Expert: Paul Wagner - 3/6/2011

Question
Is there any value to anyone for an old looking bottle of "Veritable Benedictine Liqueur"? It used to have a red wax seal within a crescent embossing on the front and looks like it's sealed around the cork in the top with lead, and some of the old stamps are still mostly there. One stamp is Illinois.

We are afraid to taste it.  Is there anyone out there who knows what to do with this old-looking bottle?  It's just being neglected and is falling apart in our possession.  Our late relative may have picked it up at an estate sale, or may have purchased it in the 60's or 70's.

Answer
Hi  Jeanne

Distilled spirits like this are so high in alcohol that they don't change much in the bottle, for better or worse.  The good news is that this should be perfectly good to drink.  The bad news is that it won't have appreciated in value the way some fine wines do.  This is worth just about as much as a current bottling of the same stuff.

You might try contacting the guys at antiquebottles.com  They are very nice people, and it's possible the that bottle itself will have more value than the liquid inside.  They're the ones who could tell you that.   

Sorry that I can't give you more exciting news.

Paul Wagner