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Bourbon - How long does it last?

post #1 of 14
12/18/10 at 5:15pm
Thread Starter 
While we were cleaning out my aunt's apt, we came across a huge bottle of Old Grandad Bourbon Whiskey, a little more than half full. I have no idea how old it is, but when I took a sniff, it smelled pretty darned good! I brought it home and may try to use it in cooking.....I love bourbon when I'm making my Louisville Wings. And I also make my own vanilla from bourbon. I don't think I'll use this to make vanilla, but I just might try it in my wing sauce for New Year's Eve. It's only 86 proof.

How long does bourbon last? Would it be any good? It smells good.
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post #2 of 14
12/18/10 at 5:36pm
Alcohol never goes bad. It is a natural antiseptic, so it kills the invading bacteria. In fact, collecting (and consuming) vintage wine and spirits is a popular hobby amongst rich people.
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post #3 of 14
12/18/10 at 6:02pm
Thread Starter 
I know that some wines may start to turn to a vinegary taste, but wasn't sure about how any oxidation would affect the taste of the bourbon. Thanks!

I'm thinking that maybe I could congratulate myself on my good fortune!
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post #4 of 14
12/18/10 at 7:51pm
Spirits don't tend to go off u could give it a quick taste just to check
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post #5 of 14
12/18/10 at 9:53pm
I don't think it goes bad but I did have some spiced rum and went to drink it after it had been in my closet for over a year unopened and immediately made me sick and I poured the rest out.
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post #6 of 14
12/18/10 at 11:23pm
Distilled spirits do not age in the bottle. This means that your 20 year old, unopened bottle of 18 year Scotch will taste the same as it would have the first day it was bottled.

However, like beer certain liquors can "go bad" and after months or years almost any spirit in an opened bottle may loose some character/flavour.

Whiskey, Brandy, Gin, Rum, Tequila ,Vodka, Schnapps are considered distilled spirits. These particular ones are the base liquors to which things can be added to make new variations such as a spiced rum for example.

The base liquors are typically the most stable distilled spirits and can be stored for a long time. Unopened, these bottles have an indefinite shelf life but once opened they may begin to lose certain flavor qualities over the years.

The shelf lives of liqueurs are more temperamental than the base spirits because they contain sugar and other ingredients which can spoil. Most opened (and well sealed) liqueurs should last for months and even years depending on their alcohol content and preservatives. However, opened bottles are likely to lose some of their characteristics due to exposure to air.

So it's hard to say whether the bottles you have are good or not. It really depends on how they were stored: Light & temperature.

Taste it to see.
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post #7 of 14
12/18/10 at 11:37pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Tavia'smom View Post
I don't think it goes bad but I did have some spiced rum and went to drink it after it had been in my closet for over a year unopened and immediately made me sick and I poured the rest out.
That's because of the sugar content in spiced rum. High sugar liquor will go bad, even if not opened.
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post #8 of 14
12/19/10 at 12:29am
Unopened bottles of liquor are good for years (even decades, as proven by a bottle of Scotch I gave my Dad that was opened over 20 years later). I'm not sure about opened bottles, but have had some that were still good after 4 or 5 years. I'd imagine the proof plays a role.
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post #9 of 14
12/19/10 at 7:54am
The only way to find out for sure is to drink it. I would offer to taste test it for you but Bourbon is one liquor I just can't handle.

My parents were never drinkers (except my dad liked a beer or two at night) but they always had a fully stocked bar they used once a year for their annual Christmas party. They had one huge bottle of tequila that I know they used for at least 15 years, and it was fine. I guess tequila was not a popular drink with the older crowd.
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post #10 of 14
12/20/10 at 12:06am
I thought this was a trick question. Bourbon would last forever in our house, but I know a lot of places where it wouldn't last the night, lol!
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post #11 of 14
12/20/10 at 12:29am
The best liquor I've ever had was a 50 year old Grand Marnier... yum! It was like velvet... felt like a warm hug!
I do think it depends how it is stored though... You will only found out if you try it!
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post #12 of 14
12/20/10 at 4:46am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Carolina View Post
The best liquor I've ever had was a 50 year old Grand Marnier... yum! It was like velvet... felt like a warm hug!
Unfortunately you would have gotten that same experience with a new bottle of GM as well. Once GM is sealed in the bottle the aging process stops so it should not get any better with age but it will not get any worse as long as the bottle stays sealed. So a day old bottle vs a 50 year old bottle vs a 100 year old bottle makes no difference so far as taste is concerned. The reason for this is because its base is a distilled spirit. See my earlier post above about distilled spirits.

Now on the other hand, the bottle itself would increase in value because there are those who collect old, unopened, bottles of liquor, mainly for the status of being able to say "look what I have", but the taste quality will not be any different than when it was initially bottled.

You can find out more at the GM website.

http://grandmarnierliqueur.yuku.com/topic/389
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post #13 of 14
12/20/10 at 5:00am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Carolina View Post
The best liquor I've ever had was a 50 year old Grand Marnier... yum! It was like velvet... felt like a warm hug!
I love Grand Marnier...the last time we were in Canada, we brought some home from Customs. That, a bottle of Sheridan, and a couple bottles of ice wine. I use Grand Marnier when making some of my cookies.

We found the bottle of Old Grandad in the cabinet under the sink, a little more than half full. The bottle seems a little unusual in that it has a pouring spout in the bottle and it also has a handle. The more modern bottles that I've seen don't have that. Plus it seems like it's way more than a fifth, although there's probably as much as a fifth left in the bottle itself. It has a Maryland excise tax label on it.....now I know my aunt hasn't been to Maryland in years, but somebody could have purchased it for her.

That being said, I did try a swig (well, maybe more than a swig I do like bourbon) last night. Good stuff! It's not as fiery(?) would that be a good word for it, more of a mellow taste, but still very warm going down. I'm going to use it....I think it'd be a shame not to really.

So.....I'm going to consider it as my good fortune!

(calico2222, I'd take that bottle of tequila off your parents any time....just trying to be helpful.)
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post #14 of 14
12/20/10 at 8:16am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Natalie_ca View Post
Unfortunately you would have gotten that same experience with a new bottle of GM as well. Once GM is sealed in the bottle the aging process stops so it should not get any better with age but it will not get any worse as long as the bottle stays sealed. So a day old bottle vs a 50 year old bottle vs a 100 year old bottle makes no difference so far as taste is concerned. The reason for this is because its base is a distilled spirit. See my earlier post above about distilled spirits.

Now on the other hand, the bottle itself would increase in value because there are those who collect old, unopened, bottles of liquor, mainly for the status of being able to say "look what I have", but the taste quality will not be any different than when it was initially bottled.

You can find out more at the GM website.

http://grandmarnierliqueur.yuku.com/topic/389
Sorry Natalie, but if you had drank, it would thought it differently... The Grand Marnier 150 is made of 50yr aged High Grade Cognac, and it is absolute velvet.... at over $200 a bottle, and when served in a bar about $50 a glass, nothing tops it... It is fantastic. Get a glass of the regular one and a glass of the 150, and you will KNOW the difference at the first sip....
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