can someone tell me whether whiskey can react to cork and go bad - like red wine? I just opened up a new bottle of Lagavulin this evening which has been stored away for a few years - lying down. The cork was soaked through half way up. It has been a while since I tasted Lagavulin but the taste and color seemed different from what I remembered.
Yes Whisk(e)y can react to cork, in fact due to the higher abv it might dissolve it over time, when the bottle is lying down.
That's why whisky bottles _must_ never be stored lying down. They should be standing up. The vapours will keep the cork a little moist, but won't dissolve it.
And yes the cork might affect the taste, but I'm not sure about the colour. Anyway Lagavuling is allready coloured with caramel, so it might be difficult to detect it. Not sure if there is a way to get rid of the cork taste, but you could try to let it breathe for a longer period at first in a glass or smaller bottle to see. What is there to loose, you might be able to save the content, but again you may not.
You can allways use the whisky for food or in mixed drinks.
I had a Bruichladdich once that tasted strongly of cork--and the taste never went away. Whiskies are subtle enough things already, so the cork element was really unwelcome. Storing straight upright it is then (which makes sense in the case of plastic-lined screwcaps too--why force contact with non-glass substances when you don't have to).
many thanks for your kind help - and my sincere apologies for that terrible misspelling - I know that e makes all the difference and I'll save it for my Jack Daniels - though I guess I will never have that same cork problem with my friend JD - 1) there is no cork and 2) who could possibly taste the difference :o)
I am impressed by the "knowledge pool" that is gathered out there!
many thanks Klaus
Eric von Daeniken wrote in news:41bc79c8$1 snipped-for-privacy@news.bluewin.ch:
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