# How can I tell how old a bottle of whiskey is? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** liquor-alcohol\ **Created:** [May 10, 2010, 11:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-tell-how-old-a-bottle-of-whiskey-is/538977 "2010-05-10T23:13:45Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Edward\_The\_Head](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ce73a5/32.png) [@Edward\_The\_Head](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Edward_The_Head)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2010, 11:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-tell-how-old-a-bottle-of-whiskey-is/538977/1 "2010-05-10T23:13:45Z")
I found a bottle of unopened Old Fitzgerald Original Sour Mash in my great aunt’s house. I know nothing of whiskey, but since it was unopened I decided to take it. Since my great uncle, who died in 2000, was the one who drank. So how can I tell if this bottle is any good, and how old it is. There is no alcohol warning on it, and it still has Maryland state liquor tax seal on it, something I don’t think I’ve seen in years. So if it’s any good how should I drink it, I know little about whiskey and how long will it stay good after I’ve opened it. ---
**Author:** ![ShibbOleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/848f3c/32.png) [@ShibbOleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ShibbOleth)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2010, 12:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-tell-how-old-a-bottle-of-whiskey-is/538977/2 "2010-05-11T00:31:16Z")
Not an expert, but I think it will pretty much stay good forever (or as long as a bottle of whiskey can last). Note that it’s not getting any better with age in the bottle, so open it up and raise a toast to Old Grandad. ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2010, 12:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-tell-how-old-a-bottle-of-whiskey-is/538977/3 "2010-05-11T00:33:32Z")
It’s still good, I wouldn’t worry about that. If you really want to know how old it is email the distiller/bottler. I have a very old bottle of Maker’s Mark, I emailed them with some pictures of the label. Once they read the label they gave me a date within about 5 years or so…I wish I had written it down. ---
**Author:** ![ShibbOleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/848f3c/32.png) [@ShibbOleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ShibbOleth)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2010, 12:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-tell-how-old-a-bottle-of-whiskey-is/538977/4 "2010-05-11T00:38:49Z")
There should be a batch code / date code of some sort on the bottle that is required in case there is a need for product recall. If you contact the manufacturer with that then they should be able to tell you exactly how old it is. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2010, 1:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-tell-how-old-a-bottle-of-whiskey-is/538977/5 "2010-05-11T01:21:29Z")
I am known world-wide for my ability to tell how old whiskey is merely by tasting it once or twice. If you ship me the bottle, I will send back a certified(by me) certificate with the age of the whiskey inscribed. ---
**Author:** ![Edward\_The\_Head](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ce73a5/32.png) [@Edward\_The\_Head](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Edward_The_Head)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2010, 1:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-tell-how-old-a-bottle-of-whiskey-is/538977/6 "2010-05-11T01:22:38Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > I am known world-wide for my ability to tell how old whiskey is merely by tasting it once or twice. If you ship me the bottle, I will send back a certified(by me) certificate with the age of the whiskey inscribed. And the bottle of course will stay right? Where would I find a batch number? There was only one number at that was on the MD state sticker. Oh and my uncle was known to keep alcohol for years, he had beer unopened from the 80s so this stuff could be from the 70s or 80s. ---
**Author:** ![In\_Winnipeg](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/a8b319/32.png) [@In\_Winnipeg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/In_Winnipeg)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2010, 1:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-tell-how-old-a-bottle-of-whiskey-is/538977/7 "2010-05-11T01:35:33Z")
Like everyone else said, it would depend on the label itself. It is amazing how often labels change; on the average, every five years or so. If you were in Canada, the label would be right on the seal that goes over the cap, which is a legal requirement here. Any pure alcohol should weather time okay as long as it is kept sealed. After my mother died, I wound up with the contents of the liquor cabinet. There’s nothing wrong with any of the rum or whiskey and we have drunk these with no ill effect; most of these bottles dated from the 80s. There was one bottle of Castelvitro, an Italian sparkling red wine that had never been opened and had been stored standing up. It was dated 1988 and for the hell of it, we decided to try it. It wasn’t so sparkling anymore, but had this interesting smoky flavour to it. When we got to the bottom of the bottle, we noticed there was about a half inch of sediment in it. ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2010, 2:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-tell-how-old-a-bottle-of-whiskey-is/538977/8 "2010-05-11T02:04:43Z")
Do you have a photo of it online? From multiple angles, ideally? ---
**Author:** ![fubbleskag](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/c2a13f/32.png) [@fubbleskag](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fubbleskag)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2010, 2:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-tell-how-old-a-bottle-of-whiskey-is/538977/9 "2010-05-11T02:12:39Z")
> [@Edward\_The\_Head](#): > > How can I tell how old a bottle of whiskey is? Send a photo to **Dio** - he can tell the age of anything just by looking at it. ---
**Author:** ![Dallas\_Jones](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dallas_jones/32/3277_2.png) [@Dallas\_Jones](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dallas_Jones)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2010, 2:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-tell-how-old-a-bottle-of-whiskey-is/538977/10 "2010-05-11T02:56:22Z")
The important thing is to make sure the whiskey doesn’t get any older. Find a few volunteers and see what you can do about that. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2010, 3:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-tell-how-old-a-bottle-of-whiskey-is/538977/11 "2010-05-11T03:30:43Z")
> [@fubbleskag](#): > > Send a photo to **Dio** - he can tell the age of anything just by looking at it. Cute, but please confine your dispute with **Diogenes the Cynic** to the thread where it started, or else take it to the Pit. ---
**Author:** ![FredGarven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/6f9a4e/32.png) [@FredGarven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FredGarven)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2010, 2:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-tell-how-old-a-bottle-of-whiskey-is/538977/12 "2010-05-11T14:19:54Z")
Since your uncle died in 2000 and he was the only one who drank, then I would say that bottle of whiskey is somewhere between 10 and 11 years old. Mystery Solved! ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Righteous](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Dr.Righteous](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Righteous)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2010, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-tell-how-old-a-bottle-of-whiskey-is/538977/13 "2010-05-11T16:26:04Z")
> [@Edward\_The\_Head](#): > > So how can I tell if this bottle is any good, and how old it is. There is no alcohol warning on it, and it still has Maryland state liquor tax seal on it, something I don’t think I’ve seen in years. > > So if it’s any good how should I drink it, I know little about whiskey and how long will it stay good after I’ve opened it. It is definitely ok to drink - distilled spirits do not go bad, even once you open the bottle. All that might start to happen is it will eventually begin to evaporate (even from a sealed bottle - I once found a still sealed bottle of white label Dewars someone brought to a party years before and it was 1/3 gone). The only caveat I’d add here is any spirits that are cream based, like Limoncello Cream or Baileys can indeed spoil - but that’s of course due to the dairy in it, not the liquor. No idea on how to figure out how old it is, but as has already been noted it will not change further (in either a good or bad way) so there’s no benefit in aging it in the bottle (like you might do with a wine). As to how to drink it… I’ll let the whiskey fans instruct you on that. ---
**Author:** ![Oslo\_Ostragoth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/a9a28c/32.png) [@Oslo\_Ostragoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oslo_Ostragoth)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2010, 4:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-tell-how-old-a-bottle-of-whiskey-is/538977/14 "2010-05-13T04:17:18Z")
You should consult a panel of experts. I’m available any time. ---
**Author:** ![Walloon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/fbc32d/32.png) [@Walloon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walloon)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2010, 9:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-tell-how-old-a-bottle-of-whiskey-is/538977/15 "2010-05-13T09:21:13Z")
Isn’t it the fate of all organic compounds to break down to simpler substances over time, due to oxidation? ---
**Author:** ![EvilTOJ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ee59a6/32.png) [@EvilTOJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EvilTOJ)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2010, 9:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-tell-how-old-a-bottle-of-whiskey-is/538977/16 "2010-05-13T09:34:20Z")
Yes, but some oxidize slower than others. A LOT slower. There’s also very little air in the bottle itself, and glass isn’t permeable to oxygen. ---
**Author:** ![Edward\_The\_Head](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ce73a5/32.png) [@Edward\_The\_Head](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Edward_The_Head)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2010, 11:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-tell-how-old-a-bottle-of-whiskey-is/538977/17 "2010-05-13T11:59:25Z")
> [@FredGarven](#): > > Since your uncle died in 2000 and he was the only one who drank, then I would say that bottle of whiskey is somewhere between 10 and 11 years old. > > Mystery Solved! Except there’s no warning label, which from what I can gather started in the late 80s. The bottle is also full so no evaporation yet. I guess I’ll have to break into it this weekend and see how good it still is. ---
**Author:** ![Lemur866](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lemur866/32/434_2.png) [@Lemur866](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lemur866)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2010, 2:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-tell-how-old-a-bottle-of-whiskey-is/538977/18 "2010-05-13T14:07:02Z")
My wife’s parents still have an unopened bottle of whiskey someone gave them as a wedding present over 50 years ago. ---
**Author:** ![drastic\_quench](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e36b37/32.png) [@drastic\_quench](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drastic_quench)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2010, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-tell-how-old-a-bottle-of-whiskey-is/538977/19 "2010-05-13T17:58:30Z")
> [@Joey\_P](#): > > It’s still good, I wouldn’t worry about that. If you really want to know how old it is email the distiller/bottler. I have a very old bottle of Maker’s Mark, I emailed them with some pictures of the label. Once they read the label they gave me a date within about 5 years or so…I wish I had written it down. I can’t believe it took them five years to come up with an answer! ---
**Author:** ![Gagundathar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a183cd/32.png) [@Gagundathar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gagundathar)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2010, 6:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-tell-how-old-a-bottle-of-whiskey-is/538977/20 "2010-05-13T18:23:55Z")
> [@Edward\_The\_Head](#): > > Except there’s no warning label, which from what I can gather started in the late 80s. The bottle is also full so no evaporation yet. I guess I’ll have to break into it this weekend and see how good it still is. November 1989 to be precise. > **[Alcoholic Beverage Labeling Act](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alcoholic_Beverage_Labeling_Act)** > > The Alcoholic Beverage Labeling Act (ABLA) of the Anti-Drug Abuse Act of 1988, Pub. L. 100–690, 102 Stat. 4181, enacted November 18, 1988, H.R. 5210, is a United States federal law requiring that (among other provisions) the labels of alcoholic beverages carry an alcohol warning label. > The warning label reads: > GOVERNMENT WARNING: [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-tell-how-old-a-bottle-of-whiskey-is/538977.md?page=2)