Protecting Your Whiskey And Bourbon Investment

Whether you’re collecting as a hobby or an investment, you’ll want to protect your whiskey by keeping it safe and in good condition while being transported or in storage.

Whisky is much more durable than wine and should not mature or spoil within a sealed bottle. Giving the amateur a love for collecting that is not available by wine.

Here are a few tips on how to store your whiskey:

1. Store bottles of whiskey upright and monitor the condition of the cork. Constant contact with high-strength alcohol can degrade the cork, causing it to disintegrate and/or transfer unpleasant flavors into the liquid. Shake the bottles a couple of times a year to help ensure the cork does not dry out or oxidate.  Always store bottles upright—never on their side—to protect the cork. Contact with the high-strength alcohol could cause the cork to degrade or impart unpleasant flavors onto the whisky. A Terebelo with its Vinolok glass top will never have this issue. 
2. Keep it dark. Store bottles away from strong sunlight, which can affect the delicate flavors and desired color of the spirit and cause evaporation. Consider using motion-activated lighting if you use lighting to keep light exposure at a minimum.  
3. Keep the collection consistently cool, but not too cold. Too cold can cause the liquid to become cloudy. 57-67 Fahrenheit is about right for most whiskies.  If you’re collecting both whiskey and wine, you may not want to store them together, as the ideal temperatures for whiskey are at the higher end of the spectrum for perfect wine storage. 
4. Maintain consistent temperature and humidity. Fluctuating temperatures and humidity can cause liquid to expand and contract, destabilizing the whiskey. Humidity can cause damage to the labels and degrade the cork. Extreme heat will cause evaporation. Adding climate control notifications to your alarm system will alert you if the temperature or humidity in your cellar shift, is a good idea.
5. Protecting the bottle and label. The condition of the label will impact the bottle’s value. Use the original cartons for storage. Some experts suggest that for prized whiskies, store the carton separately, having both the bottle and packaging professionally protected.
6. Prepare for transport. If your whiskey collection is going to travel, ensure that the bottles are packed with proper materials, including stable, insulating layers protecting them from getting broken. Of course, the temperature and lighting quality should not be compromised. 

Creating a Whisky Display

One of the joys of owning a collection of fine whiskies is showing it off, selecting a special bottle that you have been saving, and sharing its story with like-minded connoisseurs and friends. Too many bottles are unceremoniously shoved into cupboards or abandoned on bookcases. Invest in deep shelving or glass display cabinets, or build a home bar to show off the best aspects of your collection. Choose museum-quality lighting that will bring out the gorgeous colors of the liquid wit

hout affecting the inks on the labels or warming up the contents.

Display bottles will accumulate dust, so rotate your presentation frequently. Perhaps you’ll want to put up every single bottle from a prized-collectible series, an A to Z of scotch or bourbon, or a super-fan shrine to your all-time favorite distillery. If you have space, arrange the whole collection by name, or stratify it by whisky style and country of origin.

Once The Bottle Was Opened

If you’re like many whisky lovers, you like to sample widely and probably have multiple bottles open at a time. Take care, however. Having too many bottles open is like starting dozen of novels but never getting beyond the first chapter.

Restrict Your Number of Open Bottles

Whisky will oxidize once it was open, gradually dulling its taste, so consuming it within a few months will ensure that you are enjoying it at its peak. Be disciplined and keep open only the number of bottles you can finish within four months to optimize taste and freshness.

Limit Oxygen Interaction

Once a bottle is open, oxygen is already doing its work. If you’re planning to work through the bottle quickly, simply replace the cork. For bottles you aren’t going to finish within a few months, consider alternate strategies, like decanting the whisky into small sample bottles or pumping in inert gas, like Private Preserve True 1026, between tastings.

Nearly-empty bottles take up precious space: do not get sentimental about the last pour rattling around the bottom. You will never get that whisky back, so rediscover storage space for new bottles by de-cluttering. Have fun with it: host a dregs party, where everyone commits to helping you finish the last pours, or try your hand at home blending.

Tip your last drams into a Mason or other sealable container, let the liquid marry for a few weeks, then try the results. You may find you want to keep adding to the mix, creating your own “Infinity Bottle.” You may even want to become a pro bottler.