cognac from the 50's/60's
Cleaning out my farther's estate we came upon a number of unopened bottles of liquor that had been purchased on one of the trips my parents took to Bermuda in the late 50's and 60's. I passed on the whiskey and bourbon and missed on the brandy. However, I do have a bottle of Remy Martin and a bottle of Courvoisier. Would these have aged well during that time ? Or does the aging matter only before the bottling ? I assume they are still good drinking. I don't know about cognac. What's a good way to enjoy it ? thank you
By chowmel
on Sep 4, 2011 08:20 PM
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If they were well cared for, they should still be drinkable -- only way to know is to open it and try.
Cognacs are best served neat in a snifter, warmed gently in your hand.
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Cognac in bottle does not age or deteriorate as long as the seal on the bottle is tight.
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I have read reviews of some very old whiskeys - one from the 40s, one from the 50s or 60s - which had undergone a chemical reaction called saponification that left them tasting very soapy. I assume the same thing could happen with cognac.
Not sure if long-term exposure to light or heat could cause this.
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there are a few restaurants around that offer cognacs from the 18th century (Bern's in Tampa, FL is one) -- so it's absolutely possible to have a very drinkable cognac from the 20th.
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Actually now that I looked again I am not sure whether the old bottles of whiskey were still sealed or had been open for a while.
I would imagine a lot depends on the conditions under which they have been stored.
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They've been stored undisturbed, away from light in a dry basement that has a fairly constant temperature. The seals are intact. I'll give it a try and report back.
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For the record - they were sealed, I contacted the reviewer.
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