Old rye
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.
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