Is this Whiskey worth anything

[Unregistered]

I have a bottle of Old Douglas Rye Whiskey 100 proof bottled in 1941 by Hiram Walker & Sons Inc Peoria, Illinois. The bottle was found in a basement and is unopened and has the original US Gov't seal Its a 1 qt bottle. Whiskey was made in fall 1936 and bottled in fall 1941. Registered distillery No. 3 Internal Revenue Bonded Warehouse No. 3 Illinois. I don't know if I should open it and enjoy it or if there is any value in saving it. Thanks to anyone who can help me...

[Jojo]

We're happy to do some research for you - in the meantime, **please** post photos of your bottle. Make sure the label pic is close up and clear enough to be able to read. Also, be sure to post a picture of the entire bottle.

[Rojasp]

Methinks the fine editor/publisher is being too conservative. The obvious answer is YES, there DEFINITELY would be collector interest in a sealed bottle of old rye, and here's why.
(1) Old bottles of liquor still sealed are rare in and of themselves, because that's not why people bought them!
(2) Your bottle is by a distillery that ceased to exist long ago, and therefore has collector interest for that reason.
(3) Illinois used to have a strong tradition of whiskey distillation (as did Pennsylvania, Virginia and some other states), but as a result of the Depression, the war and post-war conditions, these gradually ceased to exist; unless newly established "boutique" distilleries have popped up recently, as they have in some states, the distilling industry ceased to exist in these states, and that makes bottles from these states of special interest to (some) collectors.
(4) Rye used to be the most commonly available and popular type of whiskey throughout America, including during Prohibition. Only after Prohibition did bourbon replace rye as the "American" whiskey. Rye is coming back into popular consciousness, and some people (such as myself) are interested in the older ryes, as history and memorabilia.