Despite the fact that only specific alcoholic products produced in Scotland can be called real whiskey, this drink is found everywhere. If the safety of a cheap analogue is not so important, then the shelf life of whiskey, the cost of which is a significant figure, as well as the peculiarities of its storage, is a rather acute issue. Nobody wants to spend a lot of money so that over time a bottle of excellent alcohol turns into a “swill”.
No expiration date?
"The shelf life of whiskey is unlimited" - such a phrase can be found in one variation or another both from the sommelier and from the seller who decided to "bribe" the buyer with a few phrases. Actually this is not true. Under ideal conditions for preservation, whiskey can really maintain its qualities for a very long time. The exact date is unknown. That is, the shelf life of whiskey in a closed bottle, subject to all the rules and conditions of high quality alcohol, can be 10, 20 and even 100 years.
Why does the label have a specific expiration date?
Answering the question of whether a whiskey has an expiration date, quite often you can hear an affirmative answer, which is based on one single factor - the presence of a designated mention on etiquette. Indeed, both very old whiskey and a younger drink, according to national law, have a certain shelf life. This is often 1 or 2 years. However, the most status and well-known manufacturers supplement the required regulatory line with a small mention - “you can store longer” and others.
If you store whiskey incorrectly
The expiration date of whiskey is directly dictated by how exactly the owner is going to store the drink. In the absence of proper condition, temperature, containers and locations, alcohol will gradually lose its strength and taste. If cheap whiskey just becomes extremely weak and tasteless, starts to smell like ethyl and other alcohols, then more expensive - it will lose the richness of the accent and the lion's share of the degree, becoming as if diluted. The liquid will begin to cloud, an unpleasant odor and precipitate will appear, the taste will deteriorate completely.
Where and how to store whiskey
There are several place factors that determine the shelf life of whiskey.
- Temperature condition. The room should have a constant temperature, it is not so important which one it will be, but it should be kept at the same level.
- The sun. Whiskey, like many other types of alcohol, does not tolerate direct sunlight on the bottle, it is necessary to select a place accordingly.
- Humidity. The air must be dry, and the room is isolated from water.
- Stands and furniture. It is not so important what kind of whiskey stand will be, but the bottle should be constantly upright.
No wonder connoisseurs quite often choose a basement as a place to store whiskey. If it is dry, excess moisture does not get into it, then alcohol will remain the best.
Shelf life of whiskey in a bottle, if it was not opened at all, and subject to the packaging in a dry and cool place, is long. It’s not worth it to disturb the container, turn the bottle over or shake the whiskey.
If the container is still opened
After the cork has been removed and air has entered the bottle, the whiskey will gradually begin to lose its taste and richness of aroma. Unfortunately, this cannot be prevented. Alcohol will gradually deteriorate even if the owner can close the container as tightly as possible. Depending on the taste preferences and the quality of the drink itself, the shelf life in this case is from 3 months to 1 year. It is important to understand that in the end, alcohol will lose most of its taste palette and become poorly suitable for tasting.
Cheap analogues
In this case, the expiration date is barely calculated in weeks. An open bottle of cheap single malt whiskey, which can hardly be called a real whiskey, will last 1-2 weeks, after which it will begin to lose strength and a bright, rather strong aftertaste of the chemical additives used in the recipe will appear. Drinking such alcohol is dangerous.
As for good whiskey, the expression "time works for it" applies only to a tightly corked bottle, which is correctly located in constant storage. Then delicious alcohol can be tasted even after more than a dozen years.