by gillmang » Sun Apr 09, 2006 6:54 am
Very interesting LeNell, thanks. The ad reveals a number of things. First, it confirms my previous understanding that Kirk's products were centered or based generally in New York (including upstate, in the North East and beyond). Second, there were two Old Crow ryes. The fact that the special older version was 21 years old meant that the regular one was 10 years old, because the ad says the elder was twice as old. This confirms other information we have seen that circa 20 year old whiskey was available at the time. You may recall the story I posted last year or two years ago on straightbourbon.com about a stock of Pennsylvania rye available in about the same year (1901) that had been shipped to Bremen, Germany for aging and was recently returned to the U.S. The overseas shipment probably was done to defer taxes on the product but some shipment of this type was done through the 1800's to impart a special aging quality.
I would wager that the rye sold by the Kirk's agency under his own name was probably 6-8 years old, maybe younger. Clearly the prestige of the Crow line required whiskeys (rye anyway) at ages not under 10 years.
Old ads such as these are a goldmine of information.
I am quite sure Bettye Jo posted a picture of a 1950's-era Kirk's rye label, I think on straightbourbon.com; a simple search should find it, maybe it found its way here, too.
Gary