Crystal Decanters and Bourbon

[jsgorman]

A few months ago I acquired the WT Baccarat Decanter full of 8YO Turkey from the early 80s. I've been doing some google-research to figure out how potentially harmful it is to drink the nectar contained in the decanter and wonder if anyone has any advanced insight into the risk of consuming the liquor inside.

I understand that the US Govt has warned against storing liquor for extended periods in crystal containers -- but what is the real risk? Are there test-strips I can buy that would tell me the contamination of my WT? Wouldn't the risk of drinking this be no greater than a bottle of Louis XIII (also in Baccarat Crystal)? And if I were to decant the bourbon out of this decanter into a glass bottle -- would it really matter at this point?

I've already had a few glasses and this stuff is AWESOME. I don't want to do anything harmful, but I'm not going to be able to toss this stuff without a fight...

[FlashPuppy]

ehhhh.... If you're too scared to live, you're just dyin anyway. DRINK IT!!

[Special Reserve]

The problem has to be lead poisoning. I'm sure it would be a problem if the crystal had a very high lead content and you drank massive quantities.

I'll volunteer to drink some to reduce your potential lead exposure.

[jburlowski]

I echo the ever popular sentiment: DRINK IT!