Expert: Paul Wagner - 1/6/2010

Question
I have an old, not sure of the year, unopened 12oz bottle of Amaretto di Saronno.  It still has the tax seal.  On the bottom of the bottle is a 79, not sure if that is the year.  It might have been in a gift box at one time.  Also, there are little white colored chips floating around in it.  Is this worth anything? and if so where?.............thanks, Jason

Answer
HI Jason

Sorry to say, this won't be worth much on the auction market.  Distilled spirits and liqueurs like this ones 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  might sell for:  about $15-20.  I wouldn't bother trying to sell it, I would just use it up over the next year...Those white colored chips may well be some of the flavorings precipitating out over time.   Unattractive, but not dangerous.

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...

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

Paul Wagner