Bourbon is an excellent staple to keep on hand around your kitchen. Its sweet, smooth flavor makes it not only super approachable, but also extremely versatile. You make some great drinks with it, like the classic old fashioned, and can also cook and bake with it to great success — just try our recipe for bourbon pecan pie bars. If you are as big of a bourbon fan as we are, you may have more than one open bottle in your collection, or may even be saving a special bottle for a celebratory occasion, leading you to wonder — does bourbon go bad? The answer is yes, especially under certain circ*mstances.
Are you nervous that the bourbon in your liquor collection has gone bad? We have some tips and tricks for how to tell if that's the case. 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. Finally, evaluate the taste. If the flavor is weak or unpleasant in a way you don't expect, your bourbon is past its prime — owing to its likely exposure to oxygen or heat.
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. This chemical reaction slowly but surely changes the whiskey by agitating the internal chemicals — ultimatelyaltering its taste, smell, and appearance. Additionally, since alcohol evaporates faster than water, an open bottle will steadily become watered down. Unfortunately for those savoring their favorite bottles, this means you have only eight months or fewer to enjoy an open bottle of bourbon before it begins to noticeably turn.
ADVERTIsem*nT
Of course, the best way to keep yourself from worrying about open bourbon spoiling is to store it properly. Put yourself at an advantage by keeping the spirit sealed tightly to prevent additional oxygen from entering the bottle and by storing it away from excessive heat and light. Dramatic changes in temperature, along with exposure to large amounts of ultraviolet light, can change the chemical makeup of bourbon in undesirable ways. Additionally, it is best to store bottles upright to prevent cork decay and reduce the amount of liquid coming in contact with oxygen. This will slow the oxidation process, thereby stretching the time for which your bourbon is at its best.
However, if it has been exposed to oxygen, light, or heat, it may have gone bad. The best way to know for sure is to try it. First smell the bourbon to see if it smells moldy, if not then give it a taste. If it doesn't taste dull or bitter then it's absolutely still good.
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.
How can you tell if your whiskey or bourbon has gone bad:
The colour has changed.
It smells bad, or just not good.
It tastes bad or fizzy.
There are bits floating or settled in the bottle (this is not Goldschlager… if you find Goldschlager in the cupboard, do them another favour and bin it!!).
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 for the nuances you find in bourbon . . . this is where the process becomes fun.
Bourbon that has spoiled might smell moldy or sour. Finally, evaluate the taste. If the flavor is weak or unpleasant in a way you don't expect, your bourbon is past its prime — owing to its likely exposure to oxygen or heat.
Take a small sip of the neat bourbon, allowing it to coat your tongue. If you're relatively new to whiskey tasting, or if it's a very high-proof bourbon, you might mostly notice the alcoholic burn. A second sip will often reveal greater complexity as your taste buds get accustomed to the strength.
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.
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.”
As Mandy Naglich explained, "Whiskeys that aren't so good will be very one note (often vanilla or caramel) and they will also finish quick and hot." She then noted that, of course, it's common for just about any whiskey — or any alcohol — to have somewhat of a hot feeling when you drink it, but explained that there's a ...
“Legs” describe the droplets that form inside the glass after you swirl it. The number of droplets and how quickly they fall down the glass will tell you how high the alcohol content is in the whiskey. If the droplets are heavy, thick and move slowly down the glass, the whiskey has a higher Alcohol by Volume (ABV).
Myth 3: Drinking hard liquor is worse than drinking beer or wine. Contrary to popular belief, the type of alcohol you drink doesn't make a difference – what matters is how much you drink. "The safe limit is fixed at 14 units a week," explains Dr Lui. "Below this limit, alcoholic fatty liver is less likely to occur.
Sour Mash: This off-flavor occurs when lactic acid bacteria are present during fermentation, resulting in a tangy or sour taste. Mustiness: Musty off-flavors can be caused by mold or mildew contamination in the aging process, giving the bourbon an unpleasant, damp cellar-like taste.
Bad bourbon will not make you sick, but it can taste really gross. If your bourbon has been stored in a hot place or was exposed to sunlight, it may have gone bad. These conditions can cause the alcohol to evaporate and change the flavor of the bourbon.
Too old, and it will taste dusty, lifeless, and over-oaked. Often, the right age is a little younger than you think. Many of the whiskey industry's most respected distillers have gone on record saying their favorite age for bourbon usually falls somewhere in the six to 12 year range.
Most bottle manufacturers molded the year into the glass at the bottom of the bottle in 2-digit format. You'll often find it in the lower right portion when looking at the bottom (some dates are much easier to distinguish than others). This will usually tell you–within a year or two–when the whiskey was bottled.
Does Bourbon Expire? 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.
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.
Because whiskey's natural colour after distillation is clear, the pigments in the wood seep into the spirit, causing the amber colouring that makes whiskey's colour so distinctive. The longer the whiskey remains in its barrel, the darker it becomes.
Hobby: Gunsmithing, Embroidery, Parkour, Kitesurfing, Rock climbing, Sand art, Beekeeping
Introduction: My name is Roderick King, I am a cute, splendid, excited, perfect, gentle, funny, vivacious person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
We notice you're using an ad blocker
Without advertising income, we can't keep making this site awesome for you.
