How to Find Out How Old a Bottle of Liquor Is?
- 1). Check the label or packaging of the bottle. While many manufacturers include this, not all do. For example, a bottle of single malt scotch may be labeled with its age (12 year) or the year it was made (1999). Labeling conventions such as "12-year-old" or "18-year-old" is helpful for estimating the age of the liquor when purchased recently, but for liquor that has been unopened in your liquor cabinet for years, spirits that include the date of creation as a calendar year can give you a clearer idea of how old the product is.
- 2). E-mail the manufacturer, if they are still in business. Provide them with pictures of the bottle and label, along with an estimated date of purchase, and they may be able to help provide you with a date based on the style of the label or the dimensions of the bottle.
- 3). Contact an antiques store or collector in your area. Those who specialize in collecting spirits or old liquor bottles may be able to share their expertise with you to help you determine the most likely age of the liquor bottle in your possession.
- 4). Examine the technique used to create the bottle. For example, many bottles dating from the 1800s will include a "pontil scar" at the base of bottle. A pontil scar is a mark left behind from the process of hand-blowing the glass.
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