Expert: Paul Wagner - 1/8/2009

Question
I was recently given a bottle of Boulaine VSOP Napolean Brandy distilled by Jean Boulaine, 33000 France. It was imported by World Wide Distributors Philadelphia PA It has an unbroken ATF tax stamp 3-1-45. What is it's value?

Answer
Hi Jody

Distilled spirits really only develop and improve with age in the barrel, not the bottle.  They are so high in alcohol that once they are bottled they don't change much, for better or worse, the way wines do.

With that in mind, your bottle is probably worth more or less what a current bottling of the same product is: about $35-50.  Some of the older bottles have a collectible character--but these are usually scotch or bourbon bottles, not cognacs.

Sorry that I don't have more exciting news.

Paul Wagner