# Is Old Liquor Any Good **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [April 15, 2003, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-old-liquor-any-good/168933 "2003-04-15T20:06:57Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Blown\_Injected](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a87d85/32.png) [@Blown\_Injected](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blown_Injected)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2003, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-old-liquor-any-good/168933/1 "2003-04-15T20:06:57Z")
Just found about 100 miniatures of whiskey and a case of pints. This stuff is at least 30 years old and has been stored in a closet in an old house. Is this stuff still good? If it is bad, is it dangerous? TIA ---
**Author:** ![j.c](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/73ab20/32.png) [@j.c](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/j.c)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2003, 8:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-old-liquor-any-good/168933/2 "2003-04-15T20:10:32Z")
I would say the case of pints could be very good. In fact, you might consider eBay. The best scotch I ever had was more than 100 years old. I still dream about it, sometimes. ---
**Author:** ![Rick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/9f8e36/32.png) [@Rick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2003, 9:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-old-liquor-any-good/168933/3 "2003-04-15T21:13:52Z")
Don’t believe him, this stuff is deadly. It must be disposed of properly. I am trained in this. I will be happy to properly dispose of this horrible stuff for you. Do not try this at home. I am a trained professional. ---
**Author:** ![UrbanChic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/9dc877/32.png) [@UrbanChic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UrbanChic)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2003, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-old-liquor-any-good/168933/4 "2003-04-15T21:21:16Z")
It is my understanding that once scotch is out of the barrel, the taste is pretty much set. In other words, any aging that takes place out side of the barrel aging is inconsequential. Is this true? ---
**Author:** ![AskNott](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asknott/32/5790_2.png) [@AskNott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AskNott)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2003, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-old-liquor-any-good/168933/5 "2003-04-15T21:38:23Z")
**Blown&Ingected,** It’s just fine. The exceptions would be very sweet liquers, which may crystallize, and wine-based booze, such as vermouth, which may taste, um, worse than vermouth. **Juanita Tech,** you’re right. Once whiskey (or whisky) leaves the barrel, that’s how it’s gonna taste forever. These 30-year old bottles of liquor will taste just like new bottles of the same stuff. ---
**Author:** ![Spiritus\_Mundi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c68b51/32.png) [@Spiritus\_Mundi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spiritus_Mundi)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2003, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-old-liquor-any-good/168933/6 "2003-04-15T21:48:20Z")
Well, **askNott** beat me to it, but he got it dead on. Whiskey doesn’t age once it is out of the cask. The bottles are “good as new”, but no better. ---
**Author:** ![Blown\_Injected](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a87d85/32.png) [@Blown\_Injected](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blown_Injected)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2003, 10:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-old-liquor-any-good/168933/7 "2003-04-15T22:30:32Z")
Thanks Dopers. I thought I have heard something about booze not aging after it is bottled. I have also seen so many things get funky after a long period of storage; not whiskey, but dozens of other products. I cracked a few bottles and it smelled fine and tasted OK except it seemed maybe not quite as sharp in flavor or kick - perhaps more testing is in order 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![AskNott](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asknott/32/5790_2.png) [@AskNott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AskNott)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2003, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-old-liquor-any-good/168933/8 "2003-04-16T23:16:56Z")
Here’s more about the barrels, if you’re curious. Most distilleries buy used barrels from winemakers. Generally, they’re oak, and charred a bit on the inside. So, the whiskey sits in there for years. The charred oak absorbs some harsh notes from the booze, and the whiskey begins to pick up some hints of oak and wine. The color gets lighter. Some scholars say after seven or eight years, the whiskey starts to taste more like the barrel and less like the whiskey. I won’t bore us all by going on and on about how heavenly a fine aged whiskey tastes. I’ll leave you to your own testing.