Maybe this is a waste of your time, but definitely not mine.
ILoveIndia had a post the other day that gave some tips on how to store scotch whisky. Short but informative. Anyone have other ideas, feel free to comment!
How to Store Scotch Whisky
- Do not expose the bottle directly to heat. Temperatures higher than 70 deg Fahrenheit / 21 Celcius are not suitable to store a bottle of Scotch. Major temperature fluctuations are also unfavorable conditions for its storage. A place which has a cool temperature is the ideal place to store the bottle. For e.g. basement has a cool temperature throughout the year.
- Take caution to store the bottle of Scotch in a box. Light causes a descent in the quality of the whisky. Keep the bottle away from artificial lights as well, such as bulbs, tubes, etc. If you are storing the bottle in the bar, take notice that the bottle is not exposed to light that opens up automatically when the bar door opens.
- Ensure that the bottle is kept straight and not lying tilted. When the liquor comes in contact with either the metal or the cork, it leads to a decline in the quality of the drink.
- Once you have poured the drink in your glass, make sure you cork the bottle immediately. Air acts as an oxidizing agent and if the bottle is kept open for a long time, it may result in the deterioration of the quality and taste of the Scotch Whisky.
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If you tend to keep individual bottles open for an extended period of time, oxidation can become an issue when the fill level of the bottle gets low. While a bottle of whisky will store for decades, and will store for many years after opening, a bottle with only a little whisky will keep enough air inside to begin to alter the whisky.
An easy solution to this is to order small bottles, such as 2oz or 4oz boston rounds from a place like Specialty Bottle (no affiliation). Once your bottle gets low, pour the remainder into the smaller bottle, and use a label maker to properly label the bottle.
This will prevent the whisky from changing significantly if it were to be sitting on a shelf for a while.
As an aside, funny you posted this – I was thinking of posting a picture of my whisky “bookshelf” in the Community after you mentioned your use of a “whisky locker.” I always enjoy seeing how others store their stock, as there isn’t really a specialty market for single malt storage products as there is for wine bottles.
I suppose a quick follow on comment – another reason that bottles need to be stored standing up is that the alcohol can eat away at the cork. As the cork breaks up, it can mix in with the whisky. This can also cause increased evaporation, or it can cause the cork to break off when pulling it, again causing the cork to mix in with the whisky.
Also, short term temperature changes – or one time events – won’t cause a noticeable change in the whisky. So, as the post states, storing a whisky at 100F isn’t a great idea, but having a bottle shipped to you in the summer, when it is 100F outside, isn’t a problem.
And, for long term storage of minis, sample bottles, or even bottles that you want to really protect long term, the use of parafilm or shrink wrap is an excellent idea. I haven’t used the parafilm personally, but I have heard that it will also peel off without leaving a residue, and without taking off parts of the distillery seal (like tape would).
my parents had a bottle of wild turkey stored in the back of a cabinet in the kitchen and i snagged it for a party i was having at my place (i know, wild turkey is nasty but put it in a mixed drink and most people never can tell what it is). the cork was so deteriorated that when i twisted and pulled the top to open the bottle the cork broke off. the remainder of the cork was lodged in the neck of the bottle, crumbly but still there. the only way i could get the whiskey out was pushing the cork down into the whiskey and then pouring the whiskey into something else. so yeah, this was a long way of saying i agree with the previous post about alcohol wearing down the quality of a cork.
many experts say that any whisk(e)y shall be consumed not later than 3 months after opening the bottle. otherwise, it might lose its original aroma.
anyway. therefore it is so risky to buy any olda bottle of whisky (especially on the eBay) as noone knows how it was stored.
good post and good comments
indeed – buyer beware is the best mantra for ebay. that, and you never know what you’ll get.
I’ve heard in the wine world that auction houses now are starting to reject lots that lack proof of proper storage.
I want to preserve a very regular model of whiskey? Is it okay if I keep it intact? I have not removed the seal of the bottle.
Whisky and Whiskey is my job. I feel if you plan on keeping a bottle for an extended period of time, these are great tips. If not, don’t worry about it, just keep it safe from direct light and heat and your Whisky or Whiskey will be fine. This almost sounds like Wine Snob talk to me. I will no longer visit this page or recommend it to my customers. I will now have a dram from a bottle I opened 8 months ago and is still absolutely delicious. mmmmmmm
My problem is that I live in a desert, and it’s too expensive to keep the house at lower than 80 degrees during summer. I wonder if I should get a minifridge for my Scotch, keep it at 65 or so degrees.
Thanks guys! First time buyer of Johnnie Walker Black Label & I can’t wait to try it! I stored it away from heat, standing up and am just waiting for my bro to bring the pipe & cigars.
Hello all, I have a question for any anyone still reading this thread.
I have a number of good malts stored, which I would like to last some years, and a single malt dealer told me some years back that a bottle should be stored lying on its side, not standing up. His argument was that a bottle standing up would lead to the alcohol of the drink evaporating and leaving the bottle that way, which supposedly would not happen if the cork was kept soaked. ( Background for this is that I once bought a 25-year Bowmore in a ceramic bottle, and it turned out to be half-empty when opened. It had been stored standing up in the shop.).
Is there any truth to this claim, or have I been told a myth?