Smells strong, like a spirit, but seems cloudy and full of particles. What is it? :D

hatrickpatrick

Had a massive saucepan of water spill in the kitchen the other day (aren't puppies great when left unattended ) and had to clean out the booze press as a result, to prevent the water rotting the shelves etc. Took everything out.
Most bottles in there were accounted for except this thing:

http://imgur.com/a/tF0o7/all

Nobody has any idea what it is. No label on it or anything. It smells very strong, like brandy or cognac or something, but it's very clearly not a pure spirit as (a) it's not clear, (b) it seems to have this thick "smokey" quality when it's tilted upside down, and (c) it develops a bubble head when sloshed around a bit.

We were wondering if maybe it might have been one of my relatives' attempts at home distilling from years ago or something like that, or maybe someone put mixer into a bottle of something? None of that would explain the cloudiness or the sediment that seems to be in it (in one of the pics of the neck, you can see these little particles floating in it)
You can also see in one of the pics where I've tilted the bottle on its side, that the glass on the inside is discoloured to the same colour as the drink, whatever it is. It's left a mark on the glass so that when it's tilted, you can see the outline of where the drink once sat.

Anyway no one wants to try it just in case it kills one of us Will probably end up throwing it out, but wondered if anyone here might have any insight into what it might be, and whether or not it's likely to be safe to drink?

Lovely Bloke

First impressions are that it looks like a homebrew red ale.

However, if it had been there, undisturbed, for years then any sediment should have settled to the bottom of the bottle and left behind a virtually clear liquid.

hatrickpatrick

Baldy Conscience wrote: »

First impressions are that it looks like a homebrew red ale.

However, if it had been there, undisturbed, for years then any sediment should have settled to the bottom of the bottle and left behind a virtually clear liquid.

Well note that I only got a look at it after having taken all the bottles out of the cupboard to dry it out and moving them all around a fair bit to store them while drying it, so it could easily be that I disturbed the aforementioned sediment in the process?

If it is in fact a homebrew red ale, how strong would that be likely to be, alcohol wise? It smells, as I said, like a spirit, so I'm assuming that if it turns out to be safe to drink, it's pretty strong and should be drunk in small quantities

stimpson

Flavored poitin?

Try a little taste. You won't go blind unless you drink a lot of it. Probably.

Lovely Bloke

hatrickpatrick wrote: »

Well note that I only got a look at it after having taken all the bottles out of the cupboard to dry it out and moving them all around a fair bit to store them while drying it, so it could easily be that I disturbed the aforementioned sediment in the process?

If it is in fact a homebrew red ale, how strong would that be likely to be, alcohol wise? It smells, as I said, like a spirit, so I'm assuming that if it turns out to be safe to drink, it's pretty strong and should be drunk in small quantities

unless you took it out and shook it, it looks way too cloudy to be as a result of slight movement and not actually being picked up in the process of emptying the press.

If it smells like a spirit it's unlikely to be ale, it would be nigh on impossible to get a homebrewed ale up to Spirit levels of ABV.

It could be infused gin or vodka, looking at it again, it looks kind of similar to "skittles vodka".

I'm not going to advise tasting it, and no-one here should, the thread may be locked.

laros

http://korsvodka.com/rachmaninoff-vodka-review/


It looks like a Rachmaninoff vodka bottle (see attached image link) so i would agree with Baldy Conscience on the skittles vodka theory...:)

Lovely Bloke

yes, it's definitely that Rachmaninoff vodka linked, same logo on the cap and same ribs around the neck.

It's infused vodka for sure.

hatrickpatrick

*shudder* I have NOT had good experiences with rachmaninoff over the years

So I'm guessing given the state of it that it's probably not still drinkable? Presumably mixed drinks go off eventually?

laros

it's probably not still drinkable?

I'd imagine its better off down the sink.....:)

The One Doctor

hatrickpatrick wrote: »

*shudder* I have NOT had good experiences with rachmaninoff over the years

So I'm guessing given the state of it that it's probably not still drinkable? Presumably mixed drinks go off eventually?

Do you have teenage kids? If so, that's your explanation.

irish_goat

Skittle vodka was the first thing I thought when I saw it too.

hatrickpatrick

The One Doctor wrote: »

Do you have teenage kids? If so, that's your explanation.

No but the last time I had Rachmaninoff in the house was during an absolutely insane house party back in 2010, so realistically it could have had anything done to it. If it is indeed a Rachmaninoff bottle, the redness in it could be from a ritualistic goat sacrifice for all I know. :pac:

squonk

Down the sink I'd say OP. The sediment you mention doesn't sound good. Even an ale with sediment wouldn't have that much that you'd notice chunks floating around. No good can come of this