Does Whiskey Still Age in the Bottle?

does whiskey still age in the bottle? open or sealed?

Scotch does not age once it is in the bottle.

It will get a bit different over time as it will change usually getting a little stronger or more intense as a small amount of liquid leaves the bottle.

Pretty much unless ya leave it for a really long time ya won't notice any change....

JJJ

I can't agree with "JJJ"'s reply. Just last week, I had the opportunity to sample a "shelf-aged" bottle of Glenfiddich - and the flavor and charactor was nothing like the bottle I have at home. This was a plain-jane bottle of Glenfiddich 12 - that has been sitting on a back shelf in my teetotaler in-law's pantry for maybe 15-20 years or so. The flavor was smooth as silk, with a nutty vanilla finish and even a bit of smoke thrown in. I'm not usually too fond of Glenfiddich - I prefer the stronger iodine bite of Laphroaig, or the smoky smoothness of Bowmore - but I believe the next time I visit the in-laws, I may swap them a fresh bottle of Glenfiddich for their "stale" one!

Originally Posted by Militoy

I can't agree with "JJJ"'s reply. Just last week, I had the opportunity to sample a "shelf-aged" bottle of Glenfiddich - and the flavor and charactor was nothing like the bottle I have at home. This was a plain-jane bottle of Glenfiddich 12 - that has been sitting on a back shelf in my teetotaler in-law's pantry for maybe 15-20 years or so. The flavor was smooth as silk, with a nutty vanilla finish and even a bit of smoke thrown in. I'm not usually too fond of Glenfiddich - I prefer the stronger iodine bite of Laphroaig, or the smoky smoothness of Bowmore - but I believe the next time I visit the in-laws, I may swap them a fresh bottle of Glenfiddich for their "stale" one!

In recent years the drop in demand for Blended Scotch and the increased demand for Single Malt has resulted in a drop in quality. Many a cask that would have been used for blends in the past finds its way into current production. I suspect it was not "Bottle Aging" but simply the better quality Whisky from 20 years ago that you tasted.

[Derek]

The whisky should not get any stronger as the alcohol evaporates at a higher rate than the water.

There is a posibility that some of the lighter congeners (flavour compounds) will be lost and this will affect flavour.

In a sealed bottle very little will be lost, even over decades.

Spirits essentially never gain anything from being in a bottle. There are a rare few bottlings that do have benefits from aging (mostly brandy-based), however those are difficult to find and these days only come from small distillers.

Since you use the word "spirit", which implies only those Liquors like Rum and Whiskey, the previous answers are correct. It's worth nothing that some Liqueres (like Bailey's Irish Cream) cannot keep as well over a long period of time. The specific reasons are varied, but largely have to do either with the use of a cream base or some cheap bottlings that are extremely high in sugar where some separation can happen.

Final issue, if the liquor can go bad once the bottle is opened. In some cases, like most Vodka, it almost absolutely won't go bad. Many Tequilas will go bad after exposure to air, it just takes quite a while. Be careful with anything that has been made from fresh fruits and high sugar content, as those too pose some risk of going bad. Vermouth also tends to get questionable after a long enough exposure.

it ages in the distillery, in a barrel. Whether 8, 10, 13, 15, or 18 years, it does get smoother in the barrel, but stops aging when bottled. Wine is the only alcohol which continues aging in the bottle.

[p_froes]

This is a much discussed subject in the whisky world.
And it is almost impossible to test scientifically. One would need an extremely good olfactory and gustatory memory to recall the smells and tastes of a whisky tasted 20 years earlier, when tasting the same whisky bottle-aged for 20 years.

That being said, I have tasted quite a few expressions that have been in the bottle for 10+ years, and they tend to display similar notes (something metallic, bouillon, celery) that in my opinion suggest that something indeed happens to the whisky when aged in the bottle for 10, 20+ years.

[Arctic Wolf]

If a bottle is corked with a wooden cork, it will oxidize (and age) over time. Corks do not stop the airflow between the real world and the bottled world. This "aging" is not the same as Oak aging as cork will impart a different flavour and the air to surface ratio of a cork is very small, but the changes are noticeable nonetheless. I have began to follow some advice jojo gave me and saran wrapped my corks to stop the process. (I am not sure jojo realized when she gave me the advice that this not only stopped evaporation it also stopped the cork flavours from destroying my nice aged Scotch.!

As whisky ceases aging after it is bottled, its complexion can change as there is no such thing as a positive seal. Some seals ( by luck ) are better than others ( e. g., two of the same cork in identical bottles ). By not having a positive seal, whisky over time becomes oxidized thus changing the character of the contents. Oxidation is the enemy as alcohol evaporates quicker than water. R. J. S. McDowall sums it perfectly. Professor McDowall states that this process changes the whisky in such a way that it "brandifies". But this process takes many years to happen. If you would like to test this theory but not wait years to find out the affects, pour a dram of Scotch in a tulip shaped glass, and let it sit overnight uncovered on the kitchen counter. When you wake the next morning, pour an identical dram from the same bottle in the same type of glass and then nose the two side-by-side. You will see a noticeable difference when nosed side-by-side. Then taste the two. Taste the freshly poured dram and swirl it around in your mouth and slowly swallow. Cleanse the palate with a piece of dark chocolate chased by some spring water. Then taste the dram that sat overnight. You will find that this dram to be more gentle as most of the harsher alcohols evaporated overnight. This is a "quick and dirty" way to experiment what oxidation does to a dram.

[bkblankenship]

I POSTED the ABOVE STATEMENT. I don't know how it ended up being posted under UNREGISTERED, but it did.

This issue has been debated in about each and every whisky forum one time or another. Often one of the replies contains the impression of an 'elder whiskyman' that whiskies in closed, well sealed bottles seem to improve very slowly over time. I think that is correct.

I also think in many of the discussions on this subject opinion and fact get mixed up.

So what might happen to the juice once it is inside the bottle? At least three different things:

1) Evaporation. This causes the liquid level to recline and is a sign of an imperfect seal. This process will change the whisky, because its components will evaporate at different rates, depending on environmental conditions (water loss will be lower in more humid environments - the alcohol content may increase in very dry climates). Conceivably, the nectar might loose relatively a lot of the lighter flavor components that dissolve poorly in water. Generally, a clear sign of evaporation is bad news, as it indicates that the flavor has changed substantially because of oxidation.

2) Oxidation. This is a chemical reaction involving two compounds, one of which in our context is atmospheric oxygen (but there are many more oxidants). Because some compounds in the whisky are much more readily oxidized than others, this process can greatly affect the flavor profile of the nectar. To get an idea of this change, you might want to experiment by adding a drop of (diluted!) hydrogen peroxide, an oxidant stronger than oxygen, to a dram and see what happens. I've planned to try it but never got to do it.

3) Intrinsic changes. I believe that whisky will keep changing, even if it is kept in a completely sealed-off bottle without atmospheric oxygen and stored in the dark, as I cannot imagine the nectar is in thermodynamic equilibrium. Things change. The diamonds you have or gave to your significant other will spontaneously turn into pencil lead. Whether changes are appreciable on a time scale of decades, is another issue (don't worry about your diamonds). It might well be that these intrinsic changes are behind 'bottle-ageing'.

Many whiskies improve once the bottle has been opened for a few weeks. I have no idea whether this is because some of the undesirable flavor components (e.g. sulfur) will have evaporated or because they will have become oxidized. All whiskies will deteriorate
eventually, though. My experience is that smoky and meaty flavors keep relatively well, but that floral and fruity notes disappear quickly. Therefore, once the bottle is half empty, I pour the remainder in smaller containers (4 oz Qorpak french square bottles with polyseal caps).

I decant my single malt into glass bottles with plastic lids, leaving little room for air. I'm planning to put a wax seal on them. Good idea?

so i have this bottle of 12 year old Chivas Scotch, it has been sitting unopened in my fathers celler, was given to him in 1984,, it is now 2010, is this bottle better then the 12 year old scotch i can buy in the store?, is it worth somethin?, should i just drink it ,, I like Scotch!!

Originally Posted by Unregistered

so i have this bottle of 12 year old Chivas Scotch, it has been sitting unopened in my fathers celler, was given to him in 1984,, it is now 2010, is this bottle better then the 12 year old scotch i can buy in the store?, is it worth somethin?, should i just drink it ,, I like Scotch!!

no, whisky does NOT age in the bottle. just drink it and enjoy it!

[p_froes]

Whisky does change in the bottle. Those who say otherwise are sadly misinformed by the SWA and marketing departments of the Diageos and LVMHs...

Whisky does not age after bottled. Whisky cannot age after bottled.

just opened a 1968 bottle of jim beam in a china bottle...bought at an antique store for 22.00.i dont really care for beam...but the color and aroma are alot different than a new bottle.really dark caramel color...nice consistancy,and a charcoal type taste.this was a sealed bottle i had to force the top off.so if it is in a completely dark environment...yes...it does get better with age...depending on light.

[BourbonDrinker]

I'm definitely a believer that whisky continues to "age" in the bottle, though very slowly. By age I really mean change. Things are always changing, and not always for the best. I have opened bottles, had a dram and disliked the contents only to find it much better when it sits for a few weeks. Some of the flavors or things I didn't like on the nose mellow out. There's something going on there. As for a "sealed" bottle aging, I'm sure it does as well, though very slowly.
I've actually started opening new bottles and letting the cork sit off for a few minutes before pouring a dram, which I also let rest for another 10 minutes or so before sampling.

[BourbonDrinker]

BTW, the short answer is that it does NOT continue to age in the bottle, but it does change, especially after it is opened. I've kept bottles fine for about 12 months, though I try to just drink it instead.
There's one bottle I really need to give away because I know I'll never finish it. In fact, I may never even try it again.
Cheers!

from a neewb...(me)

Of course it ages...1 year from now it is one year older, and so is the bottle...and yourself as well....and come to think of it, so is the glass, etc., etc

Seems the real question is ..."does it continue to improve/change"? Very little it appears is the consensus. I've had the same question. Thx. I have come to understand that most change (99.8%)...happens in the barrel/cask, and the age statement is the age of the youngest vat placed into the bottle?

I noticed in my Mom's liquor cabinet an unopened bottle of Dewar's that has a 1967 Queens award tag. Since she never drank Scotch it has to be about that vintage from when my dad was alive. There was no evaporation. It is definitely smoother than a new bottle of Dewars and quite drinkable straight up. Maybe it was smoother back then..I never considered Dewar's a smooth scotch, but good for a summertime Scotch and soda.

Originally Posted by Unregistered

As whisky ceases aging after it is bottled, its complexion can change as there is no such thing as a positive seal. Some seals ( by luck ) are better than others ( e. g., two of the same cork in identical bottles ). By not having a positive seal, whisky over time becomes oxidized thus changing the character of the contents. Oxidation is the enemy as alcohol evaporates quicker than water. R. J. S. McDowall sums it perfectly. Professor McDowall states that this process changes the whisky in such a way that it "brandifies". But this process takes many years to happen. If you would like to test this theory but not wait years to find out the affects, pour a dram of Scotch in a tulip shaped glass, and let it sit overnight uncovered on the kitchen counter. When you wake the next morning, pour an identical dram from the same bottle in the same type of glass and then nose the two side-by-side. You will see a noticeable difference when nosed side-by-side. Then taste the two. Taste the freshly poured dram and swirl it around in your mouth and slowly swallow. Cleanse the palate with a piece of dark chocolate chased by some spring water. Then taste the dram that sat overnight. You will find that this dram to be more gentle as most of the harsher alcohols evaporated overnight. This is a "quick and dirty" way to experiment what oxidation does to a dram.

Finally an acceptable excuse to drink before noon.

Originally Posted by Unregistered

Spirits essentially never gain anything from being in a bottle. There are a rare few bottlings that do have benefits from aging (mostly brandy-based), however those are difficult to find and these days only come from small distillers.

Since you use the word "spirit", which implies only those Liquors like Rum and Whiskey, the previous answers are correct. It's worth nothing that some Liqueres (like Bailey's Irish Cream) cannot keep as well over a long period of time. The specific reasons are varied, but largely have to do either with the use of a cream base or some cheap bottlings that are extremely high in sugar where some separation can happen.

Final issue, if the liquor can go bad once the bottle is opened. In some cases, like most Vodka, it almost absolutely won't go bad. Many Tequilas will go bad after exposure to air, it just takes quite a while. Be careful with anything that has been made from fresh fruits and high sugar content, as those too pose some risk of going bad. Vermouth also tends to get questionable after a long enough exposure.

it ages in the distillery, in a barrel. Whether 8, 10, 13, 15, or 18 years, it does get smoother in the barrel, but stops aging when bottled. Wine is the only alcohol which continues aging in the bottle.

I do not know much about whisky, so I thank all the people who have posted in here, I already learned more. I had it before and never really liked it, that was until I had Jameson at an Irish Pub.

At Kells Irish Pub in Seattle, I tried a shot of Midleton, it was unbelievable how much that whiskey kept changing in aroma, flavor and smoothness in the glass as it kept sitting out. That is what made me wonder if whisky improves with age?

Big question.........should I store a bottle of whiskey on its side like wine, or standing upright?


Next question - any recommendations for a Scotch I would like? I like Irish Whiskey - Jameson, Midleton and John L. Sullivan.


Last, actually there are beers that will improves with age as well. Such as Fuller's Vintage, Thomas Hardy's, some English and Belgian Ales, and there are a growing number of domestic micro-breweries purposely making vintage ales to improve with age.

[505Gibbs]

Originally Posted by New-to-Whiskey

I do not know much about whisky, so I thank all the people who have posted in here, I already learned more. I had it before and never really liked it, that was until I had Jameson at an Irish Pub.

At Kells Irish Pub in Seattle, I tried a shot of Midleton, it was unbelievable how much that whiskey kept changing in aroma, flavor and smoothness in the glass as it kept sitting out. That is what made me wonder if whisky improves with age?

Big question.........should I store a bottle of whiskey on its side like wine, or standing upright?


Next question - any recommendations for a Scotch I would like? I like Irish Whiskey - Jameson, Midleton and John L. Sullivan.


Last, actually there are beers that will improves with age as well. Such as Fuller's Vintage, Thomas Hardy's, some English and Belgian Ales, and there are a growing number of domestic micro-breweries purposely making vintage ales to improve with age.

If the whisky has a cork used in the stopper you should not store it on its side as the alcohol will attack and start to break down the material. Not immediately but over time it will. Store it upright.

A friend just called me to ask of an unopened bottle of J&B , a half gallon from 1980, was worth more or aged more than a new bottle.

[BourbonDrinker]

Originally Posted by New-to-Whiskey

Big question.........should I store a bottle of whiskey on its side like wine, or standing upright?


Next question - any recommendations for a Scotch I would like? I like Irish Whiskey - Jameson, Midleton and John L. Sullivan.

You should store your whisky bottles upright, not on their side to avoid contact between the whisky and the cork.
As for a recommendation, if you like Irish whiskey, try some Redbreast. It's pure pot still whiskey. Ireland's version of single malt. Very good.

[BourbonDrinker]

Originally Posted by Unregistered Derek

A friend just called me to ask of an unopened bottle of J&B , a half gallon from 1980, was worth more or aged more than a new bottle.

It's extra value, if it has any, is not due to it's aging in the bottle (which will be minimal or none depending on who you believe), but due to it's interest to someone who wants to drink an old version of J&B to compare it to the current release or relive some old memories. Blended whisky is not really very collectible.
Sometimes the blend changes, I'm not sure about J&B, perhaps it's somewhat valuable to someone who wants and prefers the older formulation.
Cheers.

Way back in 1987 one of my best friends and I were getting ready to graduate from high school. At lunch we decided to ditch the rest of the day. He said "Let's go back to my house and drink from my old man's bar." When we got there he produced a bottle of Jim Beam with a 1967 tax stamp on it. I had never been a big fan of whiskey, only being able to drink a shot or two before not being able to get any more down. We sat there for a couple of hours drinking the whole bottle as shots. I had never tasted tasted whiskey so smooth in my life, nor have I since. I have a bottle of Beam from 1995 that I have been ageing. I also have a Bottle of Black Velvet from 1997. These are the years my two sons were born. I want them to have a taste of "the good stuff" when they turn 21. So, I'll re-post in 2016 when we taste the Beam!!!

[beerandascotch.com]

Originally Posted by Militoy

I can't agree with "JJJ"'s reply. Just last week, I had the opportunity to sample a "shelf-aged" bottle of Glenfiddich - and the flavor and charactor was nothing like the bottle I have at home. This was a plain-jane bottle of Glenfiddich 12 - that has been sitting on a back shelf in my teetotaler in-law's pantry for maybe 15-20 years or so. The flavor was smooth as silk, with a nutty vanilla finish and even a bit of smoke thrown in. I'm not usually too fond of Glenfiddich - I prefer the stronger iodine bite of Laphroaig, or the smoky smoothness of Bowmore - but I believe the next time I visit the in-laws, I may swap them a fresh bottle of Glenfiddich for their "stale" one!

This is less likely to be a result of "shelf" ageing and more a result of subtle changes in the product of the years. There are countless factors that contribute to a finished dram and though producers work to their flavour profile changes do happen, it's just generally too subtle to notice unless you happen to taste a very old bottling beside a new one.

Its important to remember that even single malt whisky is still blended from a selection of differing aged malts in the same distillary. This is the only way you can hope to get any kind of constancy in a brand but it is a fine art to master.

Products can oxidise in the bottle if not properly kept and this will render it with a flat, lifeless flavour or in some cases a slightly musty rancid smell although this would normally take many years if at all.

In terms of abv rising or dropping, Derek it depends on the external temperature. Alcohol evaporates at around 78.2ºC and water at 100ºC so an unsealed bottle in low temperature would slowly drop in abv and rise in higher temperatures. This is evident from watching barrels in the USA v casks in the UK where bourbon can come out of the barrel above the strength it left the still.
Obviously this is vastly dependent on a properly sealed bottle.

Russ

Just opened a bottle of Johnnie Walker Red Label I got from a cellar clear out after the death of an old lady. It certainly dates from the 1960's.It's totally unlike any JW I've ever drunk: much darker, with a pronounced smoky nose and taste, and a hint of oxidization. Interesting, but definitely not my cup of tea. It's reminiscent of a wine that's gone well past its best but is still drinkable. Pity it was only JW red - a good malt would have been far more interesting.

i Have a 12 year old bottle still in black tube that was bought about 18 yrs ago so its about 30 years old now what would this be worth

i Have a 12 year old bottle still in black tube that was bought about 18 yrs ago so its about 30 years old now what would this be worth

It is not 30 years old. It's still 12 yo Dalmore years in bottle don't count towards age of spirit hence whisky is matured in oak barrels. That time is rly the time that matters the most. It will definitely be worth more than shelf version. If you don't live in UK or some major city it might be hard to even sell this. Visit your local auction house and check what they know about it. Don't expect thousands of dollars unless you think you are very lucky. You can expect couple hundred tho if you find buyer that is.

I had an opportunity to sample some Scotch (cant remember name) that had been given as a gift in 1945. This bottle was less than half full and had been sitting upright on a shelf for 60 or more years. The cork was brittle and falling apart. The Scotch was like nothing that I ever drank before. I dont mean this in a good way. The aroma reminded me of a can of turpentine in which paint brushes dipped in varnish had been cleaned. Nasty is the only word I can think of. I had some Bell's Scotch circa 1970 that had been treated the same way...except the bottle had never been opened. This was 40 year old Scotch and was quite pleasant. Clearly air in the older bottle didnt do the Scotch any favors.

There's a lot on about whiskey only aging whilst in the barrels, but does anyone know what will happen if you put some oak chips in with the bottle?

[BourbonDrinker]

Toast an oak stave and try to give it a bit of a fix. It should work. I'd not do it to a good single malt, maybe a dud. You can add a wee bit of maple syrup as well. Just give it some time to work.

[blenderm]

The sciebntific way that maturation works is the interaction of whisky, oak and AIR. If one of the last two are missing then the whisky doesn't mature. I'd be careful about adding chips to a bottle as you may get some nasty off flavours from them as all it would do is soak the chips and extract the flavours in bulk. There would be no oxidation of them so only try this on the cheapest blended whisky you can get. If it workes you'd be buying all your malts in bottles with chips in them.

In 1980 a client gave us a bottle of 5 year old Jim Beam that had been encased in concrete with just a little bit of the label exposed. It has been sitting on the bookshelf since then. So it is now 37 years old. Yesterday we drilled out the top and sampled it compared to a new bottle of Jim Beam. I don’t ever recall Jim Beam being much of anything except inexpensive. But this is pretty darned tastey and smooth – and a whole lot better than the new stuff.
We are thinking we should put a cork in the hole, seal it with silicone and sample it again in another 30 years…

[DOME]

Hey guys, nice posts you all have there. This should be on topic of this thread. I'm having a real issue here. I recently bought a bottle of Ardbeg Uigeadail. I wanted to save this bottle for an occasion or a rainy day. After putting this bottle in my dark, cool liquor cabinet I came back to look at it the next day in the afternoon and THE FILL LEVEL WENT DOWN! noticeably, I checked again later that night and it went down even FURTHER! So I brought the bottle back, and they allowed me to exchange it for another ugie. Well, after having this bottle home for about 5 hours THE LEVEL WENT DOWN. I mark all my sealed bottles to check for this and wow I've never actually had it happen. The only thing I can think of is the bottle was sitting much warmer in the store than it is in my cabinet, considerably cooler in there. However this did not happen with my other bottles. ANYTHING I CAN DO?!?!?!

[BourbonDrinker]

Stop drinking it.
There's no way it would noticeably evaporate in a few hours sealed in a cabinet.

[blenderm]

2 legged mice?

[farr727]

I use to have also older bottles of blended scotch (JW red label, VAT69, White Horse, Black & White, etc.) in my cabinet, all earlier then 1980, as they contain different malts AND a higher ratio of malts (which again differs from the ones you can buy today) then today and taste excellent. That's why they seem to "age"...the destillery shake out in the early 80ies resulted in "adjusting" the blends as some of the malts were not available anymore.

Why same single malt with different age taste different - I don't know.
I think Laphroaig needed to change the process in the mid 90ies. Just compare 10y with 43% from the 90ies with the currrent 10y 40% bottling - much different.
But I have no glue why Talisker 10y from the 90ies tastes much fuller bodied and simply better then the current bottling.