12 replies to this topic

[Lucas]

Hi!
 

I know I just delurked a couple of hours ago, so I hope its not considered rude to jump straight

to asking questions.. 
But I have this question regarding a bottle I just bought at Ebay.

 

http://www.ebay.com/...=p2047675.l2557

 

 

From what I could tell from the closeup of the cork I think it looks like the original cork is intact.

-But I'm no expert. The auction did ended at a lower price than I expected though.. So I thought I'd ask what

you guys think.

Of course now I've already bought it so I'm mostly bound to follow through, but if the experts here is certain I'm

getting ripped of I'd at least take it up with the seller. -Myself I don't think so.

The seller has a good reputation it seems, and assures me it is legit.

 

-I've tasted quite a few prebans, and my palate is pretty good. So I feel certain that if I taste it I will know if this is just a new absinthe decanted into an old bottle. But then I'd have to open it, and I'm not sure yet as to wether I want to open it for drinking or just keep forever sealed:) I'll probably end up opening it but..
 

 

Any thoughts on this one? 
Anything is appreciated!

[TheLoucheyMonster!]

.  This comment from the listing gives me pause:

 

 

 

 Suinte légèrement au niveau du bouchon  ( Forte odeur d'anis il me semble )

trans

Oozes slightly at the plug (Strong smell of anise I think)

 

So the seal is not airtight then.

[Lucas]

I did see that one, but jugding from the level it can't be a very bad draft / or it is recent.

-And if it was a fake(i.e something else decanted), woudn't the guy take the care to make it airtight?

Just my thoughts. It's not ideal that it's not completely airtight, but at the price its not a dealbreaker to me:)

[TheLoucheyMonster!]

True the breech could be recent if legit.   And the price was very nice! 

 

I don't know enough to call it legit or not, but the leak issue could be a factor on what you do with the bottle once you get it. 

It may evaporate further if you plan to keep it long term. 

[Lucas]

Good point. I could give it a wax seal though. But then it would lose a bit of the all-original charm. 

Seems at least I will have several excuses for opening it:)

[TheLoucheyMonster!]

Did the seller provide any background on the bottle, were found, and such?

 

I did some searching and the only info about Picard & Cie,Marseille, I could find was this thread here

http://www.museeabsi...c=988&hl=picard

[rob fritz]

The cork looks like it partially rotted off the bottom due to poor storage and that could be very bad.

[Lucas]

I'm not that worried about the cork. It does look like it's in bad shape, but I doubt its rotted. Its more likely dried out, which is also 

bad but I've opened two other vintage absinthes with a similar cork and the contents was still great. Which is not to say that also goes

for this one but I'm willing to take the chance.

 

I'm not sure where the seller came across it. He deals in old liqour related items, so I'm guessing he's bought it and not found it himself. But I'll ask

and see what he says.

 

I havent found anything else regarding the distiller either, a couple of labels from an older version only it seems.

The label on this one says "Durrand successeur". No info anywhere. Makes it more exciting if you ask me, but again that's if its real:P

[Lucas]

-Latest remark from the seller, the bottle was bought together with a few other old liquors from an old cellar.

Edited by Lucas, 06 November 2013 - 01:16 AM.

[Clement Arnoux (Aggelos)]

-Latest remark from the seller, the bottle was bought together with a few other old liquors from an old cellar.

yeah, heard that several times... Does not mean much though.

 

The brand is legit, that much is true. The cork may be rotten, that much also is normal and could explain the oozing. The level is correct which, when you consider the oozing part, would be the most suspicious thing IMHO.

 

There is no lead, nor wax on the cork, well, that much worries me a bit, but since I have never seen a Picard bottle, no way to be sure.

 

Considering the high level, there is still the risk that a vintage absinthe bottle may have been used to store something else approaching.

 

But if it's genuine, it was the hell of a deal (and that sometimes happens, more so on ebay.com )

[Lucas]

-Thanks! I was not able to confirm that the brand was actually real, only its predecessor.

The lack of lead and wax on the top worries me too.

But I think its either real or a deliberate fake, if it was just used to store something else recently(with no sinister plans)  -then surely the cork would

have been replaced/not so old and rotten? 

 

Hard to tell, all in all.. But I think I'll have to take the chance on this one. If it's real it's truly an awesome deal.

I will open it, and trust myself to be able to tell if its just a modern one decanted into an old bottle. 

 

-If it does taste like a 100 year old absinthe and I'm wrong, I will be blissfully ignorant of it.
Should someone have actually been able to replicate that glorious taste then I'd pay top dollar for it too..

[Clement Arnoux (Aggelos)]

I am not talking about storing another thing recently. I am not even implying it might not be absinthe.

 

What I am implying is that the original owner of the bottle may have used it to fill it with "something". It may even be absinthe, albeit, not the original one, and not even a good/safe one. Careful if it's too green ok ?

 

Anyway, it was not uncommon a practice

[Lucas]

Good point!

It does look a bit green on the pictures.

I did buy a spanish bottle of "Absento" a few years ago, from somewhere between 40's-50's. It was a sharp, neon yellow in colour.

Definitely no herbs behind that colour, I haven't tasted it since opening. Fun to have though:)

 

 

I shall be much careful. 

 

I'll post some pictures of (hopeful)louching and report on tasting when it arrives.