Eleven to the dozen

[uncle tom]

Eight years ago I opened a virgin case of Sandeman '77 to find 11 good bottles and one broken one tucked away at the bottom. There being no staining of the wood, I concluded that the packing room had dropped a bottle - and buried the evidence..

Four years ago I bought a previously unopened case of Offley '66, complete with an address label that lacked a postcode, so probably shipped at release.

Just now I finally got round to opening it, and not without some trepidation - previous encounters with unopened 50yr old cases have revealed various forms of wildlife lurking within, massively ullaged bottles - or both..

The bottles were wrapped in thick card sleeves, and the first revealed an excellent level and label. The second also had a good label and level in neck, but as I slipped it out of it's sleeve, a fragment of glass fell to the floor...

Eleven sound bottles emerged, all with good labels and levels in neck, but at the bottom, hiding, a sleeve of broken glass..

There was slight staining on the sleeve, but none on the wood - so another bottle broken before it was packed and then hidden away..

So, the hunt is on - Offley was bought by Sandeman in '62, so it's probably the same culprit..

- which butter fingered employee was working in the packing room through the years 1968 to 1979??

He or she owes me a couple of bottles...

[J a y H a c k]

I dropped a bottle of 1951 Offley on my cellar floor, but I never worked for Sandeman, so I declare, "Not it."

[christopherpfaff]

that is a really funny story. thanks for sharing.

whenever I will drink a bottle of offley 66 or sandeman 77 in the future - my thoughts are with you - I hope this will not cause posttraumatic problems for you

Beside this I fear that the period of limitation for fraud in Portugal is not more than 30 years.

[Andy Velebil]

That is very a funny story. Though sorry for you being shorted two bottles now.