Whiskey bottle aging Q

[MoJo]

So I know whiskey does not age after it's been bottled, but what are everyones thoughts on how well whiskey will keep in the bottle?

I've always been under the impression that fresh is always better and unless there is a lot of air in the bottle it won't lose anything for about a year, but after a year you might notice a slight change in the taste (for the worse) which will continue to progress as time increases. I know storage conditions and how much air in the bottle matters, but since I am no whiskey aficionado and some of you are, I am wondering what you all think?

 

[mwlabel]

I am certainly NOT qualified to answer this. However, I follow a YouTube channel all about whiskeys (http://www.youtube.com/user/ralfystuff/about). He keeps dozens of new and opened bottles around his place for LONG amounts of time, and I've never heard him bring up any issues with that.

 

[thejavaman]

I think it'll last indefinitely as long as you store it upright (if there's a cork in the cap) & there's not tons of air in the bottle. Once you've drank like 80% of the bottle & all that air is trapped in there, you might notice a very slight difference in flavor over time (like a year or longer), but I don't think the average guy would even be able to tell a drastic difference. Storing corked bottles on their side (where the whiskey is in direct contact with the cork) can & will negatively impact the flavor IMO though.

 

[javajunkie]

I think it'll last indefinitely as long as you store it upright (if there's a cork in the cap) & there's not tons of air in the bottle. Once you've drank like 80% of the bottle & all that air is trapped in there, you might notice a very slight difference in flavor over time (like a year or longer), but I don't think the average guy would even be able to tell a drastic difference. Storing corked bottles on their side (where the whiskey is in direct contact with the cork) can & will negatively impact the flavor IMO though.

yes, however if the cork goes dry (and that will take a WHILE!), it will no longer seal as well as it should. this is nowhere near as bad as wine, where it will oxidize and turn to crap, but is worth considering. maybe flip it upside down quarterly?

 

[Craig Mac]

A year?? They don't last a night at my house....

 

[TonyRome]

A year?? They don't last a night at my house....

Agreed an open fifth is an empty fifth


"Eating and sleeping are the only activities that should be allowed to interrupt a man's enjoyment of his cigar."

 

[MoJo]

A year?? They don't last a night at my house....

lol, hypothetically speaking of course....


I'm not a heavy drinker (drink a lot less nowadays than I used to) and like to try different bourbons/scotches/ryes from time to time so sometimes bottles hang around for awhile


:bottle: <-found craigs emoticon

 

[Herfin' Harg]

:bottle: <-found craigs emoticon

Looks more like Rod, if you ask me.

To the OP - oxidation and keeping the cork/cap in good shape is everything. Keep it somewhere cool and dark (so it's not cyclically vaporizing and recondensing in the bottle) and it'll keep forever.

 

[Craig Mac]

A year?? They don't last a night at my house....

:bottle: <-found craigs emoticon

I haven't had a drink in two and a half LOOOONG weeks, just saying a bottle wouldn't last that long that I would be concerned with it going bad. Take Max's advice, if anyone knows about spirits here, it's him.

 

[Herfin' Harg]

Bottle of Old Charter found in my uncle's basement after his death.

Tax stamp indicates it was distributed in '77, and doesn't appear to have lost much if any volume (though a few of the JD bottles found were much lower).

 

[MoJo]

Thanks guys


Any suggestions beyond what javajunkie mentioned on keeping the cap/cork in good shape? I've read that if the bottle is open (all mine are) wrapping the top in plastic wrap helps.

 

[skullnbones]

Just my personal experience... I've had a bottle of Bunnahabhain for over 10yrs now. I drink from it maybe once or twice a year and I haven't noticed any change in it. The only thing I do is turn the bottle upside down for a minute once every six months or so just to make sure the cork has a bit of moisture to it. I'll also do that if I haven't open the bottle in a while. I've had corks tear off in the bottles before and it sucks. Like I said, just my personal experience, take it with a grain of salt.

 

[Jfire]

This thread made me thirsty!!!!!!!!


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[Hoshneer]

I realize bourbon or whisky doesn't age an a bottle but I do know things happen in that bottle while it sits. I have had bourbon sit for years and smooth out a little. At least this is what I believe but I may be full of shite.