# Emergency Bourbon Question **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [November 23, 2006, 5:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/emergency-bourbon-question/381526 "2006-11-23T05:04:44Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Clark\_K](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c77e96/32.png) [@Clark\_K](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Clark_K)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2006, 5:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/emergency-bourbon-question/381526/1 "2006-11-23T05:04:44Z")
I was just going through some long-ignored boxes from my move to a new house two years ago. Inside one was an open bottle of Elijah Craig. This is my favorite bourbon, and I’m kicking myself for forgetting it was there. It’s been sitting in my garage for two years, experiencing extremes of hot and cold weather. It had the cork in it but, as I side, had been opened. Is it safe to drink? More importantly, would the flavor be anything I would _want_ to drink? Help! ---
**Author:** ![Tartuffe52](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/9fc29f/32.png) [@Tartuffe52](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tartuffe52)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2006, 5:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/emergency-bourbon-question/381526/2 "2006-11-23T05:35:02Z")
My guess? It’s drinkable, but probably not as flavorful as it once was. My story has a bottle of Black Velvet that had been opened, but sat in my cupboard for about 5 years. It was drinkable, but tasted kinda dusty. After 3 or 4 drinks, it could of tasted like anti-freeze for all I cared LOL. ---
**Author:** ![commasense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/commasense/32/3017_2.png) [@commasense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/commasense)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2006, 5:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/emergency-bourbon-question/381526/3 "2006-11-23T05:46:35Z")
IANABE (Bourbon expert), but as long as the cork wasn’t dried out, it should be fine. Alcohol is a preservative and AFAIK, alcoholic beverages stored in sealed containers (even if previously opened) don’t go bad. You’ve just aged it. Anyway, a little sip won’t kill you and should be enough to tell you if it tastes the way it should. Even if it doesn’t have the usual Bourbony goodness of “fresh” Elijah Craig, it’s probably drinkable. (And as **Tartuffe52** says, after a few shots, you won’t mind any more!) But if the cork was dry and crumbly, all bets are off. Take a sip, but it may not be worth saving, since external contaminants have probably gotten in. BTW, wash the bottle off thoroughly before pulling the cork, to keep dust and crap from getting into your Bourbon. ---
**Author:** ![picunurse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7bcc69/32.png) [@picunurse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/picunurse)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2006, 9:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/emergency-bourbon-question/381526/4 "2006-11-23T09:45:15Z")
I don’t know about bourbon, but [Coors beer](http://www.wlbz2.com/news/watercooler/article.aspx?storyid=45924) isn’t so good after 50 years in the desert. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Tuckerfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@Tuckerfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tuckerfan)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2006, 10:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/emergency-bourbon-question/381526/5 "2006-11-23T10:35:30Z")
[QUOTE=picunurse] I don’t know about bourbon, but [Coors beer](http://www.wlbz2.com/news/watercooler/article.aspx?storyid=45924) isn’t so good after 50 years in the desert. 😃 [/QUOTE] > [@Your link](#): > > When Barnes finally opened one of the cans, he discovered the beer was the color of cough syrup and smelled like a combination of fermented wine and dirt. And this is different from regular Coors, how? 😉 ---
**Author:** ![FRDE](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e68b1a/32.png) [@FRDE](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FRDE)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2006, 3:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/emergency-bourbon-question/381526/6 "2006-11-23T15:44:14Z")
[QUOTE=Clark K] I was just going through some long-ignored boxes from my move to a new house two years ago. Inside one was an open bottle of Elijah Craig. This is my favorite bourbon, and I’m kicking myself for forgetting it was there. It’s been sitting in my garage for two years, experiencing extremes of hot and cold weather. It had the cork in it but, as I side, had been opened. Is it safe to drink? More importantly, would the flavor be anything I would _want_ to drink? Help! [/QUOTE] It is lethal to drink Email it to me immediately - it needs to be disposed of safely ---
**Author:** ![Uvula\_Donor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/e19adc/32.png) [@Uvula\_Donor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Uvula_Donor)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2006, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/emergency-bourbon-question/381526/7 "2006-11-23T15:45:55Z")
[QUOTE=Tuckerfan] And this is different from regular Coors, how? 😉 [/QUOTE] Regular Coors is the color of water and has no flavor or odor. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2006, 4:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/emergency-bourbon-question/381526/8 "2006-11-23T16:15:30Z")
But why is the rum gone? It just is. Well… Then break out the emergency bourbon! ---
**Author:** ![susan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/susan/32/17537_2.png) [@susan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/susan)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2006, 4:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/emergency-bourbon-question/381526/9 "2006-11-23T16:20:43Z")
My parents drank very little while I was growing up. There were open bottles that sat for years (albeit in a cabinet, not the garage). When I left for college, there was about a finger of gin that had been sitting in a bottle since my preadolescence. My first act upon returning from college for Thanksgiving lo these many years ago was to drink the gin, which was fine. ---
**Author:** ![GingerOfTheNorth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/cdc98d/32.png) [@GingerOfTheNorth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GingerOfTheNorth)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2006, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/emergency-bourbon-question/381526/10 "2006-11-23T16:30:45Z")
[QUOTE=FRDE] It is lethal to drink Email it to me immediately - it needs to be disposed of safely [/QUOTE] How very selfless of you. You’re a real hero. ---
**Author:** ![Clark\_K](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c77e96/32.png) [@Clark\_K](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Clark_K)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2006, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/emergency-bourbon-question/381526/11 "2006-11-23T16:41:41Z")
[QUOTE=FRDE] It is lethal to drink Email it to me immediately - it needs to be disposed of safely [/QUOTE] I couldn’t ask that of you. I’ll have to jump on this grenade myself. All I ask is that you come up with a suitable posthumous award – maybe the Order of the Empty Cask or the Distinguished Drinking Cross. ---
**Author:** ![Santo\_Rugger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e95f7d/32.png) [@Santo\_Rugger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Santo_Rugger)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2006, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/emergency-bourbon-question/381526/12 "2006-11-23T16:51:33Z")
[QUOTE=commasense] IANABE (Bourbon expert), but as long as the cork wasn’t dried out, it should be fine. Alcohol is a preservative and AFAIK, alcoholic beverages stored in sealed containers (even if previously opened) don’t go bad. You’ve just aged it. [/QUOTE] IANAWS (Wine Snob), but I was under the impression that red wine will oxidize and turn to vinegar if you open the container and reseal it without creating a vaccum. ---
**Author:** ![Hunter\_Hawk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/50afbb/32.png) [@Hunter\_Hawk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hunter_Hawk)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2006, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/emergency-bourbon-question/381526/13 "2006-11-23T20:09:42Z")
[QUOTE=Pygmy Rugger] IANAWS (Wine Snob), but I was under the impression that red wine will oxidize and turn to vinegar if you open the container and reseal it without creating a vaccum. [/QUOTE] Bourbon has waaaay more alcohol than wine. ---
**Author:** ![Common\_Tater](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/common_tater/32/13846_2.png) [@Common\_Tater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Common_Tater)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2006, 10:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/emergency-bourbon-question/381526/14 "2006-11-23T22:26:45Z")
It will certainly be safe to drink, and it might take on a bit of a musty or stale taste, but it should be OK. In the interests of fighting ignorance, why don’t you try some, and let us know… ---
**Author:** ![FordPrefect](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e99b99/32.png) [@FordPrefect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FordPrefect)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2006, 12:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/emergency-bourbon-question/381526/15 "2006-11-24T00:44:52Z")
[QUOTE=FRDE] It is lethal to drink Email it to me immediately - it needs to be disposed of safely [/QUOTE] You must be a woodworker. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2006, 2:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/emergency-bourbon-question/381526/16 "2006-11-24T02:03:22Z")
[QUOTE=commasense] IANABE (Bourbon expert), but as long as the cork wasn’t dried out, it should be fine. Alcohol is a preservative and AFAIK, alcoholic beverages stored in sealed containers (even if previously opened) don’t go bad. You’ve just aged it. [/QUOTE] Well not really. As far as I’ve always understood and how it’s been explained to me, whiskey does not age, per se, in the bottle. It needs to be in the barrel to develop flavor (what is commonly meant by aging in this context). A 12-year-old whiskey bought in 1997 is still a 12-year-old whiskey in 2006. ---
**Author:** ![commasense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/commasense/32/3017_2.png) [@commasense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/commasense)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2006, 3:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/emergency-bourbon-question/381526/17 "2006-11-24T03:00:26Z")
> [@Pygmy Rugger](#): > > [Quote=commasense] > IANABE (Bourbon expert), but as long as the cork wasn’t dried out, it should be fine. Alcohol is a preservative and AFAIK, alcoholic beverages stored in sealed containers (even if previously opened) don’t go bad. You’ve just aged it. IANAWS (Wine Snob), but I was under the impression that red wine will oxidize and turn to vinegar if you open the container and reseal it without creating a vacuum. [/quote] Sorry, I was imprecise. I meant spirits, not all alcoholic beverages. What I said is definitely not true of beer or wine. > [@pulykamell](#): > > Well not really. As far as I’ve always understood and how it’s been explained to me, whiskey does not age, per se, in the bottle. It needs to be in the barrel to develop flavor (what is commonly meant by aging in this context). A 12-year-old whiskey bought in 1997 is still a 12-year-old whiskey in 2006. I think you’re right. That occurred to me after I posted. Sorry for the misinformation. But I did say IANABE! ---
**Author:** ![Princhester](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3e96dc/32.png) [@Princhester](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Princhester)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2006, 3:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/emergency-bourbon-question/381526/18 "2006-11-24T03:22:21Z")
Two frickin’ years? Bah. I have a whole drinks cupboard containing my single malt collection that I bought (mostly) between 1994 and 1996. They taste as good now as ever. ---
**Author:** ![Clark\_K](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c77e96/32.png) [@Clark\_K](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Clark_K)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2006, 3:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/emergency-bourbon-question/381526/19 "2006-11-24T03:30:48Z")
Hmmm. A little dusty, a little musty. If this is what poison tastes like, I’ll die a happ ---
**Author:** ![Hypno-Toad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b2d939/32.png) [@Hypno-Toad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hypno-Toad)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2006, 4:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/emergency-bourbon-question/381526/20 "2006-11-24T04:37:48Z")
I think my folks have you all beat. Nobody in my immediate family drinks much if at all. To see hard liquor in the house means it’s the holidays and it’s the same bottle that we’ve had out the past three times. Now comes the fun part. During the last 20 years of my dad’s employment, every christmas he’d receive a gift from an anonymous client in the form of a case of hard liquor. Twelve bottles, three bottles each of four types. And it was name brand stuff: Jack Daniels, Seagrams VO, J&B, Beefeater, etc. The exact mix of brands varied by year but always arrived as a complete case. So we had these cases of booze piling up in the crawl space for 20 years. Every few years, we’d break out a bottle or two for the next few holiday seasons, but the rest has sat around and aged all that time. My dad has been retired for 10 years. And no bottle has ever yielded a bad result, apparently. About the time dad retired, mom realized that the booze was perfect for an impromptu holiday gift. So we’ve been able to burn through a good amount of booze in the past few years. But there’s probably something like six untouched cases still left. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/emergency-bourbon-question/381526.md?page=2)