Da' Judge returns

Why change a good thing? Here's a couple of photos of a rare box; same "old judge" but with a different sponsor; S.B. Rothenburg & Co.; ca. 1899 - 1915.

Looks like the Judge went on a little diet though. Maybe a New Years resolution to ring in the 20th century.

Thanks Gary, for sharing your new treasure!

JUDGE THROWN IN PRIVY HOLE IS RESCUED BY BOTTLE DIGGERS !

Yes, this Judge, after being thrown under the privy bench over 120 years ago, was recently rescued from a well hidden, shallow pit in Northern Ca. If it wasn't for the efforts of my partners and myself launching an intense 'probathon', the Newmark Gruenberg Judge would've remained silenced for another generation. He's now granted himself probation and resides under house arrest on my whiskey shelf, in between his predecessor Kane-O'Leary, and his much younger successor, S.B. Rothenberg !

After the gavel was passed to them from Kane-O'Leary in late 1882, Newmark Gruenberg served up Old Judge Bourbon from the bench only from 1883-1885, , . In 1886 Gruenberg bought out Newmark and had his own bottles made for a year or two.

This dig was exciting, as it was filled with anticipation after waiting many years to explore this site. A recent change in ownership prompted a renewed effort that resulted in successfully obtaining permission to hunt for old bourbons and other Western preparations. A very sparse older pit yielded a broken var 1 JF Cutter in light olive-amber and a few very early S.F. Jamaica Gingers, which coincidentally seem to often hang out with Western liquor containers.

Out of the many bottles and relics recovered from numerous pits, the Old Judge was the lone intact fifth, and probably only survived because it was on the front side of an already sparse pit.

Hopefully, this will be the start of a run of intact Western fifths !