted in 1868) which was responsible for the control of the port, shipping and customs." 

Other notable points about this bottle are the spelling of the word 'Whiskey' it was not uncommon for the spelling of 'whisky' to be used in Ireland at this time, this represents an early example of the different spelling. This bottle would also have been distilled at the original Bow Street Distillery in Dublin which closed in 1971.

At this time Jameson's would have been an entirely traditional pure pot still whiskey, long before column stills were used in it's production. This is not only one of the oldest bottles of Irish Whiskey ever to come to auction but one of the oldest bottles of whisky of any kind to appear at auction, a true victorian bottling in remarkably well-preserved condition. 

Thanks to Dr Frank Shovlin of Liverpool University's Institute for Irish Studies and to Michael Essery of the Barnstaple Heritage Center for their valuable contributions whilst researching this bottle.