Cabinet full of open bottles?

@Beelzebozo This is a really good question. I'm not seasoned expert though...

There was a discussion about decanting whisky (connosr.com/wall/discussion/…) which talked about how whisky can deteriorate over time once opened, but I don't think anyone has said for sure how fast that happens.

Nearly all the bottles in my cabinet are open (bar one or two), as I like to have a wide selection to choose from at any time. Some might last for a couple of months, maybe even a year before I finish drinking them.

I never notice any drop in quality over time, but maybe my palate isn't refined enough ? :-|

I've heard various tales about this, but the rule of thumb I heard was that generally you should try and drink whisky within a year of opening it. I've not had many bottles that last that long (I have a cupboard of open bottles that rotate quite regularly) and I've only noticed a deterioration in one that had been sat hidden behind a bottle of tequila for 2 or 3 years (tasted a bit stale).

However, as it's air that will cause most deterioration (I assume light does as well, unless you have coloured glass bottles), as long as you keep the bottles corked, don't move them around much and keep them somewhere relatively cool (and dark) there shouldn't be much movement in the whisky which should keep things fresher for longer.

That said, it's just best to drink it quicker so as to free up a slot on the shelf for the next bottle :)

I've heard of people transferring whisky to smaller bottles towards the end of its storage. The theory being if you have less air in the bottle the evaporation slows. Whether this is scientific or not I don't know but it seems to make sense.

1. Deterioration of open bottles only happens when the level is extremely low (let's say under 5-10cm)
2. Deterioration never happens before in the first year (I would say 2 years, but hey...)
3. Most whiskies don't change much
4. Some whiskies get significantly better once open!

These are guidelines of course, but I believe this is a bit of a "hyped" subject. I have lots of open bottles (some of them with low levels for five years or more) and I haven't noticed many changes.

That being said, lately I buy more samples and less bottles. Sites such as www.whiskysamples.eu give you the opportunity to try stuff without having to stock a full cabinet. This way, I only buy bottles I really like and they don't live too long...

"under 5-10cm"? I'd better finish off some of the "final tasting drams" I have scattered around the house then...

@scribe its always nice when "science" gives you and excuse ;)

@Porrohman Lets face it 'anoracky' is where we're at, but who cares! ;-)

@porrohman, I do the very same thing and currently have a library of some 50 samples. Only, mine are just 3 ml and I use them only for color, visocity and nose comparing purposes :-) My 70cl bottles never last longer than a year anyway. In fact, the oldest bottle sitting in my cabinet right now was purchased in October 2009 and is already halfway.

I do the same also as it happens. It’s useful for future reference and just as a way of keeping a dram or two of a malt you are particularly fond of.

I’m with WhiskyNotes on this subject in general. I think overall it can be rather over hyped and I have very rarely come across a whisky that has degraded to a noteable degree even after a few years in an open bottle, as long as the level is not low that is (and thats where decanting comes in).

However I must say I do take extra care with older whiskies….particularly if they are low in strength.

Excellent discussion here fellas. @Beelzebozo asked a question I often wondered myself. As a result, I tended to only have a core group of whiskies open at a time and would only open a new one once an old one was finished off. I think I'll experiment a bit more and open a few more bottles after reading this topic.

Porrohman, I do the same thing but I use 250s .. no reason just what I ended up with..(sadly I also tend to raid the historical stash for pretty flimsy reasons)

Whiskies do change over time, the peaty phenolic whiskies seem to change more than others.. (but that may be perception since I am usually drinking peaty phenolic whiskies).. some time ago I did a blind tasting with three friends, two bottles of Ardbeg 17 one open for six months one opened fresh.. nobody but me know they were the same whisky two of them would have sworn the 6 month open one was a different distillery.

@brucefraser Yeah, these guys have given us some really solid info on the subject. I’m glad it helped you out as well.

Good discussion this one, I came across it as I was about to start a new one on a similar subject. For the record, I try not to have more than about 12 bottles open at once, purely so I can get through them and come away with a clear and lasting opinion of what that whisky was like. I find if I leave it months and months between drams of the same whisky I find it more difficult to remember what each is like and build up a view of each one.

But the reason I restart this discussion is the idea that a few people have mentioned - makjedi1, porrohman, stu_r among them - about decanting between 100ml and 250ml of whisky into smaller bottles to either retain or to use as their tasting bottle. I like the idea, for me it'd be to keep a sample of the whiskies I think are extra special for a rainy day. My question might seem a bit simple and daft, but where do you get glass bottles from? There are plenty of online wholesalers out there, but is it a legitimate concern that decanting your finest whisky into some of these bottles - that seem to be produced mainly for delis, cosmetic companies etc - might alter the flavour?

I have a fair share of unopened bottles but the majority of my cabinet are open. I have noticed that some whiskies become 'lighter' over time (nose, taste, finish - as opposed to colour) when there's a reasonable amount of air in bottle (50%+), as it loses more alcohol. Sometimes this is detrimental but it can also improve a whisky by smoothing out some imbalances. I find the tasting (and repeat tasting) of a whisky over time and how the whisky may change - or more likely my perception of the whisky changes (depending on mood, surroundings, company, food, etc.) is part of the fun and education of getting to know whisky.

On the flipside keeping bottles unopen is not without it's problems. I've had a lot of corks break on me from older bottles that I have had for a while and there's nothing quite like a broken cork and a bit of decanting to put a bit of a downer on cracking open a bottle you've been saving to open. Evaporation also effects full sealed bottles.

You will inevitable keep special bottles sealed (until the right time) as well as ones you've doubled up on. I don't see there being a significant issue having open bottles as, for me, whisky's for drinking.

Where to buy small glass bottles ? I would appreciates suggestions as to what type of stores sell these small clear bottles. I found some on-line, but shipping is half the cost of the bottles.

@dougwatts You can get 20cl clear glass bottles with cork from the Whisky Exchange London store for £1 each. However if you buy a bottle, they will often give you one free, if you ask. Not sure if they do them online though. I don’t know if that’s any help for you as your in Manchester but, I’m sure if you ask at a specialist store, especially one that does there own bottling, they can help you. @AboutChoice I’m sure the same would apply in the States.

I've been ordering sample bottles online for putting away rainy day amounts. If you're in the US, try Specialty Bottle. II got Clear Boston Round Glass Bottle 4 oz w/ Cap with Polyseal Cap (Qty: 30 x $0.60). Someone on another site suggested polyseal cap. The bottles are quite handy for trading samples with my local club, too.

I'm trying to stock2 samples bottles from each full bottle -- one for my shelf to taste over next year or so whenever i'd like to and one for storage to keep longer. I fill the storage one full and have ordered sealing wax that i'm going to use for extra air protection.