Safe to drink 30+ year old booze?

[rkettner]

sell to me locally!

[Dermeister3]

The GF's aunt is selling her house and gave us a box of old booze that's unopened and easily about 30-35 years old. Most of it is rum, whisky's and wine and other crap (I'm not much of a drinker).

Her aunt stopped drinking when they decided to have kids, and never looked back.

Is this stuff safe to drink? it's been in the bottom of some old cupboard since the late 70's

thanks in advance!

Do you have any high end scotch/whiskey that is still unopened?

Its funny how people think it will kill you. It is completely safe to drink, though, flavors may have *changed* slightly over the years.

There are 20+ year old beers out there that have been aged in cellars in Belgium. A bit oxidized, but nothing harmful.

If your alcohol has been in a cupboard, its been out of light and not hot.

Hell, I just had some Makers Mark that's been in the same situation as your booze, but only for about 15 years. Unopened and when it was opened, it was as tasty as ever.

[Cletonius]

Do you have any high end scotch/whiskey that is still unopened?

Its funny how people think it will kill you. It is completely safe to drink, though, flavors may have *changed* slightly over the years.

I'm sorry but this isn't correct. The spirit stops aging when it's removed from the barrel. The product in the bottle is blended with water to achieve the appropriate strength and does not change over time. Taste is the same one day or one decade after bottling if unopened.

Beer/wine on the other hand....

[Dermeister3]

I'm sorry but this isn't correct. The spirit stops aging when it's removed from the barrel. The product in the bottle is blended with water to achieve the appropriate strength and does not change over time. Taste is the same one day or one decade after bottling if unopened.

Beer/wine on the other hand....

The spirit does not gain barrel characteristics once bottled, but flavors (according to my taste) do change. Whether it be mellowed, oxidized, smokey, or other, I have noticed flavor changes comparing a few different mid end single malts (glenfid, glenmor, oban, tallisker, etc) at liquor conventions held by distributors. The reps also believe that flavor profiles are noticeably different after 10+ years.

Its a much debated topic. To answer the OP though, its safe.

[Cletonius]

The spirit does not gain barrel characteristics once bottled, but flavors (according to my taste) do change. Whether it be mellowed, oxidized, smokey, or other, I have noticed flavor changes comparing a few different mid end single malts (glenfid, glenmor, oban, tallisker, etc) at liquor conventions held by distributors. The reps also believe that flavor profiles are noticeably different after 10+ years.

Its a much debated topic. To answer the OP though, its safe.

I see. The only difference I've been able to taste is in the barrel aging years. It could also be argued that since each batch of spirit is hand blended there are actual differences in the flavor profiles and the taste difference can be accounted for there.

I can see the basis for debate either way

[wikkid]

For the wine, it depends greatly on what wine it is. Fine old French wines can be cellared for many years and improve with age as the tannins work out and the wine matures. The small amount of air in the bottle, as well as minute amounts of air that do find their way through the cork, continue to affect the wine in the bottle as it ages.

Most everyday drinking wine (especially true these days) is made to be drinkable and consumed young. The wine-making process nowadays tailors wines toward drinkability after just a short aging time, and those wines don't age at all as well, or hold up as well over time, as a fine French vintage.

[Xat1cZ]

Is OP still dead?

[mrmckie]

Is OP still dead?

mgiht be...lol. think he might have drank the whole stash

[camip]

He will be on a thousand ways to die. Death from butt chug.

[Swanny]

Holy shit of he had some unopened port in there...dibs!!!


But yeah this thread is useless without pics/obituary.

[E30_Pare]

had some 15yr 3000$ bottle whiskey once. Tasted like candy. Could drink the whole bottle in one sitting.

[SmokeE30]

Guy I know is a trash man and found a whole booze stash somebody put at the curb, had quite a few old bottles of scotch in there that he promptly sold to a couple people and then kept a couple for himself. I drank some 50 year old scotch and I was not a fan, not that I'm a big wiskey or scotch fan to begin with but even my other buddy that does tried some and wasn't pleased. Although I am currently aging a bottle of beer in my garage, I think I'll have to drink it though now that I'm moving since taking it out of the fridge for a little bit and then puting it back probably won't do it any good.

[Stanley Rockafella]

It was no good guys. The rum, and a couple other bottles were all opened several years ago, so after a slight sniff, I knew things weren't good in there.

OTOH, there were a few bottles of wine and champagne that were not opened yet. We didn't have enough time in our stay to experiement with them. Maybe next visit.

thanks again for the heads-up, it probably saved me a trip to the ER!

[Xat1cZ]

Champagne goes bad as well if not stored correctly..... don't you watch "Pawn Stars" ? xD

[Stanley Rockafella]

lol, I dont' have cable :(