Expert: Paul Wagner - 11/29/2006

Question
Paul, I  have a 4/5pint of  MITCHELL'S  SHAMROCK  BLENDED IRISH WHISKEY. It bears two stamps. One is ecvidently a tax stamp for 4/5/pint  and the other is a sales stamp from R.H Macy & Co.  The person wqho gave it to me 35 years ago said it was purchased  before prohibition The label is  very fancy or ornate. It has a green background with a gold bordered  Around the border there is a green strand of what looks like shamrocks with four roses at the corners. Upon the green background there are red banners at top, middle and botton and on these banners  ,in cream colored  letters , is written in large letters  MITCHELL''S  SHAMROCK  BLENDED IRISH WHISKY.  Other writing in small black letters proclaim the contents to be "100% Irish Whiskies all over 14 years old. Proof is 86.8.    Blended and Bottled in Ireland by Mitchell & Co. of Belfast Ireland. Bottled in Bond in the United Kingdom Under Govern-ment Supervision .  Imported by Browne Vintners Co.Inc New York City"  
   On the reverse side of the bottle in raised letters it says (at the top) "FEDERAL LAW FORBIDS SALE OR REUSE OF THIS BOTTLE". AND  (at the bottom ) 'MITCHELL & Co OF BELFAST Ltd BELFAST IRELAND.  
   The neck of the bottle has a screw on cap  and the entire neck and cap are sealed in what looks like a leaded wrap similar to that found on champaign bottles. There is more writing on the wrap around and on top of the cap. Do you have any idea of its value?  I  am grateful for your help.  Thank you

Answer
Hi Stephen

This is an interesting one.  People do collect items from Mitchell's distillery--but the most valuable ones are the stoneware jugs they produced.  These can sell for upwards of $100 to collectors at auction.  The highest price I have seen recently was in the UK, where a stoneware jug from the turn of the last century sold for about $160.

But what you have would be less valuable.  I would estimate something like $35-50 as a price for it.

Of course, whiskey doesn't improve with age--the alcohol level is so high that it is very stable--but it also doesn't degrade with age.  What you have is a nice bottle of whiskey that probably tastes very much like it tasted in 1935 or so when it was bottled.  I might just save it for a special occasion, and open it for a group of close friends or family.

I doubt that the product dates to before Prohibition only because Browne Vintners was formed after prohibition...the whiskey may have been distilled pre-1934, but it was imported after that date.  

Paul Wagner