Workers Find 193 Year Old Bottle Of Whisky

[matcom]

This is ONE TOWN over from me :think:

<snip>

HOLLISTON, Mass. -- Workers restoring a chimney in an old house here found what they believe to be a 193-year-old bottle of whiskey on a hidden shelf just above the fireplace.

Chuck Clapham, owner of Masonry Restoration, said he thinks the masonry crew probably left the half-full bottle behind when they built the chimney nearly two centuries ago.

The label was tattered, he told the MetroWest Daily News of Framingham, but Clapham's son Michael could still make out a date on it: 1812. A broken cork was lodged in the top, and dark liquid sloshed around inside.

Kristin Foster, who has lived in the house on Fiske Street with her family since 1996, said she could not make out the name of the whiskey bottling company on the faded label. But below the address the label clearly reads "opposite Faneuil Hall Market," a reference to the historic meeting house in downtown Boston. The bottle also has a stamp on the back that reads "full pint."

A second bottle found Tuesday appears to have contained acid, Clapham said.

Clapham said he often finds artifacts buried behind walls. He has recovered wedding rings, silver coins and shoes.

http://www.boston.com/news/odd/articles/2005/05/18/workers_find_193_year_old_whiskey_bottle/

[northzax]

1. bad storage place, too much temperature variation

sheesh.

[underpants]

2. Workers take afternoon off

:beer:

[matcom]

3. its DICKEL TIME!!!

:bounce:

[Zuni]

4. and people think 12 year old whiskey is good

[Historic NY]

5. Wonder if it has that fine aged taste...........

probably has gone bad if the cork dried out. :puke:

I've gone with a friend that takes down & restores old houses. We found lots of stuff including a carpenter ledger book that was lodged in between ceiling joists. Shoes, apron, brand new forged nails, and a bunch of brand new slate shingles....this all from one 18th century house. I'm still looking for a bag of gold coins.

The "old fireplace shelf trick"....it is not uncommon to find a hidden spot up inside a fireplace...in the 18th century it was a spot to hide valuables. With a raging fire the secret was hidden from prying eyes.