Will Bourbon Age in the Bottle? — Eight Oaks (2024)

FAQs

Will Bourbon Age in the Bottle? — Eight Oaks? ›

Once bourbon is bottled, the aging process stops. You can have your bottle of bourbon on the shelf indefinitely, even if it's open. But why ignore that beautiful bourbon on your shelf? Overtime, bourbon may lose some of its flavor and through evaporation, may even lose some of its alcohol content.

Bourbons must be aged in a barrel and do not continue to age in the bottle. A Bourbon bottled with an age statement of four years is always a four-year-old Bourbon, even if you keep it in your cabinet for years after that.

Add un-aged whiskey into the barrel and leave it to settle for a couple of weeks. Add charred sticks into the whiskey to hasten the aging process. The wood will transmit its flavor to the aging whiskey. You should open the barrel regularly to allow fresh air to replace trapped alcohol vapor.

Although bourbon does not have to be made in white oak, the experts definitely flock to fulfill the requirement that the barrel is made of “charred new oak containers.” Aging whiskey in white oak charred barrels definitely affects the taste and coloring.

Bourbon also ceases to mature once it's emptied out of a barrel, and most bottles are purged of air before they're sealed. A cork closure may introduce a tiny bit of air over time, but stored with care, an unopened bottle of bourbon will remain unchanged for many years.

Unopened, a bottle of bourbon won't go bad. You can store it for decades. But once a bottle of bourbon is opened, it's got roughly 1 to 2 years before it goes bad.

The chances of whisky going bad are very slim. While the taste might change over time, whisky doesn't technically go off. After a point, you may decide that a bottle has been opened for too many years and it tastes too different from what it originally was and consequently get rid of the remaining contents.

WHAT ABOUT ONCE IT'S IN THE BOTTLE? The good news for drinkers is that once a bourbon is in the bottle, it doesn't change much at all.

Bourbon must be aged in new oak barrels for at least two years. The barrels must be made of American oak that has been charred on the inside. These barrels give bourbon its characteristic amber color and unique flavor. Bourbon must also be bottled at 40% ABV, or alcohol by volume, in order to be considered authentic.

You can age pretty much anything in an oak barrel

Depending on what you want your end result to be, the rules may be different for each type of alcohol, but you can throw almost anything in an oak barrel and let science do its work, including whiskey, rum, brandy, tequila, sherry, port, dry wines, beer, and lots more.

How long is Woodford Reserve aged? ›

The bourbon is aged between 6-7 years and carries no age statement. Bottled at 45.2% ABV. Distilled at its namesake Woodford Reserve Distillery located in Versailles, Ky. (formerly called Labrot & Graham Distillery), this Kentucky straight bourbon was first introduced in 1996.

Blanton's Single Barrel Bourbon is typically aged for 6 to 8 years. It is aged in Warehouse H at Buffalo Trace, which is the only metal-cladded warehouse at Buffalo Trace and was commissioned for construction by one of the distillery's early leaders, Albert B. Blanton, shortly after the end of the Prohibition era.

Jim Beam Double Oak is first aged in a newly charred American White Oak barrels. Then, we pour it into another freshly charred white oak barrel to mature for a second time. The added interaction with the oak results in a liquid intense in flavor and smooth in taste.

First, check the color. If the color has faded significantly, this is a sign that your bourbon is no longer at its peak, usually due to light exposure. Second, check the smell. Bourbon that has spoiled might smell moldy or sour.

Bourbon, due to its high alcohol content, is not susceptible to bacteria or spoilage organisms, ensuring it doesn't spoil in the way food does. However, improper storage, such as exposure to light or fluctuating temperatures, can lead to a decline in quality.

It's your drink, have it however you want. My second answer is about me personally. I almost always drink bourbon completely straight, no ice, no other ingredients. I like tasting the pure bourbon just the way it is.

Once opened, your bourbon will last about six months. The best way to store it is in a cool, dark place like a cabinet or pantry. You want to make sure the bottle is sealed tight so that no oxygen can get in and change the flavor of the whiskey.

An unopened bottle of whiskey can last forever without going bad. As long as the bottle remains sealed and it remains stored in proper conditions, any special bottles you have will last for decades.

Unlike wine, whiskey does not continue to age in its bottle. Yes, while your prize bottle of Chateau Petrus will continue to gain in quality (and price) as the years go by, your bottle of single malt scotch won't.

If you haven't opened the bottle, you're in luck. When stored properly, unopened whiskey has an almost indefinite shelf life. That's right, your prized whiskey will be just as good years from now as it is today.