Drinking Whiskey from the Past Haller's County Fair Distilled spring 1946

[dave ziegler]

Last Year I bought a 4/5 of Haller's County Fair 100 proof that was Distilled in Spring 1946 bottled in Spring 1950 BIB on my 60th birthday on E Bay. Tonight I plulled the stopper and it did just what I thought it might broke off so I filtered all the Cork out of it through a brown Coffee filter into a plastic 1.75 Governors bottle and marked it. I think I will just fix up the cork on the stopper and leave the whiskey in the sealed palstic bottle as the old labels got wet and I do not want to ruin them completely as the bottle is beautiful to look at so I will wash it and put it back in my collection empty. Now the Whiskey I am sipping it right now and it is a very Full body Whiskey with taste's of Spice and wood a very Nice Whiskey strong but drinkable straight which is what I am doing it is very warm going down and burns a little but very Nice. It was well worth the $35. I paid for this old Continental Distilling Whiskey that was bottled at the old Bigler Street Bottling house in 1950 in Phila.

This is the first time I have ever had any of Continentals County Fair and I like it! It is very Different from Old Hickory more power going down at 100 proof and the flavor is just not the same but it is very Good.

I had intended to just keep the bottle sealed but after thinking about it thought after I am gone because it is full might not be able to go to a museum so instead of it getting sold again to sit I will drink it and just save the bottle to my Collection. And Now that I have tried it I am most pleased with it.

Now I am wondering if Any of you Have ever drank Haller's County Fair BIB? If not I recommend if you find some getting it. It is just as wonderful as Old Hickory but just a totally Different Whiskey. They are not the same at all I still prefer my Old Hickory But this is a great Bottle of BIB!

Time For another shot.

Dave Z

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It Seems All The nicest People Drink Old Hickory

America's Most Magnificent Bourbon

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[ggilbertva]

Dave,

I too have a bottle of Haller's County Fair BIB. Mine is more current than yours, distilled spring '72 and bottled fall '78. I've wondered as to the provenance of this particular bourbon. Given these dates, what is your knowledge of this bourbon? Someone mentioned Medley, then somebody else didn't think so. I've never been able to get a clear answer. My plan is to bring this bottle to the KBF next year and share with other like minded drinkers. Let me know your thoughts. Thanks.

[MissingKY]

Hi Dave,

I have a bottle of Haller's County Fair, too, and like Greg, I haven't opened mine yet. Mine's a liter (think it's got standard equivalents written on the bottle, too, but it's not in front of me right now) from the late 70s/early 80s. My label reads: "Distilled by Medley Distilling Company DSP-KY-49 Bottled by W.A. Haller Company DSP-KY-49 Owensboro, KY"

Glad to hear your much-older version was so tasty, and I hope mine's just as good!

- Ethan

[AntiqueBourbon]

Hi All

Many people have ... :grin: I have a harry's county fair,too.This bottle was made 1946 FALL,bottled 1950 FALL. I don't drink it.

[dave ziegler]

Hi Greg your Bottle was distilled in Phila at Dsp- Pa -1 and was bottled at the Continental Distilling Bottle House in Linfield Pa where I worked till fall 1972 as we still bottled Whiskey there in 1978 through till very late fall 1979! I can garrenty it was Bottled in Linfield and Distilled by us in Phila At Dsp-Pa-1 just by the dates.

Should be good Stuff Greg! Hallers was always known to be great Quality Bourbon When Continental / Publicker owned the name. And After Old Hickory was their 2nd Biggest Selling Bourbon.

Ethan your Bottle was one of the ones that Medley distilled after he bought the name from Continental in around early to mid 1980 also fairly rare as he sold the brand later no clue to its taste ===BUT===

Ethan it should be a nice pour as Medly tried to make a good product with the Brands he bought from us as they were big sellers those days. I had and drank a bottle of Old Hickory He relabeled but it was distilled by us and bottled by us and he put his name on that one only by stamping it over our plant name on the label.

And Antique Bourbon yours is a match to my Bottle except looks to be a metal cap Pint and it also was distilled at Dsp- pa-1 in Phila and yours like mine was bottled in the old Bigler Street Bottle house in Philadelphia before they opened the Linfield bottle house in late 1965. And it is one Awsome Bourbon as Mine is! My bottle is a 4/5 Quart with a cork stopper.

And I am now going to have a shot and toast you all and Greg Let me know how you like the bottle from the mid 70's when you take it down, also Ethan let me know what you think of the Medly version as I having worked for Continental am always interested it what people think about out products and of those made after we quit and went to Industrial stuff only!

And Antique Bourbon I will be Very Interested in what you think of the Haller's County Fair have a big Cork handy if yours is a 4/5 quart hard for me to tell but I think yours is a Pint so you won't have this problem as I did when you open it as the things break off after all those years. I poured mine through a brown coffee Filter into a clean glass bottle then got a new cork and glued it on the stopper top and fixed the bottle and put it in my Bottle collection as it is a beautiful Bottle and tipical of Continental a very Heavy bottom weighted high quitlity bottle.

And You All Be Well--!

Dave Z

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It Seems All The nicest People Drink Old Hickory

America's Most magnificent Bourbon

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[ggilbertva]

Dave,

Thank you very much for the insight. Best wishes.

[ggilbertva]

As a follow up....the bottle states DSP KY 24 for distillation.

[dave ziegler]

Well then Greg your bottle is from late 1980 / 1981 as Mr Medly bought full bottles and bulk Whiskey at the end of 1979 and Labels which he stamped over Linfield on. Then Once He used that up He started distilling it himself till He Sold The Old Hickory and Hallers Brands, Hallers is now owned by Luxo in Ohio. When I talked to Mr Medly this summer for the sake of keeping the time lines right He said He thought that Luxo may be the one that now owns Old Hickory but that Famous name is never used anymore. He Told Me he traveled up to Linfield to Personally pick and buy full bottles of Whiskey bulk whiskey and some labels to use till he did the switch, and also some empty cased Bottles.

He told me at the End they Continental just did not know what direction they could go to stay in Bussiness and sadly after 7 yrs trying to take on P&G with Chemicals They lost the battle and went under. So If your Bottle of Hallers County Fair is made by Medly it should still be great stuff as in my searchs for Old Hickory I have drank some that He distilled and some that He stamped over on the lables. I am very Lucky I got my Vintage bottle and will drink every drop that is why I did not put it back in the old bottle so it is easy to get to when something special comes up.

Greg Let me know if you ever find any Original Old Hickory that you have enough you can sell some as it is to this day my Favorite and there is something special about drinking it and knowing that you worked there when they made and bottled it. Any that is the original will clearly state Distilled at DSP-Pa. -1 - and either Bottled in Phila / Lemoont IL or Bottled in Linfield Pa / Lemont IL. They had a very Large Bottle house in Lemont IL I have never been able to get any pictures of it and have never heard back from the Historic Society after I sent them 3 or 4 empty Trade show bottles which they were very happy about but they never got back to me.

Greg I hope I have been helpful to you in this and I am sure you will enjoy the Hallers. Mr Medly said he bought those names because they stood for quality. So I am sure your Bottle should be a great pour!

I have paper I want to post I found in the Plant talking about Mr Medly buying whiskey and when I find it I will put it on the memories thread!

BE WELL Greg

Dave Z

===========================================

It Seems All The Nicest People Drink Old Hickory

America's Most Magnificent Bourbon

===========================================

[dave ziegler]

As a follow up....the bottle states DSP KY 24 for distillation.

Greg after talking to someone and relizing the dates on your bottle I came to this conclusion Continental since it was so very big did deals with other smaller distillers all the time when I worked there and What most likely happen was we made some products up for the Distillery listed on the bottle and they in turn made a Kentucky Hallers for us! As it was clearly distilled there and bottled there. We offten did work for other distillers and it is possible that they wanted to get the name Haller's down in Ky More by having some done there by that company their Name does not come to me but I have been told Mr Medly worked for that company then . And He had a very good relationship with Publicker so most likely that is what created your Bottle. Continental Distilling made all the normal Haller's whiskeys and BIB's till very Late fall 1979 that I can tell you so your Bottle was done by the Dsp that is listed and that must have been what happen because I worked at Kinsey in early 1972 and had friends there till the end and the brand was never sold and was made in Phila at dsp -pa -1 and bottled in Linfield till the time Mr Medly came up to buy it and the Old Hickory Brand in late 1979! Also I have empty trade show Haller's bottles from the early to late 1970's and they all say Dsp - pa-1 for distilling on them and bottled in Linfield / Lemont Il.

And even after they quit selling their brands they still did some whiskey distilling for other companys by contract till around 1982 I have a Continental Corn whiskey barrel head from mid 1981 on the date on it.

I am very sorry I did not relize the Distillery that was listed on the bottle and later a frined who knows alot of the Kentucky Distillerys told me that Dsp was not Medly but that he worked there. So in conlusion That is what must have happen and it does not surprise me as we did millions of Bottles of stuff for Jacquins and we did lots of Contract work.

Be Well Greg

Dave Z

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It Seems All The nicest People Drink Old hickory

America's Most magnificent Bourbon

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