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bravedave wrote:Whiskey doesn't "age" after bottling, so it's unlikely that your hooch will taste any better than it did the day it was bottled. Even corked, the alcohol can evaporate out of the bottle. If it looks like it's not filled as full as it should be, there's a good chance it has suffered some evaporation. This may affect the taste (and certainly the buzz.)

All in all, this could be a "keeper" rather than a drinker.

I would like you to validate that whiskey doesn't (as you said) "age".

land_shark3 wrote:

rednekkPH wrote:Also in the package is a bottle of Jack Daniels with a paper tax stamp on the cap. This stamp is not dated. Anyone know how to figure out the date on this one (Need help with dating a bottle ) The label states it is 90 proof, not the current 80 proof.

By the way, the standard now is 86 proof (43% alcohol).

Wow, I really sound like an alcoholic.

I'm not an alcoholic, I'm a drunk, alcholics go to meetings

12vmanRick wrote: I'm not an alcoholic, I'm a drunk, alcholics go to meetings

I knew I was late for something!

land_shark3 wrote:While less publicized, Jack has made a few different whiskeys over the years each with varying strengths. Green labels, single barrels, specialty decanters, etc. Some of their decanters look like the current bottle, however markings reflect the years they have won the Gold medal (1908, 1932....).

This label is otherwise identical to the current Black Label JD, but it lists the proof as 90. It doesn't appear to be a special edition of any kind. Anyone here know how to decipher JD's date codes?

last year my mother cleaned out the liquor cabinet and gave me several bottles of liquor left over from my sisters wedding in 1972 (mom doesn't drink much!!)

She gave me a bottle of B+B, a bottle of Grand Marnier, a bottle of Dow Port and a bottle of Pussers Rum.

Unlike mom, I've been known to drink a little and had a little taste test with some friends to see if the old stuff was better than the same type "newer" liquor.

The B+B and Grand Marnier were basically the same and nobody could discern any difference. The Dow Port was UNBELEIVABLE and I highly recommend buying the oldest bottles you can afford and throwing them in a dark closet for 20 years. This was probably the best drink I've ever had!!! The pussers rum was very good also, and you could tell the difference in color and taste from a newer bottle.

I recommend having some friends over and opening the bottles. Even if the liquor isn't any better than a new bottle, you'll have fun doing it and that's worth more than the few bucks you might make selling the bottle.

12vmanRick wrote:

bravedave wrote:Whiskey doesn't "age" after bottling,

I would like you to validate that whiskey doesn't (as you said) "age".

In the production of alcoholic beverages, “aging” is the process of altering flavor and other qualities by means of biological and chemical reactions like fermentation and osmosis. Sure, any whiskey that grows older ages (per se), but it doesn’t necessarily impart any noticeable differences to the whiskey unless the whiskey is in contact with something like a catalyst that allows a reaction to take place. Wooden barrels, especially those that have been in contact with other beverages like sherry, are prized aging vessels, because the whiskey is in contact with wood, air, the remains of the sherry absorbed by the wood, etc. Even in stainless steel tanks, whiskey can age just by being in contact with copious amounts of air. This young whiskey has a lot of reactive and biological material remaining after fermentation and distillation, and a relatively low alcoholic content. Once bottled, there is little air inside the bottle, and glass is almost non-reactive. Glass also allows light to pass into the whiskey, which is not conducive to aging. Furthermore, the fermentation, distillation, and aging processes that have already occurred leave little reactive material in the whiskey and much alcohol to prevent any biological changes.

Other alcoholic beverages, such as beer, wine, brandy, or sherry may “age” significantly after bottling. (Thank goodness, otherwise Champagne would have no bubbles.) But these differ from whiskey (and whisky) in the amount of reactive material and living matter still present in the beverage after bottling.

ph4ever wrote:

PHBeerman wrote:Being that there is a cork, there is a chance that it could be 'corked' which happens to wine all of the time. Compare it to other whiskeys and see if the color is similer within a couple shades. Definite differences could mean its gone bad.

huh???????? the wine I drink has a screw cap....... j/k

Geez, you should drink the fancy kind, that comes in a box!

12vmanRick,

After I posted my response I found this:


http://www.lfw.co.uk/whisky_review/Intr ... tro_1.html

Why are some whiskies so expensive?
The first thing to check is the age of the whisky. If it is say 21 years old (the time spent in the cask—once bottled it does not ‘age’) it will be dearer because of the additional storage required. Also whisky evaporates in the barrel by about 2% each year so after 21 years only two thirds remain. The other thing to look out for is the degree of alcohol strength as duty is applied according to percentage alcohol. Most whiskies are bottled at 40% alcohol by volume (abv), some at 43% or 46%—15% stronger and so dearer than the 40%. We stock many whiskies with strengths of up to 65% so these are the equivalent of over a bottle and a half! Finally there is a collector’s market for whisky—that explains the more extreme prices!

Does a whisky improve with age after bottling?
No. Unlike wine, spirits are fixed once in the bottle and there is no benefit in keeping it. You should open and enjoy it as soon as possible!


How long can I keep the whisky in the bottle?
Unopened, a bottle should stay as good as when bottled assuming the seal is in good condition. Keep the bottle away from direct sunlight, heat or variations in condition. Once opened, oxidation will act on the whisky with a noticeable effect in between one and three years. The balance of characters may change, not always for the worse, but eventually a whisky may become ‘flat’—another good reason for enjoying your dram without delay. Saving the last inch of a very special malt is usually disappointing when finally poured, so enjoy it now!

So here is what can be deduced from this forum:

Rum and wine get better with age.
Whiskey stays the same when left in the bottle.
Rick enjoys alcohol, a lot.
BraveDave either has a lot of time or really enjoys Google.
McGee knows how to have a "Tasting Party"
LIPH is way too sophisticated for me.
Pair8Head has no more of the good rum to share.
RednekkPH should bring the bottle to the next concert for sampling.
And I'm just an alcoholic kid from the hills of Tennessee.

land_shark3 wrote:So here is what can be deduced from this forum:

...BraveDave either has a lot of time or really enjoys Google.....

Both!


Actually, enjoys is too weak a word. Abuses comes closer to the truth.


(I also enjoy beer, wine, and whisky.)

bravedave wrote:12vmanRick,

After I posted my response I found this:


http://www.lfw.co.uk/whisky_review/Intr ... tro_1.html

Why are some whiskies so expensive?
The first thing to check is the age of the whisky. If it is say 21 years old (the time spent in the cask—once bottled it does not ‘age’) it will be dearer because of the additional storage required. Also whisky evaporates in the barrel by about 2% each year so after 21 years only two thirds remain. The other thing to look out for is the degree of alcohol strength as duty is applied according to percentage alcohol. Most whiskies are bottled at 40% alcohol by volume (abv), some at 43% or 46%—15% stronger and so dearer than the 40%. We stock many whiskies with strengths of up to 65% so these are the equivalent of over a bottle and a half! Finally there is a collector’s market for whisky—that explains the more extreme prices!

Does a whisky improve with age after bottling?
No. Unlike wine, spirits are fixed once in the bottle and there is no benefit in keeping it. You should open and enjoy it as soon as possible!


How long can I keep the whisky in the bottle?
Unopened, a bottle should stay as good as when bottled assuming the seal is in good condition. Keep the bottle away from direct sunlight, heat or variations in condition. Once opened, oxidation will act on the whisky with a noticeable effect in between one and three years. The balance of characters may change, not always for the worse, but eventually a whisky may become ‘flat’—another good reason for enjoying your dram without delay. Saving the last inch of a very special malt is usually disappointing when finally poured, so enjoy it now!

Thanks for the research. I always thought that the color, taste and possibly even the alcohol content would increase over years.

bravedave wrote:Actually, enjoys is too weak a word. Abuses comes closer to the truth.

Yes; I believe the Google Toolbar is probably the greatest invention since someone decided to bottle fermented liquids.

A beer can collector friend of mine has a full six-pack of Billy Beer and a full six-pack of Champale. Wonder how they taste now that they've been aged since the Carter administration?

Blonde Stranger wrote:A beer can collector friend of mine has a full six-pack of Billy Beer and a full six-pack of Champale. Wonder how they taste now that they've been aged since the Carter administration?

I'm a collector also. I have a full case of Columbia Beer brewed over 80 years ago. There's all sorts of nasty looking stuff floating in those bottles

rednekkPH wrote:I'm a collector also. I have a full case of Columbia Beer brewed over 80 years ago. There's all sorts of nasty looking stuff floating in those bottles

80+ years ~ I'm guessing prior to preservatives

One can only imagine what's inside that bottle. If for some reason, you ever decide to open one of those bottles, PLEASE do it in a well ventilated area.

Ok, so based on what we've learned (parrotheads are such an educational group!), I'm thinking put that sucker on Ebay and sell it to someone who collects the bottles, then use the proceeds to buy a whole lot of new liquor.

How long can I keep the whisky in the bottle?

The only correct answer to this is:
"We all gotta wrestle with our own demons."

In my own experience, John Barleycorn starts calling my name before I even get the bottle into the house.