So how extremely rare is this Jameson?

[PgD]

John Jameson & Sons Pure Irish Malt Whiskey. Label reads "over 11 years in wood in the original..." It was distilled in June 1879 and Bottled in December 1890. 120 Proof.
I'm working on getting a reading of the rest of the label without cleaning.
http://img5.sellersourcebook.com/users/18725/img_2917.jpg
http://img5.sellersourcebook.com/users/18725/img_2918.jpg

[PureDrop]

Superb.
Any provenance?

[IrishWhiskeyChaser]

Looks like an interesting old bottle and the bottle type with it's airbubble inclusions seem to fit the era but whether or not you can prove it is a genuine Jameson or not will be hard I fear.

The label looks hand written which possibly though not unusual for the time makes it virtually impossible to substantiate. It also states that it is Jameson Irish Malt Whiskey which is a bit unusual as I would of assumed that it was Pot Still whiskey but would only state something along the lines of Old Irish Whiskey or Dublin Whiskey. or Irish Liqueur Whiskey but I think that is a later term.

The 2 below examples have similar bottles also but are very different label wise.

This bottle that was spotted in auction a few years ago was purporting to be 1885. But because it could not be verified it did not sell for huge money though. Can't remember how much though



This Jameson can and has been verified and is circa 1910-19 Click Here

[DavidH]

This Jameson can and has been verified and is circa 1910-19

Part of that verification was a chemical analysis by Irish Distillers so that suggests one way forward for the OP: contact IDL and ask them if they would like to analyse the contents (via a thin needle through the cork). It won't pin down the date but it will confirm that the whiskey has the same characteristics as Jameson of that vintage.

[PgD]

I can't reveal the provenance just yet but it's from a multi-generation cellar approx 50 cases in all.
The bulk unfortunately being wine well past it's prime
I'm just starting to sort the lot but it's a bit overwhelming.
There are a few other bottles of Saffell Kentucky bourbon from this (1890) vintage.
There is a bottle of Bushmills that I believe dates to the 1930-1940's I'll post pictures later
At first glance I thought the label on the Jameson was definitely printed but giving the appearance of being hand written.
Testing is certainly in order!
http://img5.sellersourcebook.com/users/18725/photo_4__1318773632.jpg

[JohnM]

I think if I was going to be a whisky forger, I'd be forging scotch whisky and not Irish. There would be a lot more money to be made that way. I'd be pretty confident this is the real thing.

[PgD]

So, having dusted off the label a bit I found that the whiskey was purportedly distilled in 1879 by John Jameson and Sons. It was shipped under bond from a bonded warehouse in Dublin and perhaps bottled by Thomas N. Dwyer & Co a New York importer in 1890. Dwyer & Co were only in business from 1884 to 1898. The companies remaining stocks of wine and liquor were purchased from the executor by Macy's and sold in and around June 1900. So the question remains is it actually Jameson or an unscrupulous importers attempt to pass of something as Jameson or trying to market a special batch of 11 year old and distinguish it from the regular imported Jameson available at the time. I'll work on transcribing the remainder of the label tomorrow.

[DavidH]

Thank you for keeping us updated. I look forward to any further details that emerge.

[PgD]

I transcribed as best I can but part of the label is missing.
It reads...
John Jameson & Sons
Pure Irish Malt Whiskey
over 11 years in wood in the original highlands
This bottle is guaranteed to contain a full quart
of John Jameson & Sons pure Irish Malt Whiskey made
in June 1879 which was shipped under bond from Her Majesty's Bonded Warehouse in Dublin and
bottled by on us in December 1890 in it's original
condition of absolute purity without any adulteration
or mixture whatever. It's elegant flavor and fine
quality are solely due to original fineness developed
by age and we are responsible for it's absolute
purity. having been distilled for the home trade
at 140* proof it was primatively far superior
......whiskey sold in the united states
......is specially made for the American
.....low proof- about 118
.....combines body, strength, purity, finesse
......of flavor and we do not hesitate
.....perfection in Irish whiskey
....Thomas N. Dwyer & Co.
vertically on right side "proof 120 when bottled in 1890"
vertically on left side "...."distilled in June 1879"

I wonder if there is any record of such a purchase by Thomas Dwyer from Jameson's?

[IrishWhiskeyChaser]

I reckon you will not get any proof of sale from the Jameson side. SO you will have to try and hunt down the Importer or retailer records if that is even possible.

Just going from the description the terms Pure Irish Malt and "over 11 years in wood in the original highlands" is reverting to a description of scotch. However I reckon they may have just mistakenly do so getting Irish and scotch confused as it is obviously trying to state it is Irish.

I think your best bet would be to contact Midleton distillery which is now basically Jameson HQ and see if they are interested in confirming the contents. This will require chemical analysis of a tiny sample from the bottle. Whether or not they will oblige is another question as they possibly have many of these requests but if the bottle interests them the may well do.

[PgD]

What to do, what to do? I'm really really tempted to give it a taste but hate to not have it tested.

I bought the entire cellar from the estate of James J Hill's late daughter Gertrude. He is often called the "empire builder" a railroad magnate of considerable wealth. The cellar included amongst other things some 20 cases of 1928 bourdeaux and two cases of Perrier- Jouet champagne all purchased by his daughter after prohibition was lifted. The three bottles of Bourbon dated 1890 bears the label of a club that James J Hill was a founding member of so I'm quite sure that all the early whiskeys came from his cellar. His daughter and her husband occupied his house after his death while their country estate and city home were being built. There are also 2 cases of blended "Queen Anne" Scotch dating to the 1940s that they purchased for their daughters wedding. I'll be trying that this week.