Letting a bottle "open up" - Looking for thoughts

[mosugoji64]

I've had several bottles that seemed to change significantly after being open for a period of time. The flavors seem condensed and dull upon opening the bottle and seem to expand with aeration. I've always attributed this to some aspect of the bottling process. That said, I also acknowledge that there may be a psychological component at work wherein my expectations of a bottle change over time or a change in my palate enables me to tease out flavors that I missed before. As others have said, a blind tasting would be the only way to put the debate to rest. Most of my bottles are singles so a direct comparison isn't an option here.

[Enoch]

My wife has set up numerous blind taste test and I have yet to consistently pick a preference to aired or new open. Even open for a year or more and down to the last 1/4 bottle there is no consistent consensus as to which is better. Now it may be my palate is not as fine tuned as others.

[Restaurant man]

For me, oxygen does not play a role in how bourbon tastes. The alcohol level is way too high to be susceptible to the tarnishing properties of air. If brown liquor folks were worried about oxygen ruining (or changing) the taste of their bottle, the super duper high end cognac people would have solved this problem already. Some of those bottles have been open for 100+ years. All they worry about is evaporation

[Flyfish]

I agree with the line of thinking that wheaters tend to "open up" over time a little more than others. That said I don't think there is a dramatic difference, just some subtle tones and flavors (it's not like comparing Beam to Pappy's). I was pleasantly surprised by a recent bottle of Hancock's Reserve that I opened and had a drink or two with a friend. I revisited it a month later and found it much more to my liking. Not very scientific I know, but that was my perception.

I have had many bottles "improve" dramatically after they have been open a while and about half consumed. But I have never been able to determine if it was the whiskey that evolved or my palate that reached an accommodation with the bourbon.

[JPBoston]

A few months ago, I bought a bottle of EC12. The finish was VERY astringent, very off-putting. After a week or two being open, that astringent finish really tapered off and I enjoyed it much more.

But, that's the only time I've ever noticed a real, tangible difference as a bottle opens up. Being a relative noob, most of my bottles are used up within 2-3 weeks though, in order to make room for a new one.

[passthebourbon]

While I'm sure oxidation plays some role, I think for me the only differences in taste/enjoyment is due to my mood that day...and perhaps what I have eaten. If I buy and bottle and am really excited about it, but not really in a bourbon mood for whatever reason, maybe I think it is good, but not great. Then I reopen later on, when I am really feeling like a good pour, and it blows my mind. I don't know, I'm glad to hear people here have done some blind taste tests over time and have not noticed a discernible difference.

I think the special-ness of opening a new bottle with my friends will trump any added air time.

[Young Blacksmith]

I tend to lean towards the palate tune idea. Kind of like a box of cigars or pipe tobacco that is new to you. Your first go with it is fresh, no tasting marker to compare with. As things progress you can change your opinions drastically. I had a dusty JTS Brown that on first opening I though was decent. As I kept going back to it it was worse and worse, and I finally dumped it.

Old Charter is another. Upon first tasting it the OC profile was different, and hit me kind of weirdly. After a few bottles I can barely notice it now, and when I do it's only in the first few sips of the first pour. I've become accustomed to the taste, expect it, and look beyond it to see what else may be there.

[WAINWRIGHT]

I'll start with something generic and simple and let the more knowledgeable among us add more.

It depends on the mashbill. Wheaters, in my limited experience, always do well with open air time or air in the bottle. The effects of air time on rye bourbons is a little more of a mixed bag.

I tend to agree and think that the wheaters seem to become more full and round my only negative on oxidation is with the ultra aged ryes.I have seen the most dramatic change in Saz 18,not so much of a loss of flavor profile but the overall vibrance of the whiskey.

[AaronWF]

In my experience, wheaters as a group tend to open up over time. I thought the BT Pappy15 evolved somewhat dramatically after a few weeks and the fill level lower. I don't think I'd go so far as to open a bottle in advance of an event for the sole purpose of 'priming' it, but crazier things have been considered.

Four Roses 1B expressions can also change dramatically with air time. Maybe it has to do with the fact that they are not chill-filtered. While I do think our individual palates can be fluid, and a newly educated palate may take some time to 'come around' to a recently introduced flavor profile, I have experienced enough hard evidence that whiskey evolves in the bottle to not make a final judgement on something until I've gone through at least 1/4-1/2 of the bottle. There have been times where I struggled with the first 2/3 of a bottle only to find something sublime in those last 5-6 pours that I wished I had waited a few more weeks for when the bottle was still 1/2 full. (Ahem, FR 120th.)

[sailor22]

I tend to agree with the palate evolving or changing more than the whiskey does. I always attributed it to the power of suggestion. When I find a bottle that has been open a longtime and I haven't visited in a long time I usually expect it to be more subtle and complex that I remember it being.
That being said I have had some Bourbons that really did get worse as they got air time in the bottle but didn't show any of the cloudiness or oxidation.
Leave a pour in a glass overnight and it is not very inviting the next day. It goes nasty overnight, so too much air is clearly not a good thing.