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20year old Old Hickory

Unread postPosted: Mon Sep 26, 2011 10:25 pm
by Farmall1
Good day, a while back I purchased a bottle of 20 year old,Old Hickory. it was bottled in 1965. The same year I was born. I purchased it to open on my 50th birthday. Lately it's been burning a hole in my pocket to crack it open early. What do you all think? My plan is to have a bourbon tasting party. Just 4 years early is all. Will it be as smooth as I hope? or should I just wait? Thanks Martin

Re: 20year old Old Hickory

Unread postPosted: Tue Sep 27, 2011 11:19 am
by silverfish
As tempting as it is, if it were me, I would wait. Finding older bottles is
tough enough and if you want to host a tasting party, there are plenty of
current bottles you could offer.

Of course, I might be biased as I have a few bottles saved for my 50th and
can appreciate your desire to crack 'em open but you could always share
that special one with friends on your 50th.

Re: 20year old Old Hickory

Unread postPosted: Tue Sep 27, 2011 1:45 pm
by vince
Life is too short, I would open it now and enjoy it with friends!

Re: 20year old Old Hickory

Unread postPosted: Wed Oct 05, 2011 7:39 pm
by Bourbon Joe
The whiskey should be fantastic.
Joe

Re: 20year old Old Hickory

Unread postPosted: Thu Oct 06, 2011 6:43 pm
by EllenJ
Farmall,

Your story reminds me of one of my own favorites...

Like you, I acquired a bottle of bourbon whose year of origin corresponded to my own. My wife and I have a pretty large collection of American whiskey, mostly opened and available for tasting, and it was my intention to keep this particular bottle (which happened to be a very unusual and rare example, not a common brand, and in pristine and unopened condition) forever, as far as I was concerned. My idea was that I would never taste this whiskey, at least directly. I wanted my closest friends to open and enjoy it at my wake when I pass to that great saloon in the sky.

I bought the bottle in a sale on eBay.

It arrive a week or so later, in perfect condition.

My lovely wife looked at the bottle of perfectly clear, polished bourbon from the mid 1940s and asked, "When can we open and taste it?"

"We can't" I reminded her. "This needs to be set aside until after I'm no longer here in the flesh. I want this to be opened at my wake, and I'll join y'all in spirit, so to speak"

"Oh," said she, and placed the bottle back onto the shelf... with a lingering glance as she turned back to other things.

But her attention never really strayed far from that lovely bottle of bourbon, and over the next few days, she seemed to be ever more interested in it.

Finally, she came to me, bottle in hand, and asked me... "I'm sorry, John. I just keep forgetting... just WHAT was it you said I have to do in order to get a taste of this whiskey?"

... I want you to know that bourbon was totally delicious. We still have some of it left, in case you ever get a chance to visit.
Oh, and yes, I found an example of another (more commonly found) bourbon from the same year and we ARE saving that one for "later".