Can Bourbon Go Bad? The Shocking Truth Revealed! (2024)

FAQs

Can Bourbon Go Bad? The Shocking Truth Revealed!? ›

Bourbon can be affected by factors like light, heat, and air, even though it's a high-alcohol distilled spirit. Unopened bourbon bottles can last indefinitely if stored correctly, but once opened, they will start to oxidize, potentially changing their flavor.

First, check the color. If the color has faded significantly, this is a sign that your bourbon is no longer at its peak, usually due to light exposure. Second, check the smell. Bourbon that has spoiled might smell moldy or sour.

A sealed bottle of bourbon is unlikely to spoil and can go for years or even decades without a detectable change in quality. Once opened, however, it becomes exposed to air and begins to oxidize.

One of the most important decisions a master distiller will make is when a bourbon has reached its “sweet spot”--just the right balance between all the different factors. Too young, and a bourbon will taste rough and unfinished. Too old, and it will taste dusty, lifeless, and over-oaked.

Can You Get Sick from Drinking Old Whiskey? If you found an old bottle of whiskey in the back of a liquor cabinet and want to give it a try, have no fear: In general, old liquor will not make you sick like other expired items. The only risk it poses is delivering a dull taste and underwhelming drinking experience.

The shelf life of bourbon isn't much different from the shelf life of whiskey, as a whole. Unopened, a bottle of bourbon won't go bad. You can store it for decades. But once a bottle of bourbon is opened, it's got roughly 1 to 2 years before it goes bad.

Over time, the flavour profile of the whisky – so carefully curated by the distillery – will start to change and deteriorate. The overall alcohol content will alter, and the colour may also begin to fade. Whisky doesn't expire and it won't necessarily taste bad, but it will taste very different.

According to the United States Department of Agriculture's (USDA) microbiologists, alcoholic beverages such as spirits, wine, or beer don't kill bacteria. Marinating meat and poultry in these liquids helps tenderize and flavor the meat but does not make it safe.

As long as bourbon is barrelled correctly, aging really has no requirement for how long or less. It can go for any amount of time.

Keep your bottles out of direct light. Dark, cool areas like wine cellars are best, but closets and basem*nts work fine. Heat is the enemy of storing any good bourbon, opened or unopened.”

Does unopened bourbon get better with age? ›

American bourbon must be aged for a minimum for two years in fresh charred oak barrels. Whether a three-year-old expression spends a year or 30 years on a shelf without being opened, it is still a three-year-old whisky. This is because the taste profile of a whisky shouldn't change if it remains unopened.

Whiskey's potential health benefits are associated with low to moderate amounts. Over time, high alcohol consumption can increase your risk of chronic disease and other health issues. Whiskey's heart benefits come with small doses. Heavy alcohol use can lead to high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and heart disease.

Bourbon ages to mellow the bite of the alcohol and to add flavor to the spirit. As the spirit rests in its barrel to age, flavors from the wood are drawn out, which makes the whiskey called Bourbon the celebrated elixir that it is.

If your bourbon has gone bad, you'll notice a change in color and a loss of flavor. The bourbon will taste harsh and will have lost its smoothness.

For Kahlúa Original, we recommend a shelf life of 4 years. Actually, the product will be good for many more years, but the coffee impact fades over time so it won't give you the full flavor impact. Also, if you were to receive an old bottle of Kahlúa, you have to make sure it has never been opened or tampered with.

An unopened bottle of whiskey will last indefinitely if stored in proper condition. After opening a bottle of whiskey, you have as long as two years or as few as six months or less to drink it before it goes bad.

On the bottom of many glass bottles, you will find a two-digit embossed number which corresponds to the ending two digits in the four digit year 99 would be 1999, 01 would be 2001. This number is often located in the lower right region of the base of the bottle.

With that said, there is one note you should always find in bourbon if it's at least two years old: caramel. If you cannot taste caramel in a straight bourbon, it's flawed. The charred barrel used in aging imparts caramel and vanilla in every bourbon, even the bad ones.

As long as bourbon is barrelled correctly, aging really has no requirement for how long or less. It can go for any amount of time. But, there are two exceptions to this – straight bourbon whiskey has to be aged for a minimum of two years, and bottled-in-bond must be aged for at least four years.

Checked Bags: Yes

Alcoholic beverages with more than 24% but not more than 70% alcohol are limited in checked bags to 5 liters (1.3 gallons) per passenger and must be in unopened retail packaging. Alcoholic beverages with 24% alcohol or less are not subject to limitations in checked bags.