Favorite Whiskey?

Past and present. Love the heavy hitters. The Larceny won top honors this year. Worth a try.

 

So i have a question. From the looks of it, most are probably going to say they don’t have to worry about it.

How long can a bottle last after opening? I have some good bottles i want to open and try, but don’t drink frequently enough, and have 10 or so open at this point. Most things I’ve read say six months, so I’ve been careful about opening new ones until i kill off some of the opened.

 

Short answer is years, but the longer answer, I would say it depends on how much empty space is in the bottle. Most high alcohol content spirits aren't going to go bad like a carbonated drink. However, the more air in the bottle the more alcohol evaporates from the liquid there in. Over time you’ll lose some proof. So if a bottle gets less than half full and I’m not going finish it sooon I will transfer it into a smaller bottle. Also make sure the corks don’t dry out. I turn my bottles over once in awhile to get the corks wet to prevent the them from drying out.

 

Mail call

 

Once opened, two major things happen to a bottle of whiskey. It loses proof, and it oxidizes. The latter has much more influence on the flavor. The loss of proof really isn’t that rapid in terms of being noticeable.

A bottle takes 2-3 years to start to change character due to oxidation after being opened. The factors that impact how rapidly it changes are the number of times new air is introduced via the cork being removed and replaced with a pour, amount of total air in the bottle, heat, and direct sunlight. Keep bottles stored in a cool dark place. If it’s going to be open for a really long time after a significant amount is consumed, decant into a smaller bottle.

 

I find the whiskey awards just completely bizarre sometimes. There’s not a chance in hell that Larceny BP is the best bourbon on earth, even if it is enjoyable. The ADI is just one of a plethora of organizations that judge and rank whiskies each year…

The International Whiskey Competition provides a bit more realistic picture. Best Bourbon: George T Stagg. Larceny BP gets third in the small batch category.

The second best bourbon overall is an interesting one: NOCO Distillery - Founders Reserve Single Barrel Bourbon - Mash Bill #: II - Cask. Time to find a bottle and try it out. But again, is it realistic that a tiny craft distillery in Colorado is putting out the second best bourbon on earth?

Really I should say best bourbon in the country, of course…

 

Thanks. Time to open some new bottles.

 

I've always found awards in subjective experiences to be specious at best. Doubly so in whiskey when they are immediately turned around into heavy advertising pushes.

That said, I don't think the reviews are completely useless, because I have found myself to agree with most things that have either universal acclaim (Michter's special releases, Hardin's Creek, High End BT) or universal respect (Usually value plays like WT101/BT/OGD Bonded or relatively new names like Holladay).

 

The awards often give up to 30-50% of the entries a gold. This really becomes sort of meaningless, so I try to pay more attention to awards with rankings instead of medals.

Totally agree that reviews are much more useful. Then you know if it’s a flavor profile you’re even likely to be into. Numerical whiskey ratings don’t tell you much alone, like it could be a 93/100 for a flavor profile that is a total deal breaker for you…

Plus with reviews you eventually find people who seem to share your whiskey interests and you trust those a little more to help you find new stuff you’ll like.

 

Well, in a world where everyone gets a trophy…. Everyone gets a trophy.

 

Pay enough money to someone and they will be happy to give you a trophy!

 

This exactly. You never know who’s financing these awards. At the end of the day they are all liquor people trying to sell more liquor.

 

All this discussion of aging bottles made me pour one from my oldest. Think I’ve had it about 3 years now…can’t think of any others that I’ve kept alive this long

 

As I was writing the above post, i missed an online drop of CYPB, but did score a JD 12.

Also, just killed a horse.

 

How does it compare to when you first opened it?

 

So what bottle do i open, weller 107 store pick, or the heart release,?

 

I’d be all over that 107 SP

 

Very, very fortunate to have this bottle today.

Just as delicious as the pour I had in a bar in San Diego.

 

I think it’s pretty similar, maybe slightly more mellow? Still tasty

 

Fresh crack. Gotta be my favorite recipe