I've decided to think waaaay ahead, and buy some good bottles of whiskey, wine, etc. to age for several years. I plan on giving some as gifts, and of course, enjoying some myself. I am a very occasional drinker, and I usually stick to a few favorite drinks. Martinis are the staple. I know I'm going to get a few bottles of Merlot to stick in the back of the closet, but what are some other good red wines to age? I'm not a Scotch fan, but I will probably get an already aged bottle to keep and give as a gift, or for some special occasion. Any good brands that age well?
My father is a big fan of Jack Daniels, so, I was thinking either a bottle of Single Barrel, or Gentleman Jack to age and give to him down the road. How long is the ideal minimum time to age a bottle of whiskey, wine, etc? Can clear/light alcohol be aged? I mean vodkas, gins, tequila, etc. Would the flavor even change?
What are some of your favorite bottles to age and enjoy down the road? Any particular prize bottles you've got tucked away?
"Time spent with cats is never wasted."
- Sigmund Freud
Others will know better than I, but a whiskey (scotch, cognac, etc) is bottled when it is at its best and will never get any better.
Wines age in the bottle. Spirits do not. So aging a bottle of Jack Single Barrel won't make it any better.
Or am I screwy as usual?
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A sense of the fundamental decencies is parcelled out unequally at birth. - Fitzgerald
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Thats correct. Once whiskey leaves the barrel it doesn't "age".
That's how I see it. It will get worse, not better.
Many good wines are cork-less nowadays- a trend which does away with the large loss corked wines suffer to spoilage. Most people buy to drink.
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Looking with my good ear peeled.
Some of the better absinthe out there, will age very well in the bottle. Never store absinthe on it's side, and always keep it in a dark cool place.
That makes sense about whiskey, I see how it wouldn't age past the barrel. I don't think I could find any real absinthe around here, unfortunately. Just the stuff that tastes waaay too anise flavored. Anise just isn't a flavor I like at all unfortunately.
So far it looks like I should stick to the red wines.
BT - So wine with a screw top lid is better to age than a cork top? Forgive me, I'm just having some trouble understanding the wording of your post. My fault entirely, though!
"Time spent with cats is never wasted."
- Sigmund Freud
...not too sure about that, actually.
Longevity of screwcaps vs a wet cork...
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Looking with my good ear peeled.
No one really knows the answer to this yet as screw tops have only recently been placed into service on bottles of age worthy wines. They have not been around long enough. While cool is important for aging wines, a dark place is at least as important as is a place with no vibration (a reason to never buy a fine wine on a cruise). Another option for aging is cork finished beers. I have some from the mid-80's that I am currently drinking and what a positive difference that aging makes. Note that you do not want to age every cork finished bottle. Ask someone knowledgeble before you put a beer down for aging. Cheers! Sam
"Show me what you eat and I will tell you who you are." Brillat-Savarin
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From my limited experience with Washington wines, the Cabernet Sauvignon's age better than the Merlots. Of course any of the decent ones (either cabs or merlots) shouldn't really be opened until at least 5 years after the vintage date. Kind of like cutting into a Camembert before it has ripened ...Originally Posted by Mr_Misanthropy
Don
Feel younger than you look, and
Act younger than you feel.
I know the cabernet sauvignon ages well, I just haven't come across one that I like.
"Time spent with cats is never wasted."
- Sigmund Freud
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