Expert: Paul Wagner - 1/11/2010

Question
I have a bottle (1/2 gal) of Couruoisier very special cognac that was bottled 2-1-1969. What would the value of that be?  

Answer
Hi Kerry

Distilled spirits like this are so high in alcohol that they don't change much over time in the bottle.  The good news is that yours should be fine to drink.  The bads news is that it won't have appreciated in value the way some fine wines do.  I'd estimate yours at about what a current bottling of similar cognac might sell for:  about $40-50 a bottle. If you really don't want to drink it, I would recommend trading it in to a retailer for something you might prefer to drink.

You might want to check with the guys at antiquebottles.com.  They could tell you if the bottle itself might be worth more than the liquid inside...sometimes the packaging is worth more than the liquid inside.

Sorry that I don't have more exciting news for you.

Paul Wagner