Old Jim Gore Bourbon - 35-40 yrs old.

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I recently aquired an unopened bottle of 100 Proof, "Old Jim Gore" Bourbon.
The label states "Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey"
It was distilled by "Chapin and Gore" / Reg Dist No.42 / Bardstown, Kentucky.

Does anyone know anything about the history of this Bourbon. I've come up with nothing so far. I know that it's at least 35 - 40 years old.

[bourbonmed]

Zapster,

One question: How did you determine it's 35 to 40 years old? Please give us a little background on the bottle -- how you came to acquire it and any preliminary investigation you have conducted. Please describe any dates, stamps, markings, etc. on the bottle or label.

This will assist our bourbon forensic team and keep it from becoming a sequel to the Old 1889 Royal mystery. Perhaps you can post a photo and let us all take a look.

Be well,

Omar

[boone]

DSP # 42 are the makers of this bourbon. I do not know who they are. Heaven Hill is DSP # 31. Is there is a goverment warning on this bottle? Are the words government warning underlined? This will help determine the age. A picture or a better discription such as size written on the bottle cap description etc. would help. AND YES FOLKS, Heaven Hill owns the label Chapin and Gore. We bottle it at 80 and 86 proof.

boone

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Thanks for the responses...

I aquired this bottle of Old Jim Gore from my father-in-law who has had it for over 30 years. (at least)
The seal on the top of the bottle is green and has a picture of John G. Carlisle on it.(He was Sec. of State under Grover Cleveland 1893-1897) It states "Bottled in Bond under the supervision of the U.S. Government Internal Revenue Bonded Warehouse"
The serial No. on the seal is 18-8095467

The stopper is imbossed with the words "Best in the World" in a circular pattern.

The bottle is embossed with "FEDERAL LAW FORBIDS SALE OR RE-USE OF THIS BOTTLE"

The back label lists the distiller as Chapin and Gore, Reg. Dist. No. 42, Bardstown, KY. Bottled at I.R.B.W. No. 80, KY.
There is also a Caution Notice refering to sections 2903-2909 of the Internal Revenue code.

The back label also states Kentuky Straight Bourbon Whiskey, 100 Proof, 4/5 Quart, Distilled in Kentucky.

I'll get a picture of it soon if it will help.

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You can see pictures at http://gjcdesign.com/jimgore/

[cowdery]

First, I'm going to assume that when you say the bottle is at least 35-40 years old, you mean that it was apparently bottled 35-40 years ago, not that the whiskey inside was aged that long in wood. That is an important distinction.

Referring to Sam Cecil's book, here's what I find. RD#42 is the Fairfield Distillery in Fairfield, Kentucky, which is a wide spot in the road a few miles east of Bardstown. The other, more famous distillery in Fairfield was Henry McKenna.

The Fairfield Distillery was built in 1935-36 by Lewis Guthrie. McKesson Robbins bought it in 1942 and used it to make alcohol for military use (not for drinking). Schenley bought it after the war and resumed making whiskey. Chapin and Gore, and Old Jim Gore, were brands owned by McKesson, which Schenley continued to produce. The plant stopped distilling for good in 1955 but continued to age and bottle whiskey there for some years thereafter. Heaven Hill bought the operation, including the brands, and used the warehouses for a while. Everything is gone now.

This all means that the whiskey you have probably was distilled at that plant prior to 1955, probably between 1945 and 1955.

--Chuck Cowdery

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Thanks Chuck,
I now have to wonder what it tastes like.[IMG]/wwwthreads/images/smile.gif[/IMG]

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Schenley Distilleries owned that label and it passed on to United Distillers. Unless Heaven Hill or Barton picked it up it is probably a dead label. Schenley owned the Fairfield distillery from the mid 1940's until they closed it in the early 1960's. This whiskey was probably made there just before they closed. Heaven Hill now owns the warehouses at the site but the distillery is long gone.
Mike Veach