I really do not like corks . . .

[MauiSon]

Look at what happened here (only 1 of 3 bottles to lose it). Yes, it is old, even so.

[Richnimrod]

3 hours ago, MauiSon said:

Look at what happened here (only 1 of 3 bottles to lose it). Yes, it is old, even so.

 

WOW!   I've not seen that... ever.   I'm no fan of natural corks, though they usually do the job pretty well.    But, what you have there is a new one on me.   

I've had 'old' corks deteriorate, and eventually fail...generally in pieces that need to be strained out.   And, I've had more than a few corks fail even when not yet 'long in the tooth' (looking at you; WT!).         

I'd get that baby opened up and either decant the Bourbon, or replace the cork with some better solution.   (Most of the "composite" corks I've used are fine long term... if you can find the right fit.)    How you'd retrieve the floater, if you decide to keep the juice in the original bottle, I haven't a clue.    Good luck.

[fosmith]

I had that happen to a couple of really old bottles of wine (like ~50yo).  The corks shrank and fell into the bottle but the lead seals kept the wine from leaking out.  Wasn't going to risk drinking the wine after its having been in contact with the lead for who knows how long.  A shame because I like to collect and drink older wines. 

[mbroo5880i]

That is crazy!  Was the bottle stored upright? Was it stored in a place with extreme temperature ranges?  Maybe not by you, but by the distributor or retailer.  Of course,  Beam, especially the KC brand, is notorious for cork issues.

 

I recently bought some bottles of KC9 where i encountered a cork problem with more than one bottle.  I bought additional bottles at another store with no issues. When I went back to the original store, I noticed the cases that the bottles came in looked like they had been through a hurricane.  

 

I would contact Beam to get their thoughts. 

 

 

Edited October 21, 2023 by mbroo5880i

[MauiSon]

The cork appears to be in great shape, just the wrong place. Since the liquid level has stayed the same, I would guess the seal is likely adequate (the cap and wax). I will be transferring and tasting the liquid soon. As for storage, I bought these when they first came out and have it stored in a dark, fairly constant temperature liquor cabinet. The first bottle of the set didn't fit my preferences, so I haven't returned since purchase.

[fishnbowljoe]

I had a cork mess up a while back. When I tried to open a bottle, the cap pulled off the cork, and the cork remained in place. No biggee. I used a corkscrew to get the cork out. I then put a coffee filter in a small strainer and filtered it into another container. I rinsed the bottle out, poured the bourbon back in the bottle and grabbed one of the many extra corks I keep on hand for just such an emergency. Good as new. NEXT!

[Richnimrod]

Yup! Keeping "extra" corks in a zip-lock bag is basically a free insurance policy to take care of situations where corks fail.   I have about 100-of 'em.   I'm sure more than needed; but, to be certain of having exactly the right fit I do have an abundance.

[PaulO]

My issue with KC and OGD corks has been how tight they were.  I even had to use vice grip pliers on some KC tops.  The most recent ones though seemed normal.

[Skinsfan1311]

Looks like someone needs to invest in a KC decanter....if such a thing exists.

[fosmith]

Last night this happened.  Grrr.  Not sure how old this bottle is but I'd guess around ten years but stored standing upright the whole time.  I got the cork out safely and cleanly with my trusty Durand.  It's an expensive tool but the only way to safely remove very fragile old corks. 

[markandrex]

13 minutes ago, fosmith said:

Last night this happened.  Grrr.  Not sure how old this bottle is but I'd guess around ten years but stored standing upright the whole time.  I got the cork out safely and cleanly with my trusty Durand.  It's an expensive tool but the only way to safely remove very fragile old corks. 

 

That is one serious “John Wick” home defense piece!. Most impressive!

Edited October 25, 2023 by markandrex

[markandrex]

I was not familiar with that tool.  Impressive.  Thanks for posting that!  Looks like a good Christmas gift recommendation for my wife for me.  

[fosmith]

On 10/25/2023 at 11:31 AM, markandrex said:

I was not familiar with that tool.  Impressive.  Thanks for posting that!  Looks like a good Christmas gift recommendation for my wife for me.  

It was a birthday present from my wife and it works amazing.  It incorporates the strengths and mitigates the weaknesses of a corkscrew and an ah so.  I have  a lot of old wines and when I wasn't breaking up a cork with a corkscrew, I was pushing it into the bottle with an ah so.  I learned about the Durand when I brought an '82 Bordeaux to a restaurant for a birthday dinner and the sommelier used his to open my bottle. 

[VWIndy]

That looks like a proctologist's tool.  Ouch!

[mbroo5880i]

On 10/25/2023 at 1:57 PM, fosmith said:

Last night this happened.  Grrr.  Not sure how old this bottle is but I'd guess around ten years but stored standing upright the whole time.  I got the cork out safely and cleanly with my trusty Durand.  It's an expensive tool but the only way to safely remove very fragile old corks. 

 

On 10/25/2023 at 2:09 PM, markandrex said:

That is one serious “John Wick” home defense piece!. Most impressive!

 

I would probably cut myself just taking that thing out of the drawer.    I have a bunch of electrical cable wiring work to do tomorrow.  Maybe I should pick up one of these to peel back the cable sheath and strip the wire. 

[mbroo5880i]

On 10/26/2023 at 7:39 PM, fosmith said:

It was a birthday present from my wife and it works amazing.  It incorporates the strengths and mitigates the weaknesses of a corkscrew and an ah so.  I have  a lot of old wines and when I wasn't breaking up a cork with a corkscrew, I was pushing it into the bottle with an ah so.  I learned about the Durand when I brought an '82 Bordeaux to a restaurant for a birthday dinner and the sommelier used his to open my bottle. 

 

My wife usually buys me a shirt from Kohl's and order several items for herself at the same time for my birthday.  

[Kepler]

On 10/21/2023 at 2:24 AM, MauiSon said:

Look at what happened here (only 1 of 3 bottles to lose it). Yes, it is old, even so.

That's crazy.  I have an unopened KC9 of that vintage. Now I want to check my bunker!