Broken Cork

by **wilsona** » Sun Dec 11, 2005 10:32 pm

I tried to open a bottle yesterday, but when I pulled on the stopper, the plastic top broke off of the cork. What's left of it still in the neck of the bottle shouldn't be hart to remove with a cork screw, but I'm wondering what people think is the best thing to replace it with. Are plastic or rubber stoppers alright? Will they affect the whisky at all? Replacement corks have sloped sides... I'd be conserned about them not creating an effective seal.

Thoughts?

by **Jens** » Sun Dec 11, 2005 10:37 pm

Rubber corks are the ones I would definitly not use. Rubber has a tendency to take the upper hand it poluting the air and hence very likely your nice 'n good whisky. Maybe you can use a "cork" as used to close off decanters? They will not seal extremely well, but at least you do not run the risk that your whisky is being contaminated by "alien" sents and tastes...

But I assume that the more experienced "colleagues" here can give you far better advise!

by **jimidrammer** » Mon Dec 12, 2005 2:52 am

I save the corks from whisky bottles I've discarded that are various sizes just in case of such an event. I've only had one cork break from an old Springbank 12, but I also use them to cork large bottles of beer I don't want to finish in one evening.

by **Deactivated Member** » Mon Dec 12, 2005 9:33 am

Is the cork entirely detached fron the top? If so, leave the corkscrew (or something similar) in it and continue to use it. If there is a good-sized chunk of cork still attached to the top, use that instead.

Alternatively, get all your buds over and drink up.

by **Aidan** » Mon Dec 12, 2005 11:31 am

You could get a little Dutch boy to stick his finger in the bottle, or else just use a cork from another bottle.

by **wilsona** » Mon Dec 12, 2005 1:27 pm

I haven't actually finished a bottle since I started buying and drinking the stuff, a couple months ago. I do have one bottle almost empty, but it's a Glenfiddich, with the screw top cap. Next after that is a Macallan which is still half full. So I've no old corks to use!
When I draw the cork that's in there now, I don't want to put it back in. I'm afraid of the thing disintegrating as it is. Plus, there's little enough cork left that the corkscrew will have to go all the way through to get a decent grip.

Maybe I should inquire about returning the bottle...

by **Deactivated Member** » Mon Dec 12, 2005 5:49 pm

I was going to say don't return it--you'll figure out something. But maybe that's the best course, if it's not too inconvenient. In any case,I'd be shy about rubber or plastics, which might or might not do bad things to the whisky.

What's the bottle, anyway?

by **wilsona** » Mon Dec 12, 2005 6:03 pm

It's Glendronach 12. "Appreciating Whisky," by Phillips Hills, has a little nosing course in it, comparing 5 different whiskys to help you figure out basic flavors. The Glendronach is one of those.