{"id":180049,"date":"2023-09-27T16:54:47","date_gmt":"2023-09-27T20:54:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/gardenandgun.com\/?p=180049"},"modified":"2025-10-13T11:26:35","modified_gmt":"2025-10-13T15:26:35","slug":"will-an-open-bottle-of-fine-bourbon-ever-go-bad","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/gardenandgun.com\/articles\/will-an-open-bottle-of-fine-bourbon-ever-go-bad","title":{"rendered":"Will an Open Bottle of Fine Bourbon Ever Go Bad?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>Here\u2019s a scenario bourbon aficionados will find familiar: You\u2019ve acquired a sought-after bottle to add to your collection. Presumably, at some point, you\u2019ll want to open that bottle for a pour with whiskey-loving friends. You also likely have several other special-occasion bottles that get slowly sipped on over time. How long will those open bottles stay fresh before perceptible changes in taste and aroma set in? The answer is\u2026it depends.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cBourbon is not like wine\u2014it keeps nicely even after opening, for extended periods of time,\u201d says Kentucky Bourbon Hall of Fame inductee and Buffalo Trace tour guide <a href=\"https:\/\/gardenandgun.com\/articles\/build-bourbon-vocabulary\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Freddie Johnson<\/a>. \u201cThe secret is putting it away. Keep your bottles out of direct light. Dark, cool areas like wine cellars are best, but closets and basements work fine. Heat is the enemy of storing any good bourbon, opened or unopened.\u201d<\/p><div id=\"div-gpt-ad-5640797\" class=\"ad-container in-line-ad mobile inContent\" data-ad-size-mapping=\"inContent\" data-ad-path=\"\/68000349\/in-between-modules\" data-ad-sizes=\"[ [336, 280], [300, 250], [300, 50] ]\" data-ad-channel=\"\" data-ad-type=\"In-between Modules\" data-page-terms=\"flagged\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<!-- Promo shortcode start --><div id=\"nlf-1c\" class=\"gg-promo topic-distilled big\"><div class=\"grid\"><div class=\"title\">Get Our Bourbon Newsletter!<\/div><div class=\"left\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/gardenandgun.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/promos\/bourbon-newsletter-big.jpg\" alt=\"glass of bourbon with ice\"><\/div><div class=\"right\"><form id=\"nlf-1\" method=\"post\" class=\"form\" action=\"https:\/\/gardenandgun.com\/newsletters\/\"><input type=\"hidden\" name=\"gg_form_submit\" value=\"nlf-1\"><div class=\"dek\">Distilled is our newsletter about the South\u2019s favorite spirit.<\/div><div class=\"action two-items\"><div class=\"input-left\"><input type=\"text\" name=\"email\" class=\"email-input\" value=\"\" placeholder=\"you@example.com\"><input type=\"hidden\" name=\"group_id\" value=\"151240180\"><input type=\"hidden\" name=\"shortcode_form\" value=\"nlf-1\"><input type=\"hidden\" name=\"subscription_99416\" value=\"on\"><input type=\"hidden\" name=\"prev_page_id\" value=\"180049\"><\/div><div class=\"gform_footer\"><div style=\"display:none;\"><input type=\"text\" name=\"nl-nov-st\" id=\"nl-nov-st1\" value=\"\" autocomplete=\"off\" tabindex=\"-1\"><input type=\"text\" name=\"nl-nov-b\" value=\"\" autocomplete=\"off\" tabindex=\"-1\"><input type=\"text\" name=\"nl-nov-r\" id=\"nl-nov-r1\" value=\"2025-11-14\" autocomplete=\"off\" tabindex=\"-1\"><input type=\"text\" name=\"nl-nov-et\" id=\"nl-nov-et1\" value=\"\" autocomplete=\"off\" tabindex=\"-1\"><\/div><button data-sitekey=\"6Lc-hRkaAAAAAI84hbB81Jl48pGievR_C_UgHdnY\" data-callback=\"on_submit_nlf_1\" data-action=\"submit\" class=\"g-recaptcha button button-primary after-email\">Sign Up<\/button><\/div><\/div><div class=\"captcha-terms\"><p>This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google <a href=\"https:\/\/policies.google.com\/privacy\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Privacy Policy<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/policies.google.com\/terms\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Terms of Service<\/a> apply.<\/p><\/div><\/form><script>document.getElementById('nl-nov-st1').value=Date.now();document.getElementById('nl-nov-r1').value='';function on_submit_nlf_1(token) {document.getElementById('nl-nov-et1').value = Date.now();document.getElementById('nlf-1').submit();}<\/script><\/div><\/div><\/div><!-- Promo shortcode end -->\n\n\n\n<p>There is science to support this conventional wisdom. All whiskeys are bottled at no lower than 80 proof, or 40 percent alcohol by volume, which prevents bacteria and other microbes from colonizing your bourbon. Bourbon also ceases to mature once it\u2019s emptied out of a barrel, and most bottles are purged of air before they\u2019re 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Once the seal is cracked, astute drinkers might notice some subtle changes.<strong> <\/strong>One difference that might be detected is in the first pour from a bottle, commonly referred to as the neck pour. \u201cPeople will tell you not to judge a bottle by the neck pour\u2014it can be the best flavor, the least amount of flavor, or just weird flavors coming out,\u201d says Tony Aiken, sensory and education administrator with the Kentucky-based Brewing and Distilling Analytical Services (BDAS), a leader in quality control testing and research. Many people assume the difference has to do with exposure to oxygen, but Aiken points to another important variable\u2014volatilization. This process refers to the delicate, volatile liquid compounds that are expelled from the spirit and trapped in the headspace as a vapor. It\u2019s the same as swirling a snifter of bourbon and inhaling the aroma cloud it releases. These subtle top notes are also the first to go as more bourbon is poured from the bottle, the liquid is sloshed around, and the fill level decreases.<\/p><div id=\"div-gpt-ad-4721120\" class=\"ad-container in-line-ad mobile inContent\" data-ad-size-mapping=\"inContent\" data-ad-path=\"\/68000349\/in-between-modules\" data-ad-sizes=\"[ [336, 280], [300, 250], [300, 50] ]\" data-ad-channel=\"\" data-ad-type=\"In-between Modules\" data-page-terms=\"flagged\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThey\u2019re small molecules, which is why they volatize so easily,\u201d Aiken says. \u201cI suspect they\u2019re also the most vulnerable and susceptible to abuse from ultraviolet light, oxidation, and certainly volatilization.\u201d<\/p><div id=\"div-gpt-ad-1376286\" class=\"ad-container in-line-ad tablet inContent\" data-ad-size-mapping=\"inContent\" data-ad-path=\"\/68000349\/in-between-modules\" data-ad-sizes=\"[ [336, 280], [300, 250], [300, 50] ]\" data-ad-channel=\"\" data-ad-type=\"In-between Modules\" data-page-terms=\"flagged\"><\/div>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-8382903\" class=\"ad-container in-line-ad desktop inContent\" data-ad-size-mapping=\"inContent\" data-ad-path=\"\/68000349\/in-between-modules\" data-ad-sizes=\"[ [336, 280], [300, 250], [300, 50] ]\" data-ad-channel=\"\" data-ad-type=\"In-between Modules\" data-page-terms=\"flagged\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1100\" height=\"825\" src=\"https:\/\/gardenandgun.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/IMG_0026-1100x825.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-180057\" srcset=\"https:\/\/gardenandgun.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/IMG_0026-1100x825.jpg 1100w, https:\/\/gardenandgun.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/IMG_0026-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/gardenandgun.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/IMG_0026-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/gardenandgun.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/IMG_0026-278x209.jpg 278w, https:\/\/gardenandgun.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/IMG_0026-570x428.jpg 570w, https:\/\/gardenandgun.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/IMG_0026-1600x1200.jpg 1600w, https:\/\/gardenandgun.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/IMG_0026-150x113.jpg 150w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1100px) 100vw, 1100px\" \/><div class=\"wp-caption\"><div class=\"image-credit\">Photo: tom wilmes<\/div><\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Flavor changes from exposure to oxygen require more time and more exposed surface area, both of which increase as a bottle slowly empties. It\u2019s hard to say when it becomes noticeable, though I\u2019ve found that I can sometimes detect a faint musty note in less-than-a-third-full bottles that have been sitting for about a year. The aroma and flavor seem more muted than what I remember from those first sips. Heat and temperature fluctuations also accelerate these changes, and especially exposure to sunlight or even fluorescent lighting. \u201cUltraviolet light clobbers everything,\u201d Aiken says.<\/p><div id=\"div-gpt-ad-2023116\" class=\"ad-container in-line-ad mobile inContent\" data-ad-size-mapping=\"inContent\" data-ad-path=\"\/68000349\/in-between-modules\" data-ad-sizes=\"[ [336, 280], [300, 250], [300, 50] ]\" data-ad-channel=\"\" data-ad-type=\"In-between Modules\" data-page-terms=\"flagged\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n\n<p>Aiken has investigated the impact of all these variables and more through studies primarily involving gin, which shares many chemical compounds with bourbon, but not all. \u201cI abused the crap out of those samples; I really did bad things to them,\u201d Aiken says of his trials. \u201cThe thinking was: If you can\u2019t pick up changes with this much abuse, you\u2019re not going to be able to pick up anything from slight levels of everyday use.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In Aiken\u2019s experiments, gas chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis confirmed a significant loss of intensity in some chemical compounds while others became more dominant. Human sensory ability is equally if not more sophisticated, and we\u2019re better at picking up that \u201csomething\u201d is different even if we can\u2019t pinpoint specifics. But we also become accustomed to those changes very quickly. Professional sensory analysts often dilute bourbon samples down to 20 percent alcohol by volume to help them better detect these subtle differences, something no experienced whiskey drinker would dare do with a fine bottle of bourbon. \u201cThere are so many complex things going on in a glass of whiskey or even in a cup of coffee,\u201d says BDAS founder Gary Spedding. Especially if you\u2019re not tasting side-by-side with a fresh sample, \u201ccan you really detect a slight difference?\u201d<\/p><div id=\"div-gpt-ad-5146860\" class=\"ad-container in-line-ad mobile inContent\" data-ad-size-mapping=\"inContent\" data-ad-path=\"\/68000349\/in-between-modules\" data-ad-sizes=\"[ [336, 280], [300, 250], [300, 50] ]\" data-ad-channel=\"\" data-ad-type=\"In-between Modules\" data-page-terms=\"flagged\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n\n<p>If you\u2019re concerned about the diminishing quality of your open bourbons, Aiken suggests using up the nearly empty bottles in mixed drinks and opening a new one for neat pours. But if it\u2019s a bourbon you particularly enjoy straight, drink up! As Johnson likes to remind people,<strong> <\/strong>\u201cA good bottle of spirit is meant to be shared with friends and loved ones. Those bottles were created to provide you the opportunity to make a memory. They may not remember what you poured, but they will always remember that you shared it with them.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p><div id=\"div-gpt-ad-2611301\" class=\"ad-container in-line-ad mobile inContent\" data-ad-size-mapping=\"inContent\" data-ad-path=\"\/68000349\/in-between-modules\" data-ad-sizes=\"[ [336, 280], [300, 250], [300, 50] ]\" data-ad-channel=\"\" data-ad-type=\"In-between Modules\" data-page-terms=\"flagged\"><\/div>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-8292152\" class=\"ad-container in-line-ad tablet inContent\" data-ad-size-mapping=\"inContent\" data-ad-path=\"\/68000349\/in-between-modules\" data-ad-sizes=\"[ [336, 280], [300, 250], [300, 50] ]\" data-ad-channel=\"\" data-ad-type=\"In-between Modules\" data-page-terms=\"flagged\"><\/div>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-6885723\" class=\"ad-container in-line-ad desktop inContent\" data-ad-size-mapping=\"inContent\" data-ad-path=\"\/68000349\/in-between-modules\" data-ad-sizes=\"[ [336, 280], [300, 250], [300, 50] ]\" data-ad-channel=\"\" data-ad-type=\"In-between Modules\" data-page-terms=\"flagged\"><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A few thoughts\u2014and some science\u2014on the proper care and handling of good bourbon<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":93,"featured_media":180050,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"apple_news_api_created_at":"2023-09-27T20:54:52Z","apple_news_api_id":"39e02bfa-1d90-4ddc-ba2f-829ef0bd0d42","apple_news_api_modified_at":"2023-09-27T20:54:52Z","apple_news_api_revision":"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA==","apple_news_api_share_url":"https:\/\/apple.news\/AOeAr-h2QTdy6L4Ke8L0NQg","apple_news_cover_media_provider":"image","apple_news_coverimage":0,"apple_news_coverimage_caption":"","apple_news_cover_video_id":0,"apple_news_cover_video_url":"","apple_news_cover_embedwebvideo_url":"","apple_news_is_hidden":"","apple_news_is_paid":"","apple_news_is_preview":"","apple_news_is_sponsored":"","apple_news_maturity_rating":"","apple_news_metadata":"\"\"","apple_news_pullquote":"","apple_news_pullquote_position":"","apple_news_slug":"","apple_news_sections":[],"apple_news_suppress_video_url":false,"apple_news_use_image_component":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1780],"tags":[51,48,29711,30280],"authors":[17974],"issue":[],"recipe-type":[],"class_list":["post-180049","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-food-and-drink","tag-bourbon","tag-drinks","tag-food-drink","tag-whats-new","authors-tom-wilmes"],"acf":[],"apple_news_notices":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v26.3 (Yoast SEO v26.3) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Will an Open Bottle of Fine Bourbon Ever Go Bad? &#8211; Garden &amp; Gun<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"A few thoughts\u2014and some science\u2014on the proper care and handling of good bourbon\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/gardenandgun.com\/articles\/will-an-open-bottle-of-fine-bourbon-ever-go-bad\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Will an Open Bottle of Fine Bourbon Ever Go Bad?\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"A few thoughts\u2014and some science\u2014on the proper care and handling of good bourbon\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/gardenandgun.com\/articles\/will-an-open-bottle-of-fine-bourbon-ever-go-bad\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Garden &amp; Gun\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/gardenandgun\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2023-09-27T20:54:47+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2025-10-13T15:26:35+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/gardenandgun.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/IMG_0007-900x1200.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"900\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"1200\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Gabriela Gomez-Misserian\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@gardenandgun\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@gardenandgun\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/gardenandgun.com\/articles\/will-an-open-bottle-of-fine-bourbon-ever-go-bad\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/gardenandgun.com\/articles\/will-an-open-bottle-of-fine-bourbon-ever-go-bad\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Gabriela Gomez-Misserian\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/gardenandgun.com\/#\/schema\/person\/e6cca540eec31439cf98cf9427370a13\"},\"headline\":\"Will an Open Bottle of Fine Bourbon Ever Go Bad?\",\"datePublished\":\"2023-09-27T20:54:47+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-10-13T15:26:35+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/gardenandgun.com\/articles\/will-an-open-bottle-of-fine-bourbon-ever-go-bad\/\"},\"wordCount\":853,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/gardenandgun.com\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/gardenandgun.com\/articles\/will-an-open-bottle-of-fine-bourbon-ever-go-bad\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/gardenandgun.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/IMG_0007.jpg\",\"keywords\":[\"Bourbon\",\"Drinks\",\"Food &amp; 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