How To Store Scotch Whisky

Scotch whisky is the whisky that is made in Scotland. It falls in the special genre of whisky and is divided into four specific categories - single malt, vatted malt, blended and single grain. While having whisky is a leisure that most of us all indulge in, preserving it is also an essential part. Right storage would mean that in a few months or years, you would have a vintage drink right at the comforts of your home. However, you must remember that there are certain precautions, which need to be taken, while storing Scotch whisky. In the following lines, we have provided tips on how to store Scotch whisky appropriately.

 

Do not expose the bottle directly to heat. Temperatures higher than 70 deg F are not suitable to store a bottle of Scotch. Major temperature fluctuations are also unfavorable conditions for its storage. A place which has a cool temperature is the ideal place to store the bottle. For e.g. basement has a cool temperature throughout the year. In case, your house does not have a basement, consider a place that is cool throughout the year.

Similar to beer, Scotch whisky is mostly stored in opaque bottles, in order to prevent the light from entering. In case, you have look-through or clear bottles of the whisky, do not fret. Just remember to store the bottles in their boxes and keeping them in last row of the cabinet, where little or no light is able to permeate. The darker it is, the better it would be for storing. This would help in ensuring longevity of Scotch whisky.

 

Take caution to store the bottles of Scotch whisky in their box. Light causes a descent in the quality of the whisky. Keep the bottle away from artificial lights as well, such as bulbs, tubes, etc. If you are storing the bottles in the bar, take notice that the bottles are not exposed to light that opens up automatically when the bar door opens. 

This is where lies a difference between storing wine or beer and storing Scotch whisky. Much unlike wine, whisky is powerful to degrade the cork within a span of time. The best bet would be to store your bottles right-side up. In case you live in a place that it extremely dry, using a humidifier would be of help. This would help regulate the humidity to moderate levels, keeping the cork in good condition. Remember, dry cork would wither away and lose its tight seal in no time. And if this happens, air would pass through the bottle, ruining the whisky completely. 

 

The posture of the bottle is also an important consideration to make, while storing Scotch whisky. Make sure that the bottle is kept straight and is not lying tilted. Remember, when the liquor comes in contact with either the metal or the cork, it leads to a decline in the quality of the drink. You sure do not want a degraded quality for your vintage Scotch whiskey.

 

Once you have poured the drink in your glass, make sure you cork the bottle immediately. Air acts as an oxidizing agent and if the bottle is kept open for a long time, it may result in the deterioration of the quality and taste of the Scotch whisky. Similar to wine, decanting rapidly exposes the liquid to oxygen, which while having a nice immediate effect, will dull the whisky over time.

 

Imagine storing your Scotch whisky just to have a vintage drink for Christmas and then spilling it over or worse, breaking the bottle in the last minute! Be careful while storing your whisky, lest you end up breaking the bottle at the time of taking it out. A piece of advice - store your expensive bottle separately. This would avoid cluster and you would drink your open bottles quicker, rather than opening the new, expensive bottle.