In the 1800s, whiskey drinkers were not especially concerned with the question: does whiskey go bad? Most whiskey was consumed shortly after production, and there didn’t yet exist a robust culture of whiskey collecting. Today, however, auction houses do volume business, and serious collectors can have hundreds of high-end bottles circulating through their assemblage at any given time.
So, back to the question: does whiskey go bad? The short answer is: yes. If not properly cared for, several variables can impact the integrity of even a sealed bottle. The compounds in whiskey that create unique flavor profiles can break down and dissipate with exposure to air, heat, and sunlight, which can ultimately change the base character of the whiskey.
Depending on how full the bottle is, the timeline can be relatively short. However, there are some simple guidelines to help preserve open and unopened bottles over time.
- Store Bottles Upright.
- Avoid Direct Sunlight.
- Put in a Dry Storage Area.
- Keep it Cool and Constant.
- Moisten the Cork (maybe).
- Have a Plan for Opened Bottles.
Whether your collection is a few bottles, a few dozen, or a few hundred, time, money, and emotion have been poured into picking out the right bottles. Maybe you are a Bourbon Hunter and love the thrill of finding allocated bottles at MSRP. Maybe the plan is to hold onto some select bottles until the market is right to sell. Maybe its just not the right occasion to open that special bottle you picked up on your honeymoon 10 years ago. Whatever your motivation for collecting and storing whiskey, these guidelines can help extend the life of your collection.
Store Bottles Upright
Whiskey corks are not the same as wine corks. Wine corks form a very tight seal and are designed for one time use: corkscrew goes in, cork comes out — chances are the bottle will be empty within the next few hours. While a vacuum sealer can give a bottle of wine a few more days of life, most wine drinkers don’t plan on storing their half consumed bottles for more than a week or two at a time. Whiskey, conversely, requires a stopper with a looser fit that can be removed and replaced multiple times — even the most ardent enthusiasts usually don’t finish a full bottle in a sitting.
While wine bottles should always be stored on its side to keep the cork wet to avoid drying and spoiling the seal, whiskey bottles should never be stored on their side. The difference here lies in whiskey’s high alcohol content vs. the high water content in wine. Because of the high levels of ethanol, a whiskey cork left in contact with a whiskey bottle’s contents over time will begin to break down and dissolve.
Not only can pieces of cork (seen or unseen) fall into the whiskey causing physical debris to accumulate, it can also begin to change the character of the whiskey. As the cork dissolves, the potential for air to get into a “sealed” bottle increases, which could be devastating for an old, high-end whiskey being stored for years or decades. Moreover, weak corks are prone to breaking off in the bottle. Now, not only do you need to retrieve the cork, the problem of resealing the bottle can become a vexing challenge.
Although some companies are migrating to rubber stoppers, which are more resilient against ethanol’s corrosive properties, many companies remain tied to traditional wooden corks. Regardless of stopper composition, it is a good rule of thumb to store all open and unopened whiskey bottles upright to avoid the risk of cork deterioration.
Avoid Direct Sunlight
While there is always the temptation to showcase a thoughtfully curated whiskey collection in a room flooded with natural light, direct sunlight is a significant threat whiskey. Sunlight, over time, breaks down the compounds in whiskey and changes the taste. Comparative studies have shown that whiskey left in direct sunlight over the course of a year tasted worse than a sample that had not been stored in direct sunlight. The less whiskey that was in the bottle, the more negative impact sunlight had on the whiskey inside.
Along these lines, be cautious of buying bottles that have been sitting in the front window of a liquor store for extended periods of time. Stores like to showcase their high-end, hard-to-find bottles, but they often put them in areas drenched with direct summer sunlight. Depending on when you finally decide to open the bottle, it could be years before you realize that prize bottle Macallan you bought tastes off.
Strong, direct artificial light can also have a similarly destructive effect over time. LED and florescent light emissions can speed the degradation of whiskey as the light passes through the bottle. As such, it’s advised not to put your best whiskies under strong shelf lighting, which can also be accompanied by heat.
Put in a Dry Storage Area
As noted above, it is best to store whiskey away from direct sunlight. However, not all dark storage locations are created equal, and some have their own hazards. Labels and boxes are made out of paper, which is not the most enduring of materials. If bottles are tucked away in a humid location, and unfinished basement near water pipes, or near drafty windows, mold can potentially set in.
Mold loves paper, and if conditions are right, it can decimate whiskey labels and retail boxes. While mold on a new bottle is more of a nuisance, mold can reduce the value of older, collectible bottles. It best to find a darker, climate-controlled area.
Keep it Cool and Constant
Whiskey does not do well in high temperatures. If you happen to live in Texas, Arizona, or India, heat and heat management is likely a daily challenge. The ideal storage temperature for whiskey is between 59-68 degrees Fahrenheit (15-20 degrees Celsius). In addition to keeping whiskey bottles out of rooms that get over-heated by the sun, bottles should be kept away from stoves, fireplaces, attics, heat registers, areas near HVAC units, etc.
Temperature should also be constant. Environments where temperature fluctuates can cause the contents of the bottle to expand and contract, the pressure potentially damaging the cork. Additionally, temperature fluctuations can cause condensation on the outside of the bottle damaging labels and boxes. While refrigerating whiskey will not damage the contents, whiskey is less flavorful and aromatic when cold.
Moistening the Cork
This is a controversial topic. Many experts believe it is essential to periodically moisten a cork to prevent the cork from drying. Others believe corks get enough moisture from the minute particles of evaporating whiskey, and corks should never be intentionally moistened due to the risk of degrading the cork — see section on keeping bottles upright to avoid contact with the whiskey. While more serious research is needed on this topic, the general opinion sways toward periodically (once a year, or so) moistening corks to prevent drying and broken corks.
Have a Plan for Open Bottles
The longevity of an open bottle of whiskey is directly related to the amount of whiskey in the bottle: the more whiskey, the longer the shelf life. The problem is “Oxidation” — the term used to describe the change in a whiskey’s characteristics as a result of increased air volume in the bottle. While referred to as oxidation, most commonly what is happening is not oxidation in a true scientific sense of the word – it is the dissipation of the more volatile molecules that carry aroma and flavor into the headspace of the bottle, which are released when the cork is removed, or escape through a bad seal. This is why bottles that have been opened and closed repeatedly over extended periods of time, or have a bad cork, will slowly proof down – the more volatile alcohol vapors leave the bottle concentrating more water in the remaining whiskey.
However, real oxidation – in a scientific sense – can also occur. This is the breakdown and change of the whiskey’s chemical composition with exposure to oxygen – akin to unpeeled apples to turning brown when left out. Oxidation can result in a heavy sulphuric taste, or other unpleasant flavors, ruining the whiskey.
Experts assess that a half bottle of whiskey will last 1-2 years; a bottle with a quarter or less will last less than 6 months. While bottles and environments are all different, this is a good framework for making decisions about your collection. As a bottle gets low, it is usually a good idea to finish it quickly as the rate of change in taste increases with each.
There are a few things that can be done to extend the life of opened whiskey. One option is to decant the whiskey into a smaller container. This reduces the volume of oxygen in the bottle and extends the life of the whiskey, and can be repeated to increasingly smaller bottles. Another option is to fill the bottle with inert objects like marbles that will take up volume in the bottle, push the whiskey level higher, and reduce the amount of oxygen in the headspace. Some more ardent enthusiasts even pump Argon gas, which is heavier than air, to form a barrier between the whiskey and the air in the bottle.
Final Thoughts
Applying the above considerations for the preservation of whiskey, wine cellars, cabinets, and sealed plastic boxes stored in cool places out of direct sunlight can all be good options for storing your whiskey collection. Additionally, the application of more aggressive methods of preservation may not be applied evenly across your collection — perhaps a bottle of Kentucky Tavern doesn’t require as regular decanting as a Springbank 1964, as the fill line goes down. However, the above are some easy, basic steps every whiskey drinker can take to preserve their collection.
