Bourbon Shelf Life / Storage

[squire]

Guy if the fill level is high enough to be covered by the wax then it's fine.

[wildrnesxperienc]

It was Steve Ury over at Sku's Recent Eats that did an experiment a couple years ago of the same scotch in three different mini bottles with three different fill levels, all stored in a closet for at least a year I believe. The one that was less than half full was the one that had changed noticeably. He concluded that it was when the amount of air is greater than the amount of whiskey, things start to change. I think that's what Pyle was referencing. You could always use Private Preserve or the like and gas your bottles. That's what I do. Never have to worry about oxidation or drinking them quickly.

[bjbronwyn]

You're right I should not let $5 stand in my way, but I am debating whether my next bottle should be the Eagle Rare SB-10 or the Evan Williams SB-10. Who has the better flavor for the dollar? I guess I'll just have to taste them in bars and make a decision.

I cannot see the fill level because EWSB has that black wax covering the neck of the bottle.

Thanks a bunch.

If I was you id grab the EWSB, you wont be disappointed. Im also not a big fan of the ERSB

[BourbonGuy]

Does anyone use that canned compressed gas used to preserve open wine bottles? Assuming the bottle is 1/4 full and we do not plan to finish it soon, that might be and option. John Hansell mentioned it some time ago. John thought it might be a good idea.

[T Comp]

Does anyone use that canned compressed gas used to preserve open wine bottles? Assuming the bottle is 1/4 full and we do not plan to finish it soon, that might be and option. John Hansell mentioned it some time ago. John thought it might be a good idea.

[MtnDew]

I use private preserve which is $10 or so for a can with enough gas for 100+ bottles. I have no idea if it actually does anything though I do plan to open a new 2012 Stagg and compare it to an open 2012 Stagg. The opened one was cracked in last November and I've used private preserve from the start so we shall see.

Does anyone use that canned compressed gas used to preserve open wine bottles? Assuming the bottle is 1/4 full and we do not plan to finish it soon, that might be and option. John Hansell mentioned it some time ago. John thought it might be a good idea.

[brettckeen]

I keep my whiskey out of light as much as possible and out of extreme temperature and when I get down to the last 4 ounces I finish it quickly

[Guest]

If I was you id grab the EWSB, you wont be disappointed. Im also not a big fan of the ERSB

I also prefer the EW over the ER, full of flavour for a low proof whiskey

[ThirstyinOhio]

Ok, so we are all in agreement, keep the bottle up right, out of direct sunlight, and not too warm to prevent corks exploding on their own, but what about humidity?

I keep a lot of bottles in my basement where I run a dehumidifier pretty much nonstop. I don’t run it because my basement is a “damp†basement or anything, but the builder recommended we run one during the first year. Do I run the risk of destroying the corks by drying them out too much? I haven’t noticed any levels changing in the unopened bottles, but I’ve also never paid much attention to them anyways.

[393foureyedfox]

if I were planning on keeping something long term, as in a new unopened bottle, would there be any advantage to dipping the neck of the bottle in something like Maker's does? WFE's also seem to come already wax/rubber dipped. Any advantage to this, or is it just a pretty add-on for a bottle?

[Richnimrod]

if I were planning on keeping something long term, as in a new unopened bottle, would there be any advantage to dipping the neck of the bottle in something like Maker's does? WFE's also seem to come already wax/rubber dipped. Any advantage to this, or is it just a pretty add-on for a bottle?

Being NOBODY'S EXPERT, I offer this food for thought:

Anytime you limit (or prevent) any exchange of air into-or-of your bottle you're probably doing a good thing to lengthen the shelf-life of the bottle. At least it makes sense to me. Now, others may offer another opinion about quality of the cork. ...Would the sealing prevent 'cork-damage'.... or enhance the effect of a 'bad-cork'? I have no idea; but it's a good question, eh?

[sutton]

Not to be argumentative, but who's to say sealing it even tighter in an attempt to prevent oxidative degradation wouldn't result in other problems (reductive reactions)? I seem to remember in the early days of using twist offs instead of corks on white wines, some bottles actually became quite reductive producing all kinds of sulfur-based defective aromas: rotten eggs (H2S), onion, cabbage, etc. I believe some white wine production techniques were modified to adjust for this effect and you don't see it as much (or at all) in today's twist off capped wines.

That said, is a wax seal functionally more airtight or more decorative? We are talking micro-ox here - it may look airtight, but I doubt it really is.

[squire]

I think the use of sealing wax was originally intended as a mark of authenticity as much as anything else, fortified wines from Maderia come to mind, as a seal or mark could be easily impressed into the hot wax.

I don't believe any of us could live long enough to see our whisky go bad on it's own, it's very stable stuff. There's nothing we can do to prevent the cork from going bad if it's already infected but that will happen sooner rather than later. If the cork dries out or the seal is less than stellar the whisky will start to evaporate (winemakers call that ullage) and more oxygen will cause the contents to oxidize, changing the flavor somewhat, but the way to stop that is decant or drink it.

[sutton]

Agree with squire, the changes are much more minute in whisky than wine - the wax might be good insurance for a bad cork but probably does not add much incremental benefit if you have a good cork and good storage conditions.

[skidfive]

Funny this topic was revisited recently as it falls into a recent question I have. I recently received my shipment of specialty bottle 2oz and 4oz boston rounds. I have been pouring either 2 or 4 ounces of each new bottle I open into one, and placing it away for the future.

My only concern is the little white plastic seal that comes glued to the inside of the cap. I cant foresee this having an effect on the whiskey inside, although I am pouring each bottle completely full, so some might be in contact with the seal. What are your thoughts on the seals.

EDIT: Never mind, It is the exact same seal that is on my Jim Beam Signature Craft 12 year bottle. If it is good enough for them, im sure its fine.

Edited December 11, 2013 by skidfive

[GaryT]

I've heard folks talk of Parafilm (paraffin film) to help prevent evaporation from bottles you intend to keep for long periods of time. Have some on my Amazon wish list, although I guess it will take years to really tell the difference. I personally wouldn't wax over, as I would expect that to be less effective than the film (being more susceptible to expansion/contraction). But that's purely a guess on my part.

[393foureyedfox]

its screwcaps i am considering. i have a buttload of KCSB and was thinking of doing this with half of them, as theyll be here for years at the rate I drink it. Theyre screwtops and already have the black wax seal on top. I figure theyll age well anyway, but was just curious what you long time bourbon drinkers thought of storing things for years

[smknjoe]

I use saran/plastic wrap on some bottles. I have seen others use electrical tape (be sure to get lead free.)