How Long Will An Opened Bottle Of Whisky Keep?

Over the past year i've collected a handfull of different scotches. Some i like enough (and are moderately priced enough) to drink nightly, others i would like to save for special occasions.

The problem is that when i get a new bottle, i can't help but open and try it--This has resulted in having about a dozen different bottles of opened spirits. Macallan 12yr for example, i drink regularly and am not worried about. However, i also have some older (and more expensive) bottles that i don't want to drink regularly. A Highland Park 25yr for example might only be drank on special occasions such as a new yrs toast....

The question then follows--- how long will an opened bottle of Scotch stay good? Does whisky "go bad" ?

Thanks guys,

SWK

[Jojo]

Hello SWK!

Here are some guidelines to follow when storing Scotch / whisky:

1. If the Scotch came in a 'presentation type' box - keep it in there - this box is not only for aesthetics, but designed to protect the whisky.

2. Keep your whisky in a cupboard - or liquor cabinet. The key is to keep it OUT of the sunlight.

3. Temperature - what's ideal? First, don't expose it to extremes of temperatures and second, keep it at what's known as 'cellar temperatures' - which is between 65 and 67 degrees Fahrenheit, or 18.3 - 19.4 Celsius. Now we realize not everyone has the opportunity to store it in 'cellar like temps', but it is considered the ideal way to do it.

4. Store whisky in an upright position - you want to keep the Scotch AWAY from contact with the cork.

Your opened bottles of Scotch should not vary month to month, but it is possible there can be subtle changes over the years if air gets to it. My personal opinion is to drink it at least within a few years, however, keep in mind that after many years, a properly sealed and kept bottle should be just fine.

Sounds like you have a great selection of Scotch!

Enjoy your holidays - Cheers!

i have had three bottles of jim beam whisky for 33 years un open is it any good to drink

[Jojo]

The contents should be ok - however, that's if the bottles were kept sealed in a cool, dark place. If air comes into contact with the spirit, it may lose flavor. My only advice to you is to open it, smell it and if smells OK, pour yourself a drink!

I recently came into posession of an opened bottle of Vat 69. It had been in the possesion of a friends father who passed away over 20 yrs. ago. So I know the bottle is a minimum of 22 yrs. plus however long it was aged and on the store shelf. Call me crazy, but i had to try some 22+ yr. old scotch. Now I am not a huge scotch drinker but I have tried alot of the glens and some johnnies, but this was the best tasting liquor I have ever tried. Oh and I'm still alive too.

[Jojo]

Originally Posted by Unregistered

I recently came into posession of an opened bottle of Vat 69. It had been in the possesion of a friends father who passed away over 20 yrs. ago. So I know the bottle is a minimum of 22 yrs. plus however long it was aged and on the store shelf. Call me crazy, but i had to try some 22+ yr. old scotch. Now I am not a huge scotch drinker but I have tried alot of the glens and some johnnies, but this was the best tasting liquor I have ever tried. Oh and I'm still alive too.

Very cool! Thank you for sharing your story. Also, one note to make is that whisky stops maturing once bottled. So, ever after all these years, your 30 year old bottle is just that - a 30 year old bottle - - And that certainly is not a bad thing!

Enjoy!

[Rojasp]

A whisk(e)y or other liquor can last a long time under the proper conditions, with the key factors being, as Jojo said, keeping it out of direct sunlight, at a cool, constant "room" temperature in the mid- to high-60's, and is kept from contact with air (oxygen). In my opinion, the hardest of these conditions to control is sealing adequately from air contact (oxidation). Even sealed bottles can eventually leak and evaporate because old seals (especially cork, but more modern ones as well) fail.
That said, there are some newer and relatively simple and inexpensive ways to keep air from getting to the liquor. These involve either vacuum storage or use of inert gases, usually argon, to keep air from reaching the liquor, and both are commonly used for wine.
The vacuum method simply uses a tool commonly available at quality wine shops to create a vacuum that keeps air out. This obviously implies a vacuum seal, so if the seal fails, so goes that idea.
The idea behind argon or other inert gas is that (a) the gas is heavier than air and will displace the air inside the bottle and keep it out; and (b) being inert, by definition it won't interact chemically with the liquor, rather floating over the surface, with surface tension of the liquid keeping the gas away from the liquor.
To keep any taste from interfering with the liquor when you open the bottle for a nip, I would wait 15-30 minutes after opening the bottle before pouring a dram. Since the gas is heavier than air, you might even want to tilt the bottle a bit to allow it to escape. Reason for doing this is that I've heard some people drinking directly after opening complain that the gas intereferes with taste -- but that's because they didn't follow these instructions.

I know a technique to keep the air out of your bottle. But it requires that you use something that is commonly used for wine. It is a hand-operated vacuum pump that (in combination with a special rubber cap) makes sure that your spirits do not come in contact with air. But this rubber cap replaces the cork.

I don't know if this is very helpful, because i am not a knower of whisky.


P.S.: I'm sorry if there are misstakes in my text, but i am flemish (Belgium)

I was given a stainless steel flask of Crown Royal. It was given to me in 2007. I have drank from it only once and am wondering if the whiskey is still any good ?

[blenderm]

I wouldn't use a vacuum style sealer as this would start distilling the whisky. Vacuum distillation has been used for many years all over the world instead of heat distillation. Wm Grant's has a still at their grain distillery that uses vacuum distillation. I would also not use a noble gas as the barrier as no-one, to my knowledge, has tested the interaction with these gasses and whisky and how they may affect flavour.

Unless you intend to keep the bottle opened for 5/10+ years I wouldn't bother just make sure the cork is tight in the neck of the bottle.

Check the colour of the whisky in the Crown flask, if it looks dark then it's been contaminated with iron from the steel, as to taste I would reckon there will be a "metallic" flavour to the whisky. Flasks are designed to hold whisky for 1 or 2 days rather than weeks or months let alone years.

[Ralph]

I've had bottles opened that sat for as much as 5 years without any noticable change in flavor. I wouldn't be concerned as long as it's kept in the dark and cool.