Got this for the cold evenings.
Having a tipple tonight.
4 Likes
Does anyone put any if their spirits into a decanter?
Ie they look cool but im wondering if whisky spoils if left out on a counter.
1 Like
I did many years ago.
Nothing seemed to degrade over the time that I had it sitting, which was a couple of months maybe.
According to those who advocate for it, the aeration is beneficial for younger whiskeys, and the act of decanting is beneficial for removing sediment in older whiskeys.
Whiskey will change taste over time with exposure to oxygen, but nothing like wine, and will remain much the same for 3 months to a couple of years, depending on the taster, and the variety.
Some say that a decanter is better presentation, but I wonder if there isn’t more prestige serving an aged whiskey from the original bottle, where people can see and read what they’re drinking.
We did for a while with Whisky, Cognac and Port and it did look grand on the beautiful old furniture it sat on.
But every time it was filled, is mysteriously would disappear quite quickly. Mrs Fox said it evaporated, I suspect she helped, so now it is kept in the cupboard.
3 Likes
I only keep cheap blended whisky in my decanters as the bottles for the more expensive stuff is part of what you pay for & I’d end up forgetting what was in what. I’ve found that after a few weeks the decanting does take a tiny bit of the edge off the cheaper stuff almost like adding a smidge of water. It doesn’t effect the taste but just smooths the alcohol. I’ve been known to decant different bottles on top of each other & make my own mixes with differing success.
4 Likes
How old are your kids now ?
I used to do that to my Dads liquor cupboard, not sure he ever noticed, at least he never said.
1 Like
The 16 year old doesn’t like whisky at all but I do have to keep an eye on the Hard Solo lemon & lime & if we ever have cruisers/breezers etc in the fridge. We’ve let him try a few things to remove the mystery & he only likes the sweet lolly drinks for now. He knows my 2 untouchables are my collectibles cabinets (Star Wars etc) & my bar. Hopefully he never crosses that line. My 10 year old is going to be the bigger worry. He’s more a natural risk taker & will push the boundaries more in a few years.
4 Likes
So the young one takes after his Dad !
2 Likes
The first one breaks the mould, the others just waltz right on through.
2 Likes
I got my old Star Wars toys out a long time ago for my youngest kids.
Within 3 minutes.
‘Dad. Can you put Darth Vaders head back on?’ This was the old 1980s vinyl cape Darth mind you…
Then a couple of days later, my 5 year old handed me a crisp hand made $50 note and an apology note to replace a light up lightsaber that had been obliterated.
3 Likes
Only had 1 disaster. My now 16 year old bit the foot off my 1977 C3PO when he was about 4-5. The figure wasn’t super rare or anything but still annoyed to have is destroyed. He still has whats left of it in his own cabinet as a reminder. He gets my collection when I die. Fox was right, the youngest is definitely more like me but has never gotten into Star Wars.
Well, if there’s one figure that was a PITA to play with it was this one. But the good news is, you now have a 1982 removable limb C3PO.
1 Like
Mods, please move hobby anecdotes to hobby thread. They are very distracting from the vibe of “Drinking Spirits”.
I use the legs of rare Star Wars figures as swizzle sticks
3 Likes
Depends on the whisky. Sometime if the neck pour is pretty different from what I’m expecting I’ll decant and it tends to help. But decanting for me is the exception rather than the rule.
Sediment in whisky can be a couple of different things. Sometimes it’s proteins flocking out, but that’s the rarer option. Whisky that’s labelled non-chill filtered is typically still filtered to remove these proteins, following a rest for a couple of months after disgorging, which allows the proteins to come out of solution and settle together for better filtration. If you’d found proteins collecting in a bottle of brown spirit, you’d be better off pouring the lot through a paper coffee filter.
Lipids, fats, oils etc readily come out of solution depending on ABV and temp. You do not want to lose these as they’re fundamental components of the whisky that went into bottle. Instead of trying to let these settle out you want to try and agitate them and reincorporate them into the spirit.
Not a big fan is whiskey, to be honest. So just giving it a go. Really want to become a bit more cultured as I get older, and want to be able to sit around with the gang and talk ■■■■ while we just enjoy a nice whiskey.
I hear the Japanese make some great stuff, so just starting my journey…
2 Likes
I was at one of those pretentious “we only serve locally sourced alcohol here” bars a while back, and was not impressed as I really wanted a bourbon at the time.
Ended up begrudgingly going with The Gospel - Solera Rye whisky:
Now it’s my favourite drink, although it’s not easy to find in bottle shops. But it’s locally made!
4 Likes