Brand new... and surprise... I have a question!

[Derek]

Hello, all!

I recently was given quite a few different bottles of various whiskies, rums, etc, by my parents (most of which I remember as a child; I'm 32 now) and included was an unopened 1 pint bottle of "Italian Swiss Colony" California port. The label is yellowing with age and the bottle's a bit dusty...

I'll post some pics here in a few moments.

My question(s) are as follows:

1. Can anyone possibly date the bottle? I've done a bit of research online but nothing has really helped me. I'm merely curious about that aspect of the bottle.

2. More importantly... what should I do with it? Keep it bottled? Drink it?

Knowing nothing about port whatsoever, I turn to you folks for assistance!

I appreciate your time. On to the pics...

[Todd Pettinger]

Hi Derek and welcome to FTLOP... Hopefully you will find our corner of the Interweb about the friendliest Port-centric place in the world. Now, on to your questions:

1. Can anyone possibly date the bottle? I've done a bit of research online but nothing has really helped me. I'm merely curious about that aspect of the bottle.

I can't help with a date of the bottling itself, but can tell you that at an average price of less than $4US per 750 bottle, it doesn't appear you are sitting on a gem of any sorts (sorry )

2. More importantly... what should I do with it? Keep it bottled? Drink it?

Drink it. Or more likely, cook with it.
Then go out and buy a real Port (has to be from Portugal to be Port with a capital 'P'! ) and try that. It will blow away whatever this stuff is that is claiming to be port.

[Roy Hersh]

But don't let that stop you from coming back to visit. We look forward to more of your posts in the future. If you do decide to drink that port, please let us know how it tasted.

[Derek]

I appreciate the responses!

I was more intrigued by this than anything else; I wasn't assuming I was sitting on anything spectacular.

[Andy Velebil]

Derek,

I am quite curious as to how it tastes. So if you try it, please let us know, good or bad, how it went. Of course, I'm not holding any illusions of granduer here, but its always fun to try even the inexpensive stuff.

[Todd Pettinger]

Good point Andy. One of the better bottles of 'dry red' wine that I have had is supposedly a 'deal' wine.... one of the ones that you find in the "under $10" classification. Fortunately for me, I like it, and at just over $9/bottle, I'll buy lots of it! I don't care that it isn't the $1000 bottle of Chateau La Tour (which I probably wouldn't like even if I was fortunate enough to be given the opportunity to try!)

Todd

[Derek]

I'll be sure to keep you posted!

Now if I can just figure out this bottle of whisky as well...

[Roy Hersh]

Is there a FTLOWhiskey?

[Derek]

I wish. I put up a post on a whisky forum but have had no response.

If anyone can help me out and can PM me, that'd be great.