Chill Filtering & Bottle Longevity

[Old Lamplighter]

Is there any basis to believe a non-chill filtered bourbon will have a longer life after opening a bottle than a filtered one? It may be my imagination, but I would swear that that they do. I have done a few side-by-sides of bottles that I have had opened for some time - with all things being equal such as proof and ounces remaining. The the non-filtered bottles just seem to have a lot more life remaining than the filtered.

[JayMonster]

I'm not doubting the veracity of your comparison, but I would think this is something that is pretty hard to prove (or disprove) outside of a lab. Variables such container, quality of bottle seal, number of times exposed to air (and length) as well as environmental variables prior to your purchase (exposure to heat, light, etc) would have to be removed to determine if the chill filtering was the actual "culprit" of what you are experiencing.

[fricky]

Is there any basis to believe a non-chill filtered bourbon will have a longer life after opening a bottle than a filtered one? It may be my imagination, but I would swear that that they do. I have done a few side-by-sides of bottles that I have had opened for some time - with all things being equal such as proof and ounces remaining. The the non-filtered bottles just seem to have a lot more life remaining than the filtered.

[Josh]

Which bourbons were in your comparison and what were their proofs?

[Old Lamplighter]

I'm not doubting the veracity of your comparison, but I would think this is something that is pretty hard to prove (or disprove) outside of a lab. Variables such container, quality of bottle seal, number of times exposed to air (and length) as well as environmental variables prior to your purchase (exposure to heat, light, etc) would have to be removed to determine if the chill filtering was the actual "culprit" of what you are experiencing.

Very good points and questions. I had not even thought about container, seal, and all the environmental variables (especially prior to purchase) you have brought to light. I agree with you that it is something that would be impossible to prove outside a controlled lab environment. That being said, I will just briefly describe the 2 examples that were most prominent.

Unfortunately, I have not kept notes outside the mental type. However, I am pretty good with numbers & stats and memory thereof. That being said, the first two I compared were the '06 WLW when it was down to about 1/2 full and OWA at about the same level. Using water, I got the WLW down to same 107 proof to compare them. I did this on several occasions over the course of say, 3-6 months. I used to have so many bottles open simultaneously that a BTAC bottle could last me 2-3 years and something like OWA could last 6-12 months. Anyhow, the WLW never seemed to vary or weaken while the OWA just lost its vigor over time...not badly or suddenly - just a slow draining is how I would describe.

The second comparison I made was an older Stagg - I think it was an '05 release, 131.9 proof - along with RHF and WT101. After lowering the Stagg down to approximately 100-101 proof, I did same as above over a slightly longer period of time with very similar results. The WT101 held its own better than the RHF which seemed to really go south at an increasing rate as the bottle held more & more air. The Stagg just seemed to remain constant with no noticeable change over what was probably close to 3 years.

Now, these little home experiments are probably as far from scientific as can be imagined. I was just curious at the time and in between jobs during some of the periods of experimentation...in other words, too much time on my hands...lol. Anyhow, since then, it is just something I have pondered from time to time but never reduced it to words. Like I said originally, it may just be my imagination and/or a combination of trying to compare apples, oranges & coconuts...lol.

Last point to mention is that I have never used any kind of spray to preserve bottles longer - as has been discussed here lately. I had no idea anything of the sort even existed. However, I have ordered a bottle from Amazon and look forward to using it from now on. All of the high proof BTAC bottles I have opened & enjoyed never ever seemed to lose anything over time...and, like I said, I have had them open 2-3 years before reaching empty. Just about everything I have bunkered & open stay in a fairly stable atmosphere with no sunlight, low artificial light, and year round temps of about 50-70 degrees. Maybe that helps the longevity....who knows.