Portland "Tule" flasks

Despite the fact that these aren't "applicable", or particularly crude, but they do fall into a collectable category. A few pint and half pint Hotaling flasks from up "Orygun" way.

ANOTHER LABELED GLOP TOP

My first attempt at posting! Here is a labeled fifth that I have had for a long time. Embossed "CHENERY, SOUTHER & CO. S.F.", this is the wavy line variant. A fairly rare bottle, but not very desirable due to the limited embossing. Although produced in the 70's, this bottle is well made and does not exhibit much crudity other than some nice stretch bubbles in the neck and a few other scattered bubbles. What makes this fifth a looker is the nice early label. Unlike the fancy and colorful labels found on some of the later tool top whiskeys, this one is more typical of the early labels found on bottles from the 60's and 70's. No color on this one, but actually, pretty ornate lettering which reads as follows: "SAFFELL'S / CEDAR RUN / fancy monogram and TRADE MARK / PURE BOURBON / CHENERY, SOUTHER & CO. / SOLE AGENTS S.F." This bottle turned up in a Norm Heckler auction a number of years ago along with a bunch of tooled top western fifths that were all sold in lots of three. Must have been a small collection from the West that was consigned to Hecklers. Bob Barnett purchased every lot except the lot that contained this bottle! I have only seen a few of these for sale over the years, in both variants, so who knows about how many of these are in collections?

Sorry 'bout the lousy photos! Was not able to rotate them, maybe better luck next time!

A Barrel Fifth from South of the Border!?!?

Here's a wild one for ya....

I know this blog is called, "Western Glob Top Whiskies," but I thought those of us who like "picture" fifths, Barrel Cutters, or anything else that's unusual or weird, would still get a kick out of this one (even though this bottle hasn't had it's 100 yr. old birthday just quite yet)!

Earlier this year, we unearthed this very unusual Bourbon bottle that must have made it's way across the U.S./Mexico Border just before or perhaps during the era of prohibition in the U.S. (as drinking in Mexico became the "legal out" for any U.S. citizens who wished to keep their habits up to speed).

It is embossed: DONLEVY BOURBON / AGUADDIENTES / HECHO EN MEXICO

The bottle is machine made, and likely a pre-prohibition fifth from the middle to late teens. Nobody here in San Diego has ever seen or heard of this fifth before. It's a total oddball!

Upon my initial research, I was able to discover an advertisement (taken from an early post card) that proves this bottle to not only be a Mexican fifth, but a fifth that hails from Tijuana, Mexico!

It makes me start to wonder about the following things:

• How did this fifth travel across the border way back when?


• Who was the individual that brought it back to drink here in the good ole USA?


• Are there other whiskey fifths from Mexico?


• Was this bottle blown somewhere in Mexico?


• Does it/should it qualify as a "Western" whiskey? After all, Tijuana is the westernmost city in Mexico!


• Would there be any fifths that were made earlier (tooled or perhaps even applied)?


• Does that mean there could also be an early fifth that once held Tequila? Jno. C. Cuervo?

DON'T GET ALL LATHERED UP

This little high valley herd of "johnnies and nicks" has been grazing peacefully long enough. Back up the horse trailer Dusty, there's a rodeo in SoCal this weekend.

I hear some of the top cowboys are out of action for this one, maybe we can ride on in there and do some serious 'harse tradin'.

You No. California boys are pretty lucky, bottle shows every month, flea markets and street fairs, digging all around ya. I can't blame ya for not wanting to head down to Pomino.








I live here in Morgan, U-tah, on the other side of the Great Salt Lick. Hail, it's always about 500 miles to the nearest bottle show. Unless I drive up canyon (Park City way) and see the empties in 'ol Dave Bone's window.





I surely do miss goin to Reno for the show. Since 1972, I've only missed a couple of those Reno shows. Missin it this year but it ain't my fault. So I guess we'll use that gas money for Pamoana.





We'll let you boys in on the go'ins on there in Pamon, Pamoon, Pa-mow-na. Get the map Dusty, we're goin to a different part of the state for a change.

S. ADOLF - SALEM, O

Now here is a great flask. I have made mention of the recent find of the A.M. Smith flask from Salt Lake, but I have to admit the Adolf flask is nearly as rare. This flask has to be mentioned with the other top Oregon bottles.

The S. Adolf Portland O.(tf-1.5) is known in the pint size, 3 examples known. Two applied top and one is tooled. Thomas makes mention of a 1/2 pint tool top, I am not sure if that is correct. Light amber, slug plate mold, knife edge flask.

Check out the top on this one, super crude.

The owner of this beauty was able to acquire it from a descendant of good 'ol Sam Adolf about 10 years ago. He had to negotiate with the relative for several years before a deal was done.

FLECKENSTEIN AND MAYER

Here is another very rare Oregon flask. This is the private mold variant in the pint size. Look at that huge, glob top. According to Dale, there may be only two known with an applied top, maybe 5 or 6 known with tooled tops.

Fleckenstein and Mayer produced more early amber flask variations than just about any Western concern. There is the indented slugplate pint and 1/2 pint; the 'private mold' applied and tooled 1/2 pints; the 'private mold' pint in both applied top and toolie; and also the pint horizontal, open embossed, knife edge flask.
There are also 3 known examples of the 1/2 pint with an upside down embossed slugplate!

What is weird about the group is the overlap in usage. They were all made in the years between 1879-1885, several in use at the same time.

JUST SOME NICE BOTTLES

Here is a great run of J.F. Cutter(t-46) fifths that Richard Siri sent in for us to take a look at. That big top or 'fat boy' variant 1 is lighter amber than you usually see them. The greenish ones just speak for themselves!

Some smokin' Wormser Bros. Verticals (tf-63). You don't see them in that light green color very often.

I have been slow to get to some of the great photos 'Millers Extra' has sent me. I have been a little busy this month and have been a bit derelict in my posting.

He calls this one "just another Cutter". Well not quite!!

J.H.Cutter Crown Shoulder(tf-10) in dark, chocolate amber and super whittled. Just a beautiful bottle.