How long does Scotch keep after opening?

[cdn_dram]

I try not to have too many open bottles at once in fear that the whisky will diminish in quality if left to open air in the bottle too long. I have an Ardbeg 10 that's been open almost 1.5yrs (good portion of that has been half full bottle) and it pales in comparison in nose and also seems a bit acidic.

Provided decent conditions (little exposure to light, room temperature, over 1/4 bottle remaining) how long do you find yours last/retains typical profile after opening?

[Acksboy]

Much of it is down to the fill level of the bottle. Once I get down to the last quarter I find that it diminishes quickly. Interestingly I've got a bottle of Lagavulin that's almost full and has kept much of its flavour profile and its been open for nearly 2 years!

If you can keep the bottle away from sunlight and at a cool temeperature then you might also find this helps.

[sorren]

Each bottle is different but my rule is once it gets to 2/3 empty I decant into smaller bottles.. if it's an expensive bottle I might do it sooner but I also very rarely have bottles open longer than 6-8 months.. I try not to open too many but I also send out a lot of samples to friends so a bottle does not last too long in general.. my advice is drink it up and buy another 👍

[thelastdram]

Might be a daft question but would a whisky novice notice the difference if they left the bottle open for a long period of time or would you have to be more atuned to whisky to see this difference

[sorren]

There is no reason a " novice" wouldn't notice the difference if the bottle had tainted.. if your taking small sips regular you might not notice as easily.. what you could do is when first opening take a small sample then try alongside the bottle after several months and see the difference side by side.. if you drink a fair bit quickly then leave for a few months you might just think this is not as I remember.. other bottles you might not notice the change as much

[gfspencer]

I agree with what everyone has said so far. I might add that if you keep your Scotch in a room that doesn't get a lot of sunlight and has a decent relative humidity then it might last longer.

[opelfruit]

I solve this problem by drinking all my whisky
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"Too much of anything is bad, but too much good whisky is barely enough."

[cdn_dram]

Since my experience with the Ardbeg 10 and HP18 leaving them open too long I'll be mindful not to do this again. Was particularly upset with the HP18 as I was "saving" it for a special occasion to finish off.

Oddly the Glenfiddich 12 I had open for a long time in a larger bottle seemed to keep better.

I wonder if peat levels have something to do with faster or more noticeable degradation?