Interaction between Bourbon and Cork

[blue lander]

A month or two ago I bought a bottle of Booker's Bourbon. After having a glass or two (which were delicious, of course), I placed the bottle on a shelf. Since the bottle was a bit too tall to fit, I put it on its side. A few days later I went back to have some more, but it had developed a very bitter flavor. And after every sip, I'd feel a sharp pain in the middle of my tongue as if somebody pricked it with a needle! Needless to say, it was completely undrinkable. I kept the bottle anyways and found a place to store it upright. But even to this day, it still has that bizarre taste and makes my tongue hurt.

Since it originally tasted fine, I wonder if storing it sideways allowed it to absorb some undesirable flavors from the cork in the stopper. Has anybody ever had an experience like this before?

[Brennan77]

Others on this forum have said that bourbon should not be stored on its side as the alcohol is destructive to the cork. A barrel proof bottle like Booker's would surely eat away at the seal. It would seem this is what happened to your bottle.

[blue lander]

Oh well. I wish I had learned with a cheaper bottle! Oddly enough, I did the same thing at the same time with a bottle of GTS 05 and it didn't suffer the same problem. Since it's even higher proof than the Bookers, perhaps its something to do with the cork itself.

Has anybody noticed that GTS tastes better after shaking it up a bit and letting the sediment at the bottom get reabsorbed?

[TNbourbon]

Try uncorking that Booker's and letting it set 24-48 hours opened. Sometimes aeration can help dissipate 'off' notes. I especially notice this in the mustiness of older bottles (whether or cork or screw closure).