Advise wanted on how to open a bottle

[Special Reserve]

Any advise on how to open a bottle where the cork is known to break?

I'd like to open a CGL WT12 for Thanksgiving. I've have noting but bad luck with these bottle and Weller Centennial in that the cork almost always breaks upon opening.

Thanks for you comments.

Will

[WsmataU]

I would recommend trying to open the bottle normally.

Then, if the cork breaks:

1) Wine stores sell bottle openers that have prongs that slide in between the cork and the lip of the bottle. This will likely solve a "broken" cork issue.

Or

2) Just force the cork into the bottle and pour the liquid through a filter (tea eggs work well) into a decanter. It isn't the prettiest solution, but it will get you the bourbon without any real concern over having the cork contaminate the flavor.

Good luck!

[T Comp]

I've had good success with just a double hinged waiters cork screw. The prongs that slide in opener WsmataU suggests (aka butler or ah-so) is probably best but be careful if you haven't used one before as it can also push the cork in. The fine crumbly dust on top is the most problematic so, a few forced exhalations of your breath through pursed lips, into the cork area, are appropriate before any extraction (no, I didn't say give it a blow job ).

[StraightNoChaser]

I've had to do this for broken corks before. Works like a charm and there is no mess, no tools and no need to filter the juice

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZuGfjtBffiE

[Enoch]

I've had to do this for broken corks before. Works like a charm and there is no mess, no tools and no need to filter the juice

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZuGfjtBffiE

Pretty cool. I'm going to try this tonight with a bottle of wine. I just use a cork screw very carefully. With older WT I try to carefully rock the cork back and forth.

[StraightNoChaser]

Pretty cool. I'm going to try this tonight with a bottle of wine. I just use a cork screw very carefully. With older WT I try to carefully rock the cork back and forth.

It really is the best method. Works like a charm and everyone has a heeled shoe laying around they can use.

[MarkEdwards]

So nobody has a Russian saber?

[Special Reserve]

I've had to do this for broken corks before. Works like a charm and there is no mess, no tools and no need to filter the juice

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZuGfjtBffiE

Very cool,

I think I'm going to give that a try, even if it only moves the cork a little it should help getting it out the first time without breakage. I've broken too many old corks in CGL WT12.

Thanks for post the YouTube video.

Will

[jburlowski]

The other posters here are spot on. If the cork breaks, use a two pronged "Ah So" cork puller to try to remove the remainder of the cork. (Or, if you highly suspect the cork will break, use the Ah So, from the get-go.)

If this doesn't work, push the remainder of the cork into the bottle, decant the contents through a coffee filter into another vessel, and enjoy.

[bcrossan]

Here is trick in case the bottom part of the cork goes into the bottle

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NLMH0NrdfNE