Eleven to the dozen
Posted: 15:56 Sat 21 May 2016
Eight years ago I opened a virgin case of Sandeman '77 to find 11 good bottles and one broken one tucked away at the bottom. There being no staining of the wood, I concluded that the packing room had dropped a bottle - and buried the evidence..
Four years ago I bought a previously unopened case of Offley '66, complete with an address label that lacked a postcode, so probably shipped at release.
Just now I finally got round to opening it, and not without some trepidation - previous encounters with unopened 50yr old cases have revealed various forms of wildlife lurking within, massively ullaged bottles - or both..
The bottles were wrapped in thick card sleeves, and the first revealed an excellent level and label. The second also had a good label and level in neck, but as I slipped it out of it's sleeve, a fragment of glass fell to the floor...
Eleven sound bottles emerged, all with good labels and levels in neck, but at the bottom, hiding, a sleeve of broken glass..
There was slight staining on the sleeve, but none on the wood - so another bottle broken before it was packed and then hidden away..
So, the hunt is on - Offley was bought by Sandeman in '62, so it's probably the same culprit..
- which butter fingered employee was working in the packing room through the years 1968 to 1979??
He or she owes me a couple of bottles...
Four years ago I bought a previously unopened case of Offley '66, complete with an address label that lacked a postcode, so probably shipped at release.
Just now I finally got round to opening it, and not without some trepidation - previous encounters with unopened 50yr old cases have revealed various forms of wildlife lurking within, massively ullaged bottles - or both..
The bottles were wrapped in thick card sleeves, and the first revealed an excellent level and label. The second also had a good label and level in neck, but as I slipped it out of it's sleeve, a fragment of glass fell to the floor...
Eleven sound bottles emerged, all with good labels and levels in neck, but at the bottom, hiding, a sleeve of broken glass..
There was slight staining on the sleeve, but none on the wood - so another bottle broken before it was packed and then hidden away..
So, the hunt is on - Offley was bought by Sandeman in '62, so it's probably the same culprit..
- which butter fingered employee was working in the packing room through the years 1968 to 1979??
He or she owes me a couple of bottles...
