Put a Cork in it

[tgriff]

i find the sound and feel of a cork satisfying, but it certainly is not the criteria for whether i make a bourbon purchase or not.

[fogfrog]

as I was thinking about it, a cork is cool and makes a nice sound, but I have a bottle of Old Charter 12 year old and it has a screw top. I love this stuff. I just found it! But you know, there are other more expensive bourbons that have corks and fancier bottles I like less like: Elmer T. Lee which I don't really like. So, I don't think its important how they package it. But heck, maybe I could repackage it.

[fogfrog]

In AA they say 'put the plug in the jug'. I say.... 'screw it'.

[TnSquire]

Contrary to what everyone is saying here....there are no good bourbons with screw caps...really.......don't go try to find them.....really.

Seriously, I could care less. I have owned and tasted some exceptional bottles that have screw caps and have tasted some less than exceptional bottles with corks. Buy it for what is in it not for the packaging (or label).

[BrbnBorderline]

Two of my favorites have screw caps - Eagle Rare 101, and Weller Antique. Just think, if I was a cork snob, I never would have had the pleasure of sipping these fine whiskeys. That would be a shame, especially since the ER 101 has been cancelled.

[HighTower]

I have the opportunity to purchase a Woodford Reserve, Bakers (old bottle) and a Basil Hayden where the tops have come away from the cork, leaving just the cork in the necks of the bottles. I will inspect them before I buy them, what should I look out for? I am wondering why an outlet has 3 different bottles with this problem to begin with. They are being offered at a very good price.

Any thoughts??

Scott

[Edward_call_me_Ed]

I have the opportunity to purchase a Woodford Reserve, Bakers (old bottle) and a Basil Hayden where the tops have come away from the cork, leaving just the cork in the necks of the bottles. I will inspect them before I buy them, what should I look out for? I am wondering why an outlet has 3 different bottles with this problem to begin with. They are being offered at a very good price.

Any thoughts??

Scott

Hmm. Look. Sniff. Buy one open and taste. Then decide whether you want the other bottles or not.

My guess is that there is only a slightly higher chance of the bottles being corked than would otherwise be the case, but it is only a guess.

Ed

[Ubertaster]

I prefer a cork just as long as as it is easy to remove and also seals well. Sometimes this is hard to do both. If it has a screw cap doesn't mean it has bad bourbon in it. There are many fine bourbons and ryes that have screw caps. I don't mind a screw cap at all. It's whats inside that matters.

bj

[jburlowski]

All things being equal, I prefer a cork... for the cachet and all. But I wouldn't (and don't) make my purchase /drinking decisions based on that.

[miller542]

It's whats inside that matters.

bj

While I agree, I sometimes actually prefer a screw-off cap. That way I don't have to worry about it breaking off, tainting the beverage, etc. Corks don't steer me away from good bourbon, but there's just less worry with a cap.

[BourbonBalls]

As all have said here...its whats inside that counts. Why pass up something good just because of its package...

Could be said of a good woman too.

I find a very GOOD reason to like the screw-ons:

You can store them in a wine rack on their sides. Don't have to store those bottles standing up!

[CrispyCritter]

Also, let's not forget that the late, lamented ORVW 15 came in... a screw-top bottle! I'll go with the general consensus - corks have the snob factor, but they really have no bearing on the quality of the product in the bottle.

[TNbourbon]

I often don't notice, the first time I buy a label, what kind of closure a bottle has till I get it home.

[HighTower]

Hmm. Look. Sniff. Buy one open and taste. Then decide whether you want the other bottles or not.

My guess is that there is only a slightly higher chance of the bottles being corked than would otherwise be the case, but it is only a guess.

Ed

Thanks Ed, I ended up getting all 3. Turns out it wasn't old label Bakers, these were all current bottles. During a revamp of the store, the top shelf was leaned on and 8 bottles took a dive from the top shelf. There was a broken BH, and the 3 i got lost their caps. Big deal. The other 4 survived. Not bad for a 7 foot fall!!

Scott

[smokinjoe]

Whether or not a bottle has a cork or screw cap, does not affect my opinion of a bourbon in the least. I have favorites, that I purchase repeatedly, that have either of the closures. I must say, though, that I prefer cork for it's cache, and that beautiful Thummpp sound it makes while opening. What does that say about the nature of my existence, when a highlight of my day is the opening of a corked whiskey bottle? But, on the other hand, I do prefer screw caps when having to pack bottles in my luggage for a flight home from a trip. On my most recent trip, I had to pass on 3 slope-shouldered OCPR 13's that were literally begging me to take them home, but I was too concerned about leakage.

Cheers!

JOE

[Catahoula]

Corks are on spirits products because the consumer has a perception that cork = quality. That is a poor way to judge a product. Corks are archaic 19th century forms of sealing bottles and they are not as effective as more modern methods.

BT experimented extensively with synthetic corks a couple of years ago and found none back then that they thought were satisfactory. With lower proof wines the synthetics seem to work just fine but not so with higher proof alcohols. The synthetic tends to taint the product as the alcohol breaks down the plastics.

Natural cork, no matter how good it is, and BT uses the best available from Portugal, will have some level of failure, usually a taint from natural molds in the cork, even though they are treated to get rid of this. Also corks will dry out and stick to the bottle if not kept wet. Eventually a cork will break in the bottle if stored a long while.

The wine industry would dearly love to get rid of corks because it would reduce considerable losses they experience from cork taint.

No doubt about it; a screw top is best for your wines and your bourbons in the long run. But every distiller and vintner is afraid of breaking the "expectations" of consumers. Some wineries are getting braver on this but we have a long way to go before corks are gone.

So, if your bourbon has a cork, drink up before it dries out. Now, that isn't such a bad solution, is it?

Catahoula

[Catahoula]

How many of you store your corked whiskey on the side like wine?

Catahoula

[luv2hunt]

None....several members have reported "re-wetting" the cork occasionally.

Dawn

[nor02lei]

No doubt about it; a screw top is best for your wines and your bourbons in the long run.

Catahoula

I do agree with that statement 100%.

Leif

[CrispyCritter]

My now-gone bottle of Old Potrero had a synthetic cork, and I didn't notice any off-notes in the whiskey inside. Also, the Compass Box Asyla bottles I've had also had synthetic corks, and were just fine. The one in the Old Potrero bottle was roughly the color of natural cork, while Compass Box's stopper was black.

I'd rather have a screw top, though - the Old Potrero was exceptionally difficult to open the first time around. I say this even though there's no substitute for the quiet *pop* of a cork being pulled.

[Catahoula]

My now-gone bottle of Old Potrero had a synthetic cork, and I didn't notice any off-notes in the whiskey inside. Also, the Compass Box Asyla bottles I've had also had synthetic corks, and were just fine. The one in the Old Potrero bottle was roughly the color of natural cork, while Compass Box's stopper was black.

I'd rather have a screw top, though - the Old Potrero was exceptionally difficult to open the first time around. I say this even though there's no substitute for the quiet *pop* of a cork being pulled.

I don't know all the details but the BT testing program was quite rigorous. They used worse case scenarios that probably would not be considered common storage practices. I do know BT has a very high standards they hold to, and at that time, the available synthetic corks did not meet those standards.

I was told by a packaging supplier another distiller did similar synthetic cork experiments about the same time and came to the same conclusions.

Technology is changing all the time, and a viable substitute for natural cork may eventually come along that BT will find acceptable.

Catahoula

[Catahoula]

I get to eat my words. I just found out from a supplier that BT does use a synthetic cork on Rain Vodka and has for about a year. That was the first I heard of it. I am trying to get details and samples sent to me now. When I know a little more I will post.

I do know Rain was the spirit they were most interested in using a synthetic cork on because of cork "stuff" floating in the product. Cork dust or very fine wax particles from the coating on the cork are there to some degree in all corked products, but the clear area of the Rain bottle really emphasized them - like a magnifying glass! In spite of all kinds of experiments, including dipping each cork in Rain vodka to "wash" it before hand insertion, it remained an annoying problem and a concern. Evidently they found a satisfactory synthetic solution.

I do not expect, however, you will see synthetic cork on any of the BT bourbons because of the authenticity issue, plus it is not nearly the problem as it was in the Rain package.

Catahoula