# How old is this bottle of Guinness?



## mr_wibble (14/8/14)

My guess is basically younger than 1966, since it's labelled in millilitres.

I tried South Australian Brewing Co Lion.

They said:



> [SIZE=11pt]Unfortunately we don’t keep a record of products as old as the one you have sent through.[/SIZE]
> [SIZE=11pt]All heritage enquiries are handled by the Powerhouse Museum.[/SIZE]


To be honest I wouldn't expect the Powerhouse Museum to know.

Ideas?


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## n87 (14/8/14)

that looks familiar...


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## Bribie G (14/8/14)

SA breweries (West End) got the original Guinness Gig, then it passed to Tooheys when they took over SA. Then Carlton got the gig, and now it's back to Lion and once again brewed in SA.

So it's at least 40 years old according to the above link, that would place it pre 1974.

edit: that story was 2012 so make that pre 1972.. I'd go for late 60s.


From Bill Yenne's book I recall that when Tooheys got the contract they did so on the understanding that it would be brewed as a lager, since all their ale capacity was taken (no doubt by Old, that was more popular back then). When CUB took over it was also done as a lager at Yatala. Our Screwtop did the tour and they confirmed that.

With the Thebarton brewery expanded to handle Guinness and Kilkenny I wonder if it's once again brewed using Guinness yeast? Might be worth an email.

I haven't had a pint of G for a couple of years, might check it out when I'm next near the Irish Pub at Harrington.


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## Forever Wort (14/8/14)

185ml? Sheeez.


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## mr_wibble (14/8/14)

Right so it's between 42 and 48 years old.


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## Liam_snorkel (14/8/14)

www.guinness-storehouse.com/en/pdfs/factsheets/factsheet_pdf_8.pdf

late 1960's seems about right based on the above - the harp design would place it 1968 or earlier, and the GUINNESS font looks closest to the one listed as 1968 than any of the others.


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## davedoran (14/8/14)

Found this great website on Guinness.

Looking at the harp and signature id date it between 1955 and 1968.


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## Weizguy (14/8/14)

Yeast culture!


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## Grainer (14/8/14)

The letters and numbers preceding the six-digit number are actually written with the first letter over the other two. For example, the Guinness Extra Stout is "L over A1".

*A:* Take the first two numbers and add 11. This was the year the batch of beer was brewed. The remaining 3 numbers stand for the day and date. Guinness stopped the date labels some time in the 1990s.

however,,,
'
In 1949 Guinness began brewing stout in the taken over E & J Burke Brewery on Long Island, New York. Examples of labels exist showing adherence to the conventional code, i.e. N/50 500822, 22nd August 1950. Examples of L, M and N exist on these labels.

In 1956 it was decided to alter the code so that the batch date could not be easily deciphered. So L/A10 702112 was in fact 1st October 1959. It is unclear as to the meaning of A10 (possibly a bottler reference) but the date is read by dividing the code into pairs of numbers and deducting 11 from each pair and then reading in reverse. The earliest such date code found is L/A5 691612 from 1958. Examples of the A(number) beneath the L range from A1 through to A15.


Given this I think it is *1974*

"A Bottle of Guinness Please": The Colourful History of Guinness - The book

Tooheys bottled from 75-86 but usually use the number 86 at the start

If it was SAB they they bottled from *64 - 75* and used a different code for each year.. so maybe it is *1974* !
cheers


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## AndrewQLD (14/8/14)

I think it's actually 1985. The red code on the front denotes the bottling date in reverse, in 1910 the number sequence was changed and the cipher letter L was added.
You can read about it here http://books.google.com.au/books?id=_tOZqDtYv9QC&pg=PT251&lpg=PT251&dq=what+is+the+red+code+on+a+guinness+label&source=bl&ots=1VWnHlxjNA&sig=Thh4jandc9ON2VD2wz6CPlmJv-c&hl=en&sa=X&ei=-kPsU7XALortoASNxYG4Cg&ved=0CCIQ6AEwAQ#v=onepage&q=what%20is%20the%20red%20code%20on%20a%20guinness%20label&f=false


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## wide eyed and legless (14/8/14)

Whatever the date of that bottle if it still has Guinness in it, it won't be good for you.


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## AndrewQLD (14/8/14)

Actually given that it is a SAB brew I think Grainer is spot on with his post 74 would be a good bet.


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## Not For Horses (14/8/14)

It would have to be after 1970 when the Metric Conversion Act was passed wouldn't it?
I also think that beverages and the like took a few years to convert. That is based on researching some old coke bottles mind you.


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## beersom (14/8/14)

I don't know how old that bottle is but I have drunk Guinness from the 1930's...
Long story of how it was acquired (2 bottles) but we tried to get date of production confirmation from Diageo and they were not forthcoming but advised not to drink it and instead asked if I would send it to Ireland for "testing"...
How did it taste? Better than expected (and better than the similar aged Bass that I had alongside it), but more on the "interesting" side of things


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## mr_wibble (15/8/14)

Not For Horses said:


> It would have to be after 1970 when the Metric Conversion Act was passed wouldn't it?
> I also think that beverages and the like took a few years to convert. That is based on researching some old coke bottles mind you.


That was 14th February 1966


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## mr_wibble (15/8/14)

Liam_snorkel said:


> www.guinness-storehouse.com/en/pdfs/factsheets/factsheet_pdf_8.pdf
> 
> late 1960's seems about right based on the above - the harp design would place it 1968 or earlier, and the GUINNESS font looks closest to the one listed as 1968 than any of the others.


Yeah, it's definitely the 1955 harp-logo:


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## Grainer (15/8/14)

Think you are all forgetting SAB only brewed between certain dates....


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## Not For Horses (15/8/14)

Mr Wibble said:


> That was 14th February 1966


Ahh, that was decimal currency.
The Metric Conversion Act was introduced in 1970 to facilitate the conversion to the metric system in Australia and some of our territories and also to set up the Metric Conversion Board.


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## bodell5555 (5/3/20)

Grainer said:


> The letters and numbers preceding the six-digit number are actually written with the first letter over the other two. For example, the Guinness Extra Stout is "L over A1".
> 
> *A:* Take the first two numbers and add 11. This was the year the batch of beer was brewed. The remaining 3 numbers stand for the day and date. Guinness stopped the date labels some time in the 1990s.
> 
> ...


I have a old guiness bottle I acquired from my grandfather and the code is L/A1 911212 and it still has the original guiness in it. Where do I go to find out more info on this? Thx Brian


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## wide eyed and legless (5/3/20)

bodell5555 said:


> I have a old guiness bottle I acquired from my grandfather and the code is L/A1 911212 and it still has the original guiness in it. Where do I go to find out more info on this? Thx Brian


This is for a Guinness foreign extra stout.
https://www.romancingthefoam.com/Beer/beer-Guinness-Foreign-Extra-Stout.html


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## bodell5555 (6/3/20)

I'm not sure how old this bottle is. On the bottom of the bottle it is marked as 337ml into the glass. The front label says it is 11.4 fluid oz and it was imported into New York N.Y. from guiness harp Corp. It is a guiness extra stout NOT a guiness foreign extra stout.


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