Purchasing cask samples.

[Mike J. W.]

I saw an auction site that is selling some cask samples and I'm curious what the difference is between those and the eventual bottlings that are sold in stores. Is there a quality difference? Better? Worse?

[Andy Velebil]

In my experience, compared to the "real deal", they don't hold up all that well beyond a few years. Depending on the producer, some may not be the exact final blend. Often these are bottled without the same "care" as the final blend (i.e. they are meant to be opened in short order). If the price is right (cheap) then worth the gamble. I would not spend much for any older ones, especially in smaller formats.

[Mike J. W.]

Thanks Andy, that's good info.

[Eric Menchen]

+1 to what Andy said. A modern bottling line will rinse and sanitize bottles and fill them with minimal chance of oxidation. A cask sample might have been filled on one of these lines. Or it might have been filled with a wine thief and corked with a manual corker. Could be good after a few years, might not be.

[Randy Katz]

For some experience:

Just got 10 Grahams 1994 and 2 Dow 1994 375ml cask sample bottles at auction for $22 each. Seemed worth the risk. Sold as 12 Grahams, strange auction error.

1st tried (Grahams) was fine, but advanced from where it normally would be (maybe the 375 format added to that). It DID come with a Tawny-style cork/cap that was not super tight with white crust around the rim.

Overall, for $22, I am satisfied. Makes it easy to bring a 28 year old port to a small gathering.

I have a single 2003 Vesuvio in the same 375 cask sample format to try as well, for $19.

[Mike J. W.]

For some experience:

Just got 10 Grahams 1994 and 2 Dow 1994 375ml cask sample bottles at auction for $22 each. Seemed worth the risk. Sold as 12 Grahams, strange auction error.

1st tried (Grahams) was fine, but advanced from where it normally would be (maybe the 375 format added to that). It DID come with a Tawny-style cork/cap that was not super tight with white crust around the rim.

Overall, for $22, I am satisfied. Makes it easy to bring a 28 year old port to a small gathering.

I have a single 2003 Vesuvio in the same 375 cask sample format to try as well, for $19.

What auction site did you find those on?

[Andy Velebil]

For some experience:

Just got 10 Grahams 1994 and 2 Dow 1994 375ml cask sample bottles at auction for $22 each. Seemed worth the risk. Sold as 12 Grahams, strange auction error.

1st tried (Grahams) was fine, but advanced from where it normally would be (maybe the 375 format added to that). It DID come with a Tawny-style cork/cap that was not super tight with white crust around the rim.

Overall, for $22, I am satisfied. Makes it easy to bring a 28 year old port to a small gathering.

I have a single 2003 Vesuvio in the same 375 cask sample format to try as well, for $19.

The 2003 Vesuvio samples have probably held up the best of 1/2 bottle samples around that time frame, from my experience anyways.

[Randy Katz]

For some experience:

Just got 10 Grahams 1994 and 2 Dow 1994 375ml cask sample bottles at auction for $22 each. Seemed worth the risk. Sold as 12 Grahams, strange auction error.

1st tried (Grahams) was fine, but advanced from where it normally would be (maybe the 375 format added to that). It DID come with a Tawny-style cork/cap that was not super tight with white crust around the rim.

Overall, for $22, I am satisfied. Makes it easy to bring a 28 year old port to a small gathering.

I have a single 2003 Vesuvio in the same 375 cask sample format to try as well, for $19.

What auction site did you find those on?

Spectrum Wine Auctions

[Mike J. W.]

For some experience:

Just got 10 Grahams 1994 and 2 Dow 1994 375ml cask sample bottles at auction for $22 each. Seemed worth the risk. Sold as 12 Grahams, strange auction error.

1st tried (Grahams) was fine, but advanced from where it normally would be (maybe the 375 format added to that). It DID come with a Tawny-style cork/cap that was not super tight with white crust around the rim.

Overall, for $22, I am satisfied. Makes it easy to bring a 28 year old port to a small gathering.

I have a single 2003 Vesuvio in the same 375 cask sample format to try as well, for $19.

What auction site did you find those on?

Spectrum Wine Auctions

Thanks for the tip, Randy. I buy from Spectrum sometimes, but I must have missed that auction. Enjoy!