Please help ID this WT 101 12 YO for me

[Tarheel72]

Does anyone have any info about the WT 101 12 year old that I have? It is wrapped in a brown tissue paper and is boxed in a wooden box with a small latch on it. The label indicates it was made from a special batch of 600 barrels. I am not sure of the date but I think it is early 80's maybe? Anyone have any comments on its taste? Value? thanks.

[polyamnesia]

how did you get this? it's a beautiful sight and i assume it will be very tasty!

[Tarheel72]

I bought it myself and stored it in my library, but never opened it. I was poking around in there and found it. I sort of forgot about it. I have tried to get some info but haven't run across it on the Internet yet. At least not that I can specifically ID with this version; box, tissue paper, etc.

[ACDetroit]

Looks to be an early release 12 yr old. very good stuff, I have a 12 yr old split label open currently and it is also very good! You will not go wrong with it and if you picked it up in the late 80's early 90's you paid very little for it! I think the last couple I grabbed were mid to high $50's but I did find a few in the low $30's as well. I personally would love to compare the 2 but have not found a WT 12 yr old from that time frame!

Good luck you have a really tasty bottle there!

Tony

[shoshani]

I wish I could find some of this! I love WT 12YO, but have not seen it for far longer than I care to admit. I have a bottle of the flagship 101 bottling but it is not as honeyed or complex as 12YO. It doesn't even strike me as being as rich as it was just a decade ago, but whiskey changes like every other natural product.

[Virus_Of_Life]

That is [from what I know] the very first release of WT 12year that was, back then, not intended to be an ongoing product. The beyond duplication was much more prominent then, later versions of the 12year bottling still said it but in a much more subdued way. I believe it was only released at holiday time for a while before it then went Gold Foil, then Split Label... And the rest as we are all too aware is history. I can't recall the the original release year but from what I remember I am thinking early to mid 80s but I am not sure. There are some on this board that can probably nail it to the year and I am sure upon seeing those great photos will chime in.

You have quite a rarity there, congratulations! And thanks for sharing.

[ThomasW]

Great looking label! I like the flying turkey, cool!

[Special Reserve]

Both the split label and the Cheesy Gold Label have a date stamped on them. Later today I'll look and post where, but I have a work day first.

Will

[Tarheel72]

Thanks for all of the info everyone. I do believe that I got this in the early 80's but couldn't swear to it. I was then and still am a die hard WT 101 drinker. I have others on the shelf but always go back to ole reliable and she never let's me down. The Turkey, not my wife! Anyway, I held on to it and put it away and thought that I would pull it out for some special occasion but I guess I never had one special enough yet. When I saw it recently it got me to thinking, and I began to wonder just how rare is this bird. Your input is greatly appreciated.

Tarheel

[Special Reserve]

The split label WT12 has a date (presumed bottling date) printed on the lower portion of the seal, mine is 5/7/98. The CGL WT12 has a date printed on the bottom part of the back label, mine is 10/14/92.

My guess given the wooden box, is that your bottle precedes mine.

Will

[Tarheel72]

Thanks Will. My best guess is I got it in the 1985-87 time frame but it may have been a little earlier. I don't think it was before 1983. Sooner or later I will stumble onto some expert on here who can tell me. I may send something to WT, but I doubt they will respond. The people who might tell me are not the people who answer emails. Anyone know Jimmy's email address?

[Attila]

I am currently in the process of getting one of these. I will know in four days.

[mozilla]

Anyone know when they started to use UPC's on the label?

[Tarheel72]

Hey Attila, where did you get it and how much did you pay?

[Attila]

Hey Attila, where did you get it and how much did you pay?

I'll know if I can get it this Friday.

I'll be paying about $120 (using current exchange rates) if the price doesnt move.

[Attila]

Hey Attila, where did you get it and how much did you pay?

Its going on Auction (ending in an hour) for $150, but my budget was $130. I cannot follow that high.

[Attila]

How does this theory check out? At the bottom of the bottle of each gold foil is a six numbers / symbols. One at 2, 4, 6, 8, 10 and 12 o'clock. My theory is that the number at 4 o'clock is the year. This theory is based on the following (extremely flimsy) evidence:

I bought a bottle from a guy claiming the bottle was from 1990. The number at 4 o'clock is 90. I recent purchased another bottle (no claims were made) and the number at 4 o'clock is 89. So in my mind, I have a bottle from 1989 and one from 1990.

[Special Reserve]

I'll support this theory. Additional evidence: A bottle that has a date stamp on the label of 10-14-92 has a 92 in the 4 o'clock position on the bottom of the bottle.

[ThomasH]

I currently have a gold foil 12 from 1994 and an export 700ml split label from 1996. I have had previous gold foil bottles dated 1992. The 4 o'clock theory makes sense to me!

Thomas

[gblick]

I just picked up a WT12 CGL three days ago.

The date stamp on the back label is 12-04-91, and the number imprinted on the bottom of the bottle (at 4 o'clock) is also 91. It seems that most all the bottles dates I've seen are right around the 4 o'clock vicinity on the bottom of the bottle, regardless of the brand of bourbon.

I hope this info helps.

[mozilla]

Gus, does your have a UPC? Thanks.

[Attila]

It seems that most all the bottles dates I've seen are right around the 4 o'clock vicinity on the bottom of the bottle, regardless of the brand of bourbon.

That holds true for my Old Talyor 6 year from 1987

[Special Reserve]

I broke down and set up a flikr account

I don't have a picture of the bottom of the bottle.

[Attila]

What would you make of this OGD114 (Lot 18) that has the following marks on the bottom of the bottle:

1 o'clock - 07

5 o'clock - 591

7 o'clock - DPA

11 o'clock - 42

12 o'clock - db

center - 12

It also indicates that it was:

"Distilled and bottled under U.S. Govt. Supervision by the Old Grand-dad Distillery Company Frankfort, K.Y. Clermont, K.Y."

My guess is May 1991. Any doubters? Believers?

[gblick]

Gus, does your have a UPC? Thanks.

Jeff, there is no UPC on it.

It looks just like the pictures that SR inserted two posts up.