IMPROVEMENTS IN FINING, PURIFYING, AND MELLOWING SPIRITUOUS LIQUORS, BY COMBINING THEREWITH OTHER SUBSTANCES FOR THE PRODUCTION OF A NEW SPIRITUOUS OR VINOUS COMPOUND THEREFROM
Year: 1865

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Thompson, of No. 85, Lower Gardiner
Street, in the City and County of Dublin, Ireland, for the Invention
of "IMPROVEMENTS IN FINING, PURIFYING, AND MELLOWING SPIRITUOUS
LIQUORS, BY COMBINING THEREWITH OTHER SUBSTANCES FOR THE PRODUCTION
OF A NEW SPIRITUOUS OR VINOUS COMPOUND THEREFROM."
Sealed the 23rd January 1866, and dated the 30th November 1865.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Thompson at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
30th November 1865.
I, WILLIAM THOMPSON, of No. 85, Lower Gardiner Street, in the City
and County of Dublin, Ireland, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN FINING, PURIFYING, AND MELLOWING SPIRITUOUS
LIQUORS, BY COMBINING THEREWITH OTHER SUBSTANCES, FOR THE PRODUCTION OF A
NEW SPIRITUOUS OR VINOUS COMPOUND THEREFROM," to be as follows:-
My Invention has for its object the manufacture of a new compound
vinous or spirituous liquor, which I call "prune wine." For this purpose
I steep, press, and mix together, to make one thousand gailons of prune
wine,―
20 cwt. of French prunes.
LE

page_text: 50 galls. of extract of prunes.
48 lbs. of acetic ether.
450 galls. of Sicilian wine, called "Syracuse."
20 galls. of extract of vanilla.
108 galls. of a Spanish wine known as "vin de color."
20 cwt. of refined sugar or honey.
300 galls. of water, distilled if convenient.
The whole of these ingredients are steeped, pressed, and incorporated in
a large vat, and are allowed to ferment for eight weeks, or a longer or
shorter period according as the attenuation is retarded or accelerated by a
decrease or increase in the temperature of the atmosphere, care being taken
that the temperature of the wash does not fall below 50° Fahrenheit, nor
rise above 90° Fahrenheit. When the required gravity is attained, which
may be set down as 10040 (equal to 40 above water), the resulting vinous
compound may be racked off into smaller casks and allowed to stand until
it becomes bright, when it will be ready for use. I do not bind myself to
the proportions given, as these may be varied according to the quality of
the various substances named, and in some cases some of the ingredients,
such as Spanish "vin de color," or the Sicilian wine called " "Syracuse'
may be omitted, or other white or brown Spanish, French, or German
wines used in their stead.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said William Thompson in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 8th February 1866.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
THOMPSON, of No. 85, Lower Gardiner Street, in the City and County of
Dublin, Ireland, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Thirtieth day of November, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-five, in the twenty-ninth year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said William Thompson, Her special licence that I, the said William
Thompson, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I,
the said William Thompson, my executors, administrators, and assigns,
should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at
all times thereafter during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully

page_text: night make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great
Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention
or "IMPROVEMENTS IN FINING, PURIFYING, AND MELLOWING SPIRITUOUS LIQUORS,
Y COMBINING THEREWITH OTHER SUBSTANCES, FOR THE PRODUCTION OF A NEW
PIRITUOUS OR VINOUS COMPOUND THEREPROM," upon, the condition (amongst
thers) that I, the said William Thompson, my executors or administrators,
y an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands
nd seals, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said
nvention, and in what manner the same was to be performed, and cause
he same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar
nonths next and immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said William Thompson, do hereby declare
he nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
erformed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by- the
ollowing statement thereof, that is to say:-
My Invention has for its object the manufacture of an improved
compound vinous or spirituous liquor which I call "prune wine," to be
mployed for fining, purifying, and mellowing spirituous liquors of all
lescriptions. For this purpose I steep, press, and mix together to make
ne thousand gallons of prune wine,―
20 cwt. of French prunes.
15 cwt. of Muscatel raisins.
50 gallons of extract of prunes.
100 gallons of rectified spirits of wine.
48 lbs. of acetic ether.
450 gallons of Sicilian wine, called "Syracuse."
20 gallons of extract of vanilla.
108 gallons of a Spanish wine known as "vin de color:""
20 cwt. of refined sugar or honey.
300 gallons of water, distilled if convenient.
The whole of these ingredients are steeped, pressed, and incorporated in
large vat, and allowed to ferment for eight weeks, or a longer or shorter
period according as the attenuation is retarded or accelerated by a decrease
or increase in the temperature of the atmosphere, care being taken that the
emperature of the wash does not fall below 50° Fahrenheit, nor rise above
0° Fahrenheit. When the required gravity is attained, which may be set
down as 10040 (equal to 40 above water), the resulting vinous compound
may be racked off into smaller casks and allowed to stand until it becomes
bright, when it will be ready for use. I do not bind myself to the pro-

page_text: portions given, as these may be varied according to the quality of the
various substances named, and in some cases some of the ingredients, such
as Spanish "vin de color," or the Sicilian wine called "Syracuse," may be
omitted, or other white or brown Spanish, French, or German wines used
in their stead. The before-described compound is employed for fining and
purifying spirituous liquours by acting upon the fusel oils contained therein,
whilst the vinous properties thereof at the same time impart to such liquours
a mellowness of flavour quite equal to that attained by storing them for
many years in casks: For this purpose when the prune wine is employed
for fining new whiskey, it will be found expedient to mix one gallon of the
former to fourteen gallons of the latter, whilst when the whiskey is from
six months to three years and upwards old the proportion should vary
from one gallon of prune to sixteen gallons of whiskey down to one
gallon of the former to thirty gallons of the latter; for new brandy, three
gallons of prune wine should be mixed with one puncheon thereof; for
new rum, five gallons prune wine to one puncheon, and for new Geneva,
two gallons to one puncheon. The required effect will be found to have
been attained if the mixture is allowed to stand for one day.
Having now described the nature of my Invention, and the manner of
performing the same, I wish it to be understood that I do not claim
generally the manufacture and employment of a compound formed by the
admixture of prunes with spirituous liquors, but what I claim is,-
First, an improved spirituous or vinous compound for fining, purifying,
and mellowing spirituous liquors containing an admixture of prunes,
saccharine matter, water, rectified spirits of wine and extract of prunes,
prepared in manner and for the purposes substantially as herein-before set
forth.
Second, fining, purifying, and mellowing spirituous liquors by admixing
therwith the spirituous or vinous compound herein-before described.
In witness whereof I, the said William Thompson, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Third day of February, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-six.
WILLIAM THOMPSON. (L.S.)