Expert: Paul Wagner - 10/10/2011

Question
I have a unbroken bottle of J.M Douglas & co. Limited. montreal, canada dated 1957 sticker on top #C9629390 registered at the distillery No.B 244892 in it's pleater zipper case. 15 year old, 80 proof. It's worth the world to me...cus my dad gave it to me. but is it worth anything to collectors. thank you for your help.

Laurie

Answer
Hi Laurie

Distilled spirits like this are so high in alcohol that they don't change, for better or for worse, once they go into the bottle.  Each lot is blended to taste the same as previous lots, and the companies don't want people asking for different lots or dates.  So that is all deliberately obscured in the packaging.

The good news is that your bottle is perfectly good to drink.  The bad news is that it won't have appreciated in value the way some fine wines do.  This one is worth just about what a current bottling of the same stuff is worth.  

But the bottle itself may be worth more.  For information about collectible bottles, I would check with the nice people at antiquebottles.com.

Sorry that I can't give you more exciting news....but hope you enjoy it~!

Paul Wagner