Why do bottles improve after opening?

[tanstaafl2]

I have had no problems so far with long open bottles either. I would only note that it is worthwhile to check the status of the cork periodically in bottles with real corks because they can dry out and no longer seal well. I have lost at least one bottle to this problem in the past. I am liking the idea of the good quality screw top closures typically found on Japanese whiskey more and more. Not likely to have an issue with those.

[dcam1075]

With some of my bottles that are less than half full I have put the vacuvin Wine style stoppers on them. What is the consensus on this? It definitely removes all the air from the bottle but I also wonder if this also removes some of the alcohol vapor and if that is more detrimental than having a lot of air in there. Overall I have not noticed any issues but not sure what long term affect this may have.

[tanstaafl2]

With some of my bottles that are less than half full I have put the vacuvin Wine style stoppers on them. What is the consensus on this? It definitely removes all the air from the bottle but I also wonder if this also removes some of the alcohol vapor and if that is more detrimental than having a lot of air in there. Overall I have not noticed any issues but not sure what long term affect this may have.

I frequently put vacuvin stoppers on wine based liqueur/aperitif/vermouth type bottles (which are also refrigerator if I am trying to keep them past the "use by" date) but haven't done it with liquor so far.

Couldn't hurt I suppose but I would probably need a hundred of the damned things and that ain't happening!

[squire]

I'll just drink them up and be happy.

[TunnelTiger]

Haven't noticed any change in mine that have been opened a year but occaisionally one will taste different than it did originally but I atest that to me and I feel is more related to what I have eaten or maybe just the mood I'm in.

[callmeox]

I've had one bottle go south after being open. A 1/3 full OCPR went from sweet to bitter over time. Was very disappointing but I'm happy that it has been an isolated incident.

[GaryT]

With some of my bottles that are less than half full I have put the vacuvin Wine style stoppers on them. What is the consensus on this? It definitely removes all the air from the bottle but I also wonder if this also removes some of the alcohol vapor and if that is more detrimental than having a lot of air in there. Overall I have not noticed any issues but not sure what long term affect this may have.

Not a consensus, but I use the vacuvin stoppers as replacements for either loose corks or corks that broke (just to keep the seal). I honestly don't think it does any more than a solid screwcap would do, which in my book is just fine.

[Richnimrod]

Here's my two-cents worth (& that's probably over-estimating it's value): :slappin:

I imagine that Bourbon in the barrel, gently breathing over the months, gets 'accustomed' to that amount of air (oxygen), then when it's sealed up in a bottle it quickly 'uses' up the tiny amount of oxygen in the neck and becomes a little 'stale'. This effect is obviously different-to-non-existent in some Bourbons, and a bit more obvious in others. I find it most pronounced in aged wheaters, just my own experience. The only bottle I ever had go significantly downhill after sitting with a lot of air in it was a bottle 4-R limited Edition from about 4-years ago, after about a year of being half-full.

[mbroo5880i]

The answer is simple. All bottles of alcohol improve after opening, just as all women become hotter after you have drink alcohol. Everything just gets better. Kind like a bottle of shampoo. Lather, rinse, repeat. Uncork, drink, repeat. Keep repeating until you get the desired result.

[Special Reserve]

I think they get better because they can!

I'd be very interested in what the chemical changes are. Ethanol chemistry is not my specialty but I'm always willing to learn.

[Special Reserve]

Why does a pour seem to improve in the glass? Same phenomena?

[nivto]

Howdy,

I have bottles that have been open for years with no diminishing returns. Some have only a few ounces in them. I got no worries. Not saying that Oxegyn has no effect over time. Just little or none. And it never goes weird or bad at my house. Just sayin....

That has been my experience, as well. I don't necessarily think that there isn't any change at all but I think the changes that a bourbon undergoes with airtime is much more subtle than the day-to-day changes that the drinker's palate undergoes.