Ahoy matey, grab me a sword!

[stockdoct]

Is there any rum MORE DIFFICULT to open than English Harbor??? Am I missing something? Is there a way to get the melted wax off the cork, and the threaded tape off the cork without using a sharpened machete without risk to fingers and limbs? The stud thingy on the wax suggests there's an easy way, but I can't find it. Help me, please, to open my rum.

[curoswiss]

When I was in Switzerland last summer I watch people open a very very large bottle of champagne with a machete looking knife (more of a sword really). Maybe that would help. Just lob the top off... laughing.gif

[Ellis34]

No, No,.. NO!

You are trying to open the wrong end. Get a very good drill and a diamond bit. Drill a 1/4 inch hole in the bottom of the bottle. Turn it over and put your mouth over the hole. After a while, you won't care if you are swallowing some glass chips or not!!!drooling.gif

Actually, when I have had bottles that were a @#%$&!@ to open, I have used a "rubber grabber thinggy" that the wife has in the kitchen to use on jars that have tight lids. I do not know what the real name is, but working it back and forth a couple of times gets the cork out well with little or no damage.

[rumdog007]

No, No,.. NO!

You are trying to open the wrong end. Get a very good drill and a diamond bit. Drill a 1/4 inch hole in the bottom of the bottle. Turn it over and put your mouth over the hole. After a while, you won't care if you are swallowing some glass chips or not!!!drooling.gif




laughing.gif

The Santa Theresa bottle, too!

[Count Silvio]

Really RumDog? I find the Santa Teresa bottle has the softest wax ever!

I had a similar problem with Evan Williams Single Barrel, theres a thick rubber seal around the entire bottle neck. I used a combat knife to cut through the rubber at the place where I estimated the bottle nose is.

[forrest]

More stupid corks.

[RonJames]

Im with Forest, bring on the screw caps! Can you soften the wax? a little heat? I don't have an english harbor to compare or visualize but maybe this will help.

[Michael]

Really RumDog? I find the Santa Teresa bottle has the softest wax ever!

I had a similar problem with Evan Williams Single Barrel, theres a thick rubber seal around the entire bottle neck. I used a combat knife to cut through the rubber at the place where I estimated the bottle nose is.

Didn't your bottle have a tab protruding at the side Count Silvio?

I found the Evan Williams Single Barrel (quite excellent for the price and a tasty choice for the Seelbach Cocktail described elsewhere on this site) to be pretty easy to open. The tab required a bit of elbow grease to start, but served its purpose well. On the bottles we have, the seal on that Bourbon is the same as the seal on the Goslings Family Reserve, except for the dripped effect on the Goslings. Both are bottled in Bardstown, Kentucky, most likely by the same company, perhaps even in the same plant.

[Count Silvio]

Santa Teresa had a tab and so did Evan Williams but for Evan Williams it did not work it just ripped a narrow layer of the rubber off leaving the plastic thats under it intact so I had to use the combat knife. Took me about, what maybe 20 minutes to open it properly. The rubber was really hard.

[black_strap]

I had quite a time getting through the wax of Foursquare Spiced.

[Michael]

I had quite a time getting through the wax of Foursquare Spiced.

That was one of the most difficult for us as well.

[Ellis34]

I have a couple of bottles of foursquare also. Love the rum, hate the wax. I even had one that didn't have the little pull tab on the side, Vuff!

[Jerry]

I also had trouble getting into my bottle of Foursquare Spiced....felt like I was in some sort of comedy movie....finally got it open....good reward!

[Michael]

I have a couple of bottles of foursquare also. Love the rum, hate the wax. I even had one that didn't have the little pull tab on the side, Vuff!

Our small bottle of Foursquare lacked a tab as well.

[Edward Hamilton]

I have to agree that the English Harbour Five year old can be the hardest rum bottle I've opened, followed by the Foursquare. Santa Teresa hasn't ever really caused me any problems, maybe because they've been doing this longer than anyone else.

There was supposed to be a wire, like a champagne closure on the English Harbour bottle but it got replaced by a piece of fiber tape. The story I was told is that they were testing with wire but it broke a few times so they switched to the tape, which unfortunately doesn't cut the hard wax very well.

I have had very good luck softened the wax by dipping the top of the bottle into hot water for a few seconds then wrapping a piece of 16 gauge bare stranded wire around the neck of the bottle and quickly working it around the top of the bottle like you would as if you were strangling the person who made the unconscious decision to make this the hardest bottle of rum to get open.

On the other hand most of us damage the wax and our patience before we actually use a sensible approach. It's no consolation, but think about the poor rep that has to open several of these bottles in one evening at a tasting. It's not always a pretty sight.

[forrest]

I have had very good luck softened the wax by dipping the top of the bottle into hot water for a few seconds then wrapping a piece of 16 gauge bare stranded wire around the neck of the bottle and quickly working it around the top of the bottle like you would as if you were strangling the person who made the unconscious decision to make this the hardest bottle of rum to get open.

Sheer poetry, rife with beauty and bursting with vibrant comedic imagery.. well played sir, well played.

And by the way. . . corks still suck!

[RobertBurr]

wasn't there a sketch on Saturday Night Live about professional cork suckers?

[Michael]

Sheer poetry, rife with beauty and bursting with vibrant comedic imagery ...

Perhaps you should get out more. :rolleyes:

[forrest]

Perhaps you should get out more. :rolleyes:

Is this your way of asking me out? So shy...

[Michael]

Is this your way of asking me out? So shy...

It was a call for a lighter shade of purple in the prose. The thought was that exposure to more of the world might provide the perspective to temper your extraordinary enthusiasm. My humorous intent was apparently lost in translation. oops.gif

It wouldn't work out, forrest; you're just too butch for me. ;)

Back to the subject at hand, with apologies to the readers for the aside. Does Hi-time have any of the Foursquare left for purchase? It has been listed as limited quantity for some time. Btmup.gif

[forrest]

It wouldn't work out, forrest; you're just too butch for me. ;)
Back to the subject at hand, with apologies to the readers for the aside. Does Hi-time have any of the Foursquare left for purchase? It has been listed as limited quantity for some time. Btmup.gif

You rogue, dashing my hopes against the rocks....HMMRJTR.gif:D

We have a bit, but maybe we can get some more...

[JMac]

okay....what English Harbour bottles are we referring to here?

I read this post and promptly went and checked my bottle of English Harbour 5 year I purchased in St Lucia in 2006. There is a purple tinfoil covering the cap similar to a wine bottle. I scraped back a little of the tinfoil but there is no wax seal etc.

However worst experience with wax (on a liquor bottle mind you) was a bottle of the Plantation Jamaica. I finally used a lighter to melt off the wax (from the bottle)....:D

[rumdog007]

However worst experience with wax (on a liquor bottle mind you) was a bottle of the Plantation Jamaica. I finally used a lighter to melt off the wax (from the bottle)....:D

I could be wrong about the Santa Teresa, but, my bottle has very hard "wax" remaining and the T-cork has been replaced.

Anyway, I do recall the original Plantation bottles which had the red (really, pinky) wax. Not easy to open! eek.gif they have since made the bottles easy to open.

BTW, does anyone know what Makers Mark adds to their wax to make it like plastic?

[forrest]

BTW, does anyone know what Makers Mark adds to their wax to make it like plastic?

i think it is plastic.;)