How long will an unopened bottle of whiskey last?

[00pumpkin]

I’ve stockpiled a few bottles (limited supply) that I wish to save for years down the road. But I got to thinking the other day about the possibility of the whiskey going bad? Can this happen?

My wife and I opened a bottle of champagne that was dated 1985 (purchased 4-5 years later I assume) at our wedding and it tasted perfect. I assume whiskey could last even longer.

[Adam.]

I have not heard of whiskey going bad as long as you keep the bottle closed air tight.

[james1787]

I would think if properly stored it should not go bad.

[wantonebad]

Air tight seal means years of storage, and open bottles last months without going stale, but even they can last for years without going bad. They just won't be at their best a few months after opening them.

[MonBK]

Originally Posted by wantonebad

Air tight seal means years of storage, and open bottles last months without going stale, but even they can last for years without going bad. They just won't be at their best a few months after opening them.

How can an opened bottle last months?

[Johny]

Originally Posted by MonBK

How can an opened bottle last months?

mon.

[Jocke]

In Mon's house max 10 minutes, then it will be opened.

[figbo]

Originally Posted by Jocke

In Mon's house max 10 minutes, then it will be opened.

Only in Mon's house??

[White_Au]

Originally Posted by MonBK

How can an opened bottle last months?

That's what I was thinking!
Won't last months around me, that's for sure....

[Kingair]

Originally Posted by MonBK

How can an opened bottle last months?

x 2 . . .

Open is death . . .

HAGWe

[bayerische]

Originally Posted by MonBK

How can an opened bottle last months?

An unanswered riddle!

An opened bottle should be consumed as fast as possible!

[Jocke]

Originally Posted by bayerische

An unanswered riddle!

An opened bottle should be consumed as fast as possible!

I have heard that when the finlanders screwed the cap off so they stomp on it because it will never be back anyway.

[Kingair]

Originally Posted by Jocke

I have heard that when the finlanders screwed the cap off so they stomp on it because it will never be back anyway.

Andreas . . please tell me that Jocke is wrong . . . .

HAGWe

[00pumpkin]

Originally Posted by wantonebad

Air tight seal means years of storage, and open bottles last months without going stale, but even they can last for years without going bad. They just won't be at their best a few months after opening them.

That’s scary. I’ve got a bottle of JW Blue that’s been open for a year or so. I only have it on special occasions.

Last time I had it it tasted fine?

[Johny]

make sure that the cork does not dry out.

[wantonebad]

Originally Posted by 00pumpkin

That’s scary. I’ve got a bottle of JW Blue that’s been open for a year or so. I only have it on special occasions.

Last time I had it it tasted fine?

Like I said, just because it's been open doesn't mean it'll go bad, it's just not at it's optimum. Takes a while to "go bad". My bottle of Tulmore Dew has been open for three years and it tastes fine also. My father in-law had one bottle of Crown Royal that he bought for his uncle and he had one glass a year for 15 years. He passed away before he finished the bottle and it's still in my father in-laws liquor cabinet and I had a belt last year, tasted fine. Your JW Blue is safe but if you need some help finishing it...

Monty, you're a man after my own heart!!

[crew]

Speaking from personal experience I know that my single malt scotch has lasted almost a week on several occasions.

[jackwebb]

It will last forever stored properly. Even an open bottle won't be affected as long a the storage is right. When liquor is put in a cask it is stored for decades in conditions that are far from hermetically sealed while being opened on a regular basis for quality control. so the idea of whisky loosing its freshness in a few weeks after sometimes half a century of storage and checking in barrels... I would say it is being contaminated because that shouldn't happen.

[Lion]

I have two bottles of unopened 12 year old Chivas Regal which I received as gifts back in 1981. I'm sure when I decide to open them they will taste just fine!!!

Take it easy.....Leo

[wjgoretsky]

Life is too short to test the survival of a consumable product.

Everyday we awake, there is a reason to celebrate life. Find a way to enjoy each day. There is nothing more disappointing than to realize you've missed an opportunity that you can't get back.

Break that seal and pour yourself a taste of the past.

Cheers
W

[sierra11b]

Forever in the right conditions so long as the cork stays in good shape. I own quite a few old bottles and all I do is keep them in a dark place with relatively consistent temperature throughout the year (aka in a box tucked inside a closet or an unused fireplace.)

Once or twice a year i'll inspect the bottles and moisten the corks by inverting the bottles for a second. Do not store them like wine so that the corks are always moist. I'm not very adamant about these steps as I once forgot to check them for over two years -- still all fine.

Just remember that spirits do not age once they're bottled so that age statement on the bottle is forever.

I own a lot of birth year whiskies and Armagnac; even a bottle of Armagnac from '56 (parents' birth year)

[Lion]

Originally Posted by sierra11b

Forever in the right conditions so long as the cork stays in good shape. I own quite a few old bottles and all I do is keep them in a dark place with relatively consistent temperature throughout the year (aka in a box tucked inside a closet or an unused fireplace.)

Once or twice a year i'll inspect the bottles and moisten the corks by inverting the bottles for a second. Do not store them like wine so that the corks are always moist. I'm not very adamant about these steps as I once forgot to check them for over two years -- still all fine.

Just remember that spirits do not age once they're bottled so that age statement on the bottle is forever.

I own a lot of birth year whiskies and Armagnac. Even have a bottle of Armagnac from '56 (parents' birth year)

I'm not an expert when it comes to liquor but I was always told that some liquors like Scotch would continue to age in the bottle if stored correctly.....signed confused and curious!!!

Take it easy.....Leo

[MonBK]

Originally Posted by Lion

I'm not an expert when it comes to liquor but I was always told that some liquors like Scotch would continue to age in the bottle if stored correctly.....signed confused and curious!!!

Take it easy.....Leo

Your 12 year old Chivas is still only 12 years old.

[Lion]

Originally Posted by MonBK

Your 12 year old Chivas is still only 12 years old.

Okay.....Thanx for the confirmation!!!

Take it easy.....Leo

[sierra11b]

Originally Posted by Lion

I'm not an expert when it comes to liquor but I was always told that some liquors like Scotch would continue to age in the bottle if stored correctly.....signed confused and curious!!!

Take it easy.....Leo

The age of the spirit is getting older (technically speaking) in that the water is from a certain year, BUT it has no change on the statement written on the bottle.

I once got into a debate with the manager of my local BevMo that was marking-up the prices of some 10yr Ardbeg by writing '11yr' on the price tag just after the new year.

Of course you will get slight nuance differences and changes but likely because of improper storing methods (i.e. how much light hit the bottle, oxidation from a bad cork/long open bottle, etc). Bottom line is a spirit stored in a dark vacuum SHOULD theoretically taste the same 100 years from now as the day it was bottled off the cask.

There have been cases where spirits of a same batch and year statement changed slightly from one year's bottling to the next when there technically wasn't any difference other than storage methods (the whisky was no longer aging on wood but rather being stored on steel to be saved for next years offering - the steel is what altered the flavor rather than any additional aging). This was the case with some of the buffalo trace antique collection we all love so much here on TRF.

[Im Lauf der Zeit]

Bottled Scotch will last forever unchanged. Exposed to air, its alcohol content will slowly evaporate. Aged in wood whisky takes on characteristics of the cask and whatever was previously stored in it.

[JohnBoy]

Unopened, how long will it last? From my experience, its pretty good for now, but once opened, it won't last nearly long enough.

[SPARTAN2161]

Store the same way as wine and champagne (one its side so the cork stays wet) and you should be okay for long time. I have champagne that my grandfather passed down to me in when he died and its from the 80s and 90s. We opened a bottle from the 80s during Christmas and it was great.

[SPARTAN2161]

Store it on its side and it should be good to go for a long time!