Comments on: How to store scotch whisky

By: Jake

Jake — Sun, 13 Jun 2010 23:49:17 +0000

Well, the poster who recommended shrink wrap or parafilm has an excellent point. ANY watertight seal will guarantee you're not going to get loss from evaporation and oxidation from air. Even plastic wrap with a rubber band, while looking pretty ghetto, would accomplish those main goals

I think previous posters' comments about not storing on the side to keep the cork wet (as is done with wine) is that whisky has a higher alcohol content that can degrade the cork much faster than wine. In fact, keeping the cork wet is not done to prevent evaporation (since the water's only path is through the cork, wetting it would increase evaporation). It's about the wet cork being a barrier to air (oxidation) and preventing degradation of the cork from dehydration.

By: Kevin Suit

Kevin Suit — Thu, 03 Jun 2010 10:31:59 +0000

After reading the comments above on what is the correct way to store Scotch Whisky, I am buffled and confused by the diverging comments. What is the right method or way to store these precious contents, the standing or the lying on its side position? I share the view of Peter B which through personal experience had a bottle of Chivas Royal Salute – 21 years old Scotch Whisky, kept it for nearly 30 years on the lying down position. What left now is only the ceramic dark blue bottle and maybe a few drops of its contents ( bottle still left intact ).
Surely there must be some learned and knowledgeable connoisseur out there to provide some feedback.

By: Peter B: Perlsø

Peter B: Perlsø — Sat, 30 Jan 2010 17:26:25 +0000

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?

By: Kali

Kali — Sat, 22 Aug 2009 03:42:11 +0000

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.

By: Mikey

Mikey — Sun, 05 Jul 2009 07:14:39 +0000

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.

By: Scott Murray

Scott Murray — Sun, 22 Mar 2009 03:20:17 +0000

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

By: Vipul

Vipul — Sun, 15 Feb 2009 19:59:07 +0000

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.

By: orangedogofglory

orangedogofglory — Mon, 11 Aug 2008 15:48:18 +0000

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.

By: daavid

daavid — Mon, 11 Aug 2008 15:28:11 +0000

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

By: mrking

mrking — Mon, 11 Aug 2008 07:13:43 +0000

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.

By: orangedogofglory

orangedogofglory — Mon, 11 Aug 2008 04:26:09 +0000

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).

By: orangedogofglory

orangedogofglory — Mon, 11 Aug 2008 04:13:12 +0000

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.