My Memories of Kinsey Distilling

[dave ziegler]

Not the same but ones Like Eagle Rare 17 yr Old, Ridgemont 1792, All Fairly High end Whiskeys I can afford are close but not the same they seem to miss the flavors moving around in your Mouth the way that Old Hickory Does. And they are not as smooth in their Finish but I really like the Eagle rare 17 Yr Bourbon, it has qualities like Old Hickory not the same but smooth and flavorful! The New Riitenhouse Rye is Great But not at all like our Version of it. The Old Mount vernon Rye from 1936-1942 I bought last summer is almost the same as Our Rye was! I have had shots from friends of Other very expensive Bourbons I could not afford and they are just not the same as Old Hickory. The Eagle Rare 17 Yr which is pricey for me is the closest also Regular Eagle Rare 10 yr reminds me a little of Our 80 Proof version.
If I were to Pick the Distiller who makes the closest it would be the Old Prentice Distillery in Ky.

To me it just seems that the Bourbons of Old are just different and in many hard to explain ways. I have when I have Old Hickory compared it with others and yet the Old Hickory always pleases me more!
Dave Z
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It Seems All The Nicest People Drink old Hickory
America's Most magnificent Bourbon
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[Jono]

That helps at least for a general profile....thanks!

[dave ziegler]

When I worked at Kinsey for Continental I grew to Love our Products to the point I did not buy anything but our Products. It was not just because I worked there that of course being part of it. It was because I thought Our Products were the best out there at that time!

And I have no doubt they were because if for no other reason Our State of the Art 1966 Bottling House which when it opened in fall 1965 was the most technologic Bottling House in the world. We had the Best of Labs with lots of Scientific Equipment and Of Course we had experiance from 1933 being one of the first to set up to make great Whiskeys Under Mr Si Neuman!

Those days the company was very inovative and till Mr Neuman died we kept up with the Lastest things. The Year mr Neuman died found us making Our Famous 1976 Libery Bell decanter for Philadelphia Blended whiskey. I am lucky to have 4 of them one being full yet in its box with owners manual and original recipt for purchase.

The Company how ever sure had their trouble with the Bell they leaked alot and thousands of them were defective.
Ludy told me they leaked on the Bell at one of the made to look like a crack spots and the maker refused to refund or replace them.
They had to even go to court about them.
But meanwhile they got others and continued to sell them through the Bicentential yr.

Ludy told me he could not count how many were taken down to the Dump and trashed but he saved some for History and gave me 2 of mine.
When it came to Blended Whiskey Philadelphia Blended was my Favorite and the recipe as far as I know for it was shared by Governors Club Blended whiskey. Other Blendeds Like Kinsey were different.

Now that I have the 4/5 Pint of Kinsey Silver Blended Ludy gave me I find it to be a Delightful Blended Whiskey that I enjoy very much but sadly only till the Bottle goes empty.

I like the Kinsey Blended enough that if I ever find any again I will buy it gladly!
Mr Kinsey Lived to be 94 Years Old early 1950's and Kinsey Distillery Operated till fall 1986 94 Years!
Dave Z
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Kinsey The Unnhurried Whiskey For Unhurried Moments
Join The Swing To Kinsey
Kinsey The Genial Gin
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[dave ziegler]

Here is a shot of the Old Sign from DSP-PA-12 right after i got it out of the Pile of Bricks Last fall. Not it is longer on the side with nails sticking out, the guys trimed that off plus took off the Old Metal that was part of what used to fram it on the still! Fricky is going to find something to coat it with to keep the paint from lifting any more where it is lettered as laying for years under the pile took its toll. I hope to find more exciting things like this in the next month or so when warmer days come before spring when everything grows.
Dave Z
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Kinsey The Unhurried Whiskey For Unhurried Moments
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[dave ziegler]

Well I got a good day yesterday and took a 2 1/2 hr walk through Kinsey and Got some pictures and a couple of treasures out of O building which was open then!
Here we go
1. The box and what is left of the Government Mens Christmas tree they put up every year in their office in Building O
2. Old time Hot Plate that Sam and the government men used to heat lunches on
3. I found one of the old Army coats they used to give us laying in a dirty pile belonged to one of the government Men
4. Here is the dump trough in Building O and tank platform where it was pumped to go to the Bottling house
5. Closeup of Trough O Building with old Bungs and charcoal laying in srceens
6. Ruin in O Building Kids just dumped tons of Caps for bottles everywhere.
7. I shot these next two shots through the door cracked partly open of Warehouse H the Last wood and brick Warehouse built by Jacob G Kinsey in 1936, amazingly it is not leaking much yet dry and Ok in parts
8. The frieght elevator in warehouse H the only Freight Elevator that still stands of them the ones in other buildings have fallen down door is raised as if it is ready to go get barrels it was one of these I took my ride straight down to the floor in but in warehouse E out front
9. Closeup of the old trough buried in the wreakage of the second floor of the Old Kinsey Bottle House out front.
10. Paper from what was left of an Old Hickory Display they were heavy cardboard and the state stores would set them up and stack bottles on them. I have two complete and perfect Inver House Red ones. I found this laying where Kids had torn up the rest of it in Bulding O and brought it home and cleaned it yesterday!
11. I found a bundle of very interesting papers up in the Government Locker room the first one here Compares whiskey Proofs with different Amounts of Heating in different areas and Floors in Explosion proof Warehouses S & T in April May and June of 1948 for changes of Proof they would go take samples take them to the Phila Lab back then and see if the proof went up or down.
This whiskey was all distilled at DSP-Pa-12 Linfield and notes that at the bottom
A Single Barrel of 1950 Production was Proofed. It was filled a 110 serial number -- B 674577-- location 3 floor 4th tier 102 temperature was 43
12.Barrels in Warehouses P, S, T,and Q April 1955 with heat added and the increase in proof with heat it says 4 Plus etc
13. Last sheet March 1955 It states at the bottom of this sheet that all these Kegs calls the barrels Kegs are Producted at Kinsey Distillery # Dsp-Pa-10 Rye still stored in warehouse P, Q, R, S and T
They are the only production of it, so that any tax Payment of Kinsey Rye 1948 would be under Proof at about average 98 proof.

One last note finding these shows that they still as of late 1940's and early 1950's made Kinsey Rye in the Old DSP-pa-10 Pot type still in the Old #10 Barn!

I will continue to try and find and save these kind of Papers for History, the last time I got in O Building I found the Mash Bills from 1951 there are no more that is why I took a Matched Recieved and Mash Bil set right to the Limerick Historic Society to preserve it for History. I have always loved History and there is nothing like being able yourself to save pieces of it!
Dave Z
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Kinsey The Unhurried Whiskey For Unhurried Moments
Kinsey The Genail Gin
Join The Swing To Kinsey
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Old Hickory America's Most Magnificent Bourbon
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[dave ziegler]

Well I got a good day yesterday and took a 2 1/2 hr walk through Kinsey and Got some pictures and a couple of treasures out of O building which was open then!
Here we go
1. The box and what is left of the Government Mens Christmas tree they put up every year in their office in Building O
2. Old time Hot Plate that Sam and the government men used to heat lunches on
3. I found one of the old Army coats they used to give us laying in a dirty pile belonged to one of the government Men
4. Here is the dump trough in Building O and tank platform where it was pumped to go to the Bottling house
5. Closeup of Trough O Building with old Bungs and charcoal laying in srceens
6. Ruin in O Building Kids just dumped tons of Caps for bottles everywhere.
7. I shot these next two shots through the door cracked partly open of Warehouse H the Last wood and brick Warehouse built by Jacob G Kinsey in 1936, amazingly it is not leaking much yet dry and Ok in parts
8. The frieght elevator in warehouse H the only Freight Elevator that still stands of them the ones in other buildings have fallen down door is raised as if it is ready to go get barrels it was one of these I took my ride straight down to the floor in but in warehouse E out front
9. Closeup of the old trough buried in the wreakage of the second floor of the Old Kinsey Bottle House out front.
10. Paper from what was left of an Old Hickory Display they were heavy cardboard and the state stores would set them up and stack bottles on them. I have two complete and perfect Inver House Red ones. I found this laying where Kids had torn up the rest of it in Bulding O and brought it home and cleaned it yesterday!
11. I found a bundle of very interesting papers up in the Government Locker room the first one here Compares whiskey Proofs with different Amounts of Heating in different areas and Floors in Explosion proof Warehouses S & T in April May and June of 1948 for changes of Proof they would go take samples take them to the Phila Lab back then and see if the proof went up or down.
This whiskey was all distilled at DSP-Pa-12 Linfield and notes that at the bottom
A Single Barrel of 1950 Production was Proofed. It was filled a 110 serial number -- B 674577-- location 3 floor 4th tier 102 temperature was 43
12.Barrels in Warehouses P, S, T,and Q April 1955 with heat added and the increase in proof with heat it says 4 Plus etc
13. Last sheet March 1955 It states at the bottom of this sheet that all these Kegs calls the barrels Kegs are Producted at Kinsey Distillery # Dsp-Pa-10 Rye still stored in warehouse P, Q, R, S and T
They are the only production of it, so that any tax Payment of Kinsey Rye 1948 would be under Proof at about average 98 proof.

One last note finding these shows that they still as of late 1940's and early 1950's made Kinsey Rye in the Old DSP-pa-10 Pot type still in the Old #10 Barn!

I will continue to try and find and save these kind of Papers for History, the last time I got in O Building I found the Mash Bills from 1951 there are no more that is why I took a Matched Recieved and Mash Bil set right to the Limerick Historic Society to preserve it for History. I have always loved History and there is nothing like being able yourself to save pieces of it!
Dave Z
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Kinsey The Unhurried Whiskey For Unhurried Moments
Kinsey The Genail Gin
Join The Swing To Kinsey
--------------------------
Old Hickory America's Most Magnificent Bourbon
_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_

I may go back to Kinsey this afternoon if the weather is not to bad to look for more History Papers! There is a good bit of Paper work to look through and some of it is either to dirty or ripped.I want to also Post some of the Fire drill paper work I found in warehouse H when I got in there last year before the door got blocked. I think the Papers about Proof Increase with heat are very interesting and also the paper that talks about Kinsey Rye made in Number 10 and the papers state all of the Whiskey tested was done at Kinsey some dsp-pa-12 and the Rye dsp-pa-10 hope everone enjoys them try to blend Pictures History and People that worked there in all of them. When I went in the Warehouses we were getting alot of the last of the Barrels of whsikey out of the Old Wood and Brick ones and it was very interesting and if you climbed the Wood Ladder up to the 6th tier kind of scary I most times rode the frieght Elevator up then just climbed the 3 lelvels on each of the Tier!
Dave Z
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It Seems All The nicest people Drink Old Hickory
America's Most magnificent Bourbon
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[dave ziegler]

Here are some of the wonderful things I have saved through the years from Kinsey for History.
1. & 2. My Explosion proof switchs Lit and not lit I have been working on them wire brushing them and they know look very good. I still have 3 other sets being done by an electrian friend I will get back in the future.
3. Closeup of the Potato Project Blue print Information corner
4. A This Sign is 4 feet Long from Building P I carried this thing out it is about a good mile I carried it but Kids had ripped it from the wall and I could not stand to see it rot!
4. B Complete Inver House state store setup I found a box full of these and got two putting one togher I have my Inver House on it
5. & 6. Two Barrel Heads I saved from the Plant dated 1963
7. Sign room F from Warehouse R inside firstfloor, 8... two signs from Warehouse P that go with the big one to make a complete set
9.. & 10. Here is a small complete Explosion proof Light Lens and Hood I brought home.
11. thru 14. This is a complete Philadelphia Blended Whiskey Libery Bell I bought private it has the box Wraping, Owners Manuel and Original Recipt for 19.95 & Tax! It is about 2/3 full, I had to repair and replace the cork.
This was one of the only two Decanters Continental ever made it was made in 1976/77 they also made the Andy Jackson one in 1955/56.
15. This is the heavy card board Panel from an old Cardboard Display setup for state stores The Kids had ripped it to hell but I cut repaired and restored this part in is about 2 foot high.
16. The Last thing is a Old Hickory Bar sign bought and given me by Jazzhead ( Kurt ) yesterday!

I hope to save many more things as I find them if I get the chance
Dave Z
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Old Hickory America's Finest Bourbon
It Seems All The Nicest People Drink Old Hickory
America's Most Magnificent Bourbon
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[dave ziegler]

While I was loading these Pictures above to put on this morning Last night I was talking to my Friend In Ca who was the top person I have ever spoken to that was an Excutive for Publicker and I was telling him about some of the stuff I have saved from Kinsey and He was truely delighted.
He also told me when he comes to Pa in the spring he will show me many Hundreds of Pictures of the Philadelphia Plant and I will be able to post some hopefully I have no pictures of it and the Pictures he has were from the days it and Kinsey and Our Chemical Plant in La operated so they should be awesome.

He also told me again about how much capacity Our Bottle House had we could do all our bottling for each given Day and also do all the bottling that Seagrams needed that same day.
Amazingly He has never had any of the Peanut Lolita Liqour I have and I promised him some when he gets here. I am really excited about talking Publicker for hours with him and he knows more then any other Living Person having overseen the building of all the Expolsion proof Warehouses in the early 1940's. The buildings he told me yesterday were built by a very Famous Builder Mc Cluskie Builders in Phila Spelled wrong by me I am sure and as I have written before the Brick Work was done by Kelly For Brick Princess Grace Kellys Familys bussiness. He also told me about Harry Publicker and what a great man he was also and a very brave man who lost both his legs in the 1950's and kept going learning to walk on Artificial Legs. He did not ever give up and He did many secret Donations to many things making sure like Mr Neuman always did that while He was living No One Would Know He did!


Dave Z
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Old Hickory America's Finest Bourbon
It Seems All The Nicest People Drink Old Hickory
America's Most magnificent Bourbon
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[dave ziegler]

I don't know why I forgot and took pictures of the Paper work I could have scaned them but in taking Pictures of the signs I did them with the camera. I will be scaning in some so it is easy to read the Paper work this week I have reams of Paper work from the plant even papers about selling Mr Medley Old Hickory Bourbon in bottles and Barreled whiskey. I also have many more Labels I want to post some of. We had over 115 Brands in our Hayday and even at the end Had wine we sold by the Name of Haller's Ros'e. If someone would have said that the place would be out of bussiness 15 years after I left I would never have believed it.

My last year there we were still very busy and the Most Important thing was Mr Neuman was still living and running everything. He was the driving force that kept the Company going. He had so many amazing Ideas and was never afraid to try them once he thought them out.

My Friend who was a high up EX said on sunday when I called him that if Mr Neuman would not have died so sudenly He thinks he would have got a team of the right people to insure the place continued after he was gone.
But he went in the hospital for something minor and got something like the Legion sickness while in and died. Once he died alot of people started to take advantage of a bad situation and used it to get money and the place just went on a down spiral that it never pulled out of. I am truely excited about talking to him this spring He lives I found out not more then a few miles from where I work.

He said to me you may well have sat across from me eating Lunch and not know it all these years. When I talk to him I will be able to get information about Production, brands and so many things that only He will know, He is the one person who is living that knows more about Publicker then anyone else and I am thankful he called me in Nov of Last year.

I can hardly wait to see the Industrial Pictures He has of the Publicker Plant and the Bigler street Bottle house in Phila He most likey is the only person with pictures of those plants I have never seen any.
Dave Z
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Old hickory America's Finest Bourbon
It Seems all The Nicest People Drink Old Hickory
America's Most Magnificent Bourbon
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[dave ziegler]

One of the weirdest things I remember was there was a fellow named Bob Nemiricter that worked in the warehouse when I was bumped in there and he was very jumpy ( Goosey they called it ) and there was another Bob who was a real Jokester. Well every Now and then he would sneek up behind Him and touch a broom handle at his butt and He would jump and his Left fist would go out in a punch. Well One day This Happened and there was another fellow right in front of him and he hit him and knocked him right down when the Handle touched him.

Well that stopped that for a while thankfully the guy who was hit was ok and did not report it.

And Remeber One time getting in a dice game at break we did alot of Dice those days if we were not in the mood to ride to the Break room especialy when it was cold out. Well this day I started in a game with .50 cents and by second break I was up to $50.00.

Well most times when the day ended you took what you won but not this day as the one guy Bob The Jokester who always won was determined that the game was to go one more full day for fun He said something new. Well by the end of the next day I had lost it all even my .50 and He had won everyones money that rolled the dice both days! We never did a two day game again!

I remember Poor Dickie Pfiefer getting so mad he just about Jumped Up and down, He had just got one of the Old 1941 Ford Flat trucks going and one of the Guys I think the Jokester Bob again had not watched backing up and ruined the Door. The truck had only been out of the shop maybe an hour!

I think back to Poor Old Dickie Pfiefer working over there in that little space in between the #10 Rye Barn and old Warehouse A just a tin roof a roll door dirt floor and a Radiator hanging down for heat and one Explosion proof Light with a green hood I have that hood here at home in his memory. It is no wonder He was always mad but he worked there because it was the one Place you could work on a truck out of the weather and he did everything from putting doors on the trucks to motors from the junk yard in. He kept them trucks running for better then 30 yrs.

These are such great Memories of the guys, and me as a young Kid there working For a great Company and learning about Whiskey!
Dave Z
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Old Hickory America's Finest Bourbon
It Seems All The Nicest People Drink Old hickory
America's Most Magnificent Bourbon
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