How long before an open bottle goes bad?

[Alden]

Is there a rule of thumb on this?

Do most spirits change over time once they have been exposed to a little air?

Wine can actually improve the next day, but after than most start to turn sweet or vinegary.

Bourbon too?

[HighInTheMtns]

Is there a rule of thumb on this?

Do most spirits change over time once they have been exposed to a little air?

Wine can actually improve the next day, but after than most start to turn sweet or vinegary.

Bourbon too?

This has been discussed at length so do a little searching to find more, but short answer: open whiskey will last a very, very long time.

[squire]

May in fact outlast some of us.

[Yeti]

May in fact outlast some of us.

I'll never let the whiskey win.

[squire]

That's the spirit.

[Alden]

That's the spirit.

Very Clever. :grin:

[Flyfish]

Geez! Bourbon don't never go bad! I'm betting that there is absolutely no one on this site who has ever had a boourbon go bad. Sometimes ot changes over time after the bottle is open but the usual opinion is that it gets better (especially the wheaters) with a little air.

[RT Fan]

Right after I drain the last drop.

[Danger]

I was once cleaning out a condo and found 2 half full bottles of bottom shelf scotch that were undrinkable. They had been sitting there for around 30 years. There was also a mostly full bottle of Dewars that was just fine though.

I was very young at the time and remember thinking to myself that I had a real goldmine on my hands... Dewars aged for 30 years!

[Yeti]

bottom shelf scotch that were undrinkable. They had been sitting there for around 30 years.

There's a good deal of anecdotal evidence that bottles significantly less than half full become less desirable when left that way for several years. If there's any lesson to take away from this I imagine it is to drink your whiskey, especially after it hits 1/2 to 1/3 full.

[black mamba]

I'm with Yeti, when it gets down 2/3 drink it up, or better yet, have friends help you by bringing 'round their near empties.

In my experience older whiskies and lower proof whiskies are more susceptible to negative oxidation.

[Alden]

So if it's 80 proof and there's a third or quarter of the bottle left, kill it.

Have a party, go on a bender, do whatever it takes!

[HighInTheMtns]

So if it's 80 proof and there's a third or quarter of the bottle left, kill it.

Have a party, go on a bender, do whatever it takes!

If 1/3 of an 80 proof bottle counts as a bender I should probably reevaluate my life.

[squire]

That presupposes I had a bottle of 80 proof in the first place.

[Alden]

If 1/3 of an 80 proof bottle counts as a bender I should probably reevaluate my life.

True. I guess three of them might qualify.

[HighInTheMtns]

That presupposes I had a bottle of 80 proof in the first place.

Aw come on Squire, haven't you been secretly stocking up on JD rye?

[squire]

Ask me no questions and I'll tell you no lies.

[WAINWRIGHT]

To be fair to the question at hand many variables are to be considered,cork type,fill level,type of whiskey and even storage conditions.I have never personally tasted a bottle that has actually gone bad,changed yes but never a total loss of profile.I have had several ryes that seem to lose vibrancy just slightly and wheaters as well,but only after several years of being open.I have probably seen the biggest change in an older bottle if Saz 18 and even that wasn't notable enough to cause me to change my habits of storage and decanting to smaller bottles to say the least.Low fill levels in bottles decant to smaller bottles and inspect the cork from time to time and all will be right with your whiskey for years of enjoyment.

[staplegund]

I keep a 20 oz. CO2 paintball bottle for my winemaking and displacing air from individual unfinished bottles. If I know it will sit long enough for me to forget about it I give em a squirt of CO2.

[p_elliott]

I was once cleaning out a condo and found 2 half full bottles of bottom shelf scotch that were undrinkable. They had been sitting there for around 30 years. There was also a mostly full bottle of Dewars that was just fine though.

I was very young at the time and remember thinking to myself that I had a real goldmine on my hands... Dewars aged for 30 years!

It was Scotch of course it was undrinkable :grin:

[tigerlam92]

Is it me or that so many threads today have a lot of humor but also contains a lot of good info. Hahaha.

I am hoping my bourbon doesn't outlast me! I'm going to drink them all even on my last day or at least all the open ones.

Some I have found to "open up" over time but that heavily depends on which. Also, how long is a factor, if we are talking decades I won't know but I have open 40-50 year old bottle that has shown signed of evaporation or cork compromised and tasted great. Most of my bottle doesn't stay open for unreasonably long time, like years.

Cheers

Hugh

[mosugoji64]

I just polished off a bottle of Vintage 17 that has been near empty for some time. The remaining whiskey was as good or better than I remembered. If you're finishing the bottles within a year or so, you're probably fine. The low bottles of Scotch that sat around for 30 years probably lost a lot of their alcohol content to the air in the bottle. Unless you plan to let your bottles sit around that long, I wouldn't worry about it.