FAQs
The aging depends on the conditions around the barrel or the bottle. Temperature, humidity, and light are all contributing factors to just how well the whisky will age. In a cask with the correct conditions in place, whisky will almost always become better with age.
Does alcohol get stronger the longer it sits? ›
Unlike wines, distilled spirits do not improve with age once they are in the bottle. As long as they are not opened, your whiskey, brandy, rum, and the like will not change and they will certainly not mature further while they wait on the shelf.
Does unopened whiskey get better with age? ›
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. A whisky draws its flavour from the wood that it matures in.
How does aging whiskey make it better? ›
Once the liquor is distilled, it is put into barrels. Long periods of ageing eliminate harsh flavours from the raw alcohol and allow the whiskey to actually extract flavour and colour from the wood.
Does liquor improve with age? ›
In a nutshell, aging spirits is done to give them a superior flavor and drinking quality. Aging allows specific chemical reactions to occur, as well as simply allowing the spirits to “steep” and develop flavor over time. Ultimately, aging spirits makes for a more enjoyable drinking experience.
Is 50 year old whiskey still good? ›
The chances of whisky going bad are very slim. While the taste might change over time, whisky doesn't technically go off. After a point, you may decide that a bottle has been opened for too many years and it tastes too different from what it originally was and consequently get rid of the remaining contents.
Does whiskey get stronger over time? ›
The right amount of aging not only gives whiskey its color and flavor, but it also has a mellowing effect that tempers the liquor through oxygenation. As air comes in through the pores of the barrels, it changes the spirit from a harsh, high-alcohol base into a mellower and smoother drink.
Is 100 year old whiskey safe to drink? ›
Post bottling, whisky does continue to change and evolve on it's own over time, especially if it's opened and exposed to oxygen, or different storage conditions such as temperature, but is generally safe for consumption, even after 100years!
Does Jack Daniel's expire? ›
While whiskey doesn't necessarily expire, it does start to lose flavor and elements after it is opened. 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.
How can you tell if whiskey is good quality? ›
A whiskey's "nose" or aroma is a crucial aspect of its quality. Swirl the whiskey gently in your glass and take a moment to inhale its aroma and identify the different scents. High-quality whiskey should have a complex, layered aroma that often features notes of fruits, spices, grains, and perhaps a hint of oak.
Bourbon does not expire, as long as it remains unopened. A correctly stored bottle can last decades as long as it's kept away from heat and light. If you have an opened bottle of bourbon its shelf life is about 3-6 months before it will start to lose quality and flavor.
Why is older scotch better? ›
Typically, a young whisky tends to have a traditional spirit taste, which can be harsher and one dimensional. Whiskies that are aged for longer in the cask tend to lose this harsher flavour and become more complex in taste, as it is more full-bodied, featuring a longer finish.
What happens if you age whiskey too long? ›
While some aging is desirable to achieve the best flavor profile, too much aging can actually cause the Bourbon to lose flavor. A great distiller can find the sweet spot in the aging process where the youngest whiskey no longer has its sharp, unfinished taste but hasn't succumbed to flavor loss from over-aging.
What whiskey gets better with age? ›
For the first few years of its life, bourbon definitely improves with age. New make bourbon isn't delicious, but six-year-old bourbon certainly can be. But it's possible to overdo it. In practice, older whiskey isn't always better--and that's particularly true when it comes to bourbon.
What is the oldest whiskey you can buy? ›
1. The Macallan 'The Reach' 81-Year-Old Single Malt Scotch Whisky ($299,609) The Reach was distilled at the Macallan Estate in 1940 during the Second World War.
Does alcohol hit harder as you age? ›
The effects of alcohol change as we age
Some older people feel the effects of alcohol more strongly without increasing the amount they drink. This can make them more likely to have accidents such as falls, fractures, and car crashes. Also, older women are more sensitive than men to the effects of alcohol.
What happens to alcohol the longer it sits? ›
Store out of direct sunlight, tightly sealed, in a stable room-temperature environment. Once opened, distilled spirits like whiskey and gin won't expire or become unsafe to consume, but they may start to taste “off” after 1–3 years. Liqueurs, opened, will usually last 6 months–1 year.
Does liquor get more potent over time? ›
While unopened alcohol has an almost-indefinite shelf life, opened liquor does, in fact, expire. They won't spoil in the same way that milk does, but liquors lose their flavor, coloring, and potency over time, leading to undesirable drinks for your customers.
Does alcohol get weaker the longer it sits? ›
They do lose flavour intensity and alcoholic strength over time, so that dusty bottle of tequila left over from your Cinco de Mayo party in 2017 will likely taste different from a newly opened one, but it isn't generally considered dangerous.
Does alcohol become less potent when left out? ›
But most of the alcohol you are apt to run across is NOT pure. It's more likely to be diluted with water than not. If you leave diluted alcohol in an open container, the alcohol will evaporate faster than the water, and so it will be less concentrated, the longer you leave the container open.