Well, my grandparents visited this weekend from Ireland, partly to cheer me up, partly to see my mom's grave with me. Besides telling me how they know she'd be proud of me and how much I mean to them, I recieved a present for my upcoming birthday........a 45 year old bottle of Irish Whiskey.
Should I save this till my birthday, or gather some friends and get plastered now?
#2
PatrThom
Save it for one of the remaining cold nights in April. Then curl up next to a warm console and enjoy yourself some Irish Coffee. Mmm...
--Patrick
#3
Null
Save that for a major occasion. That's PREMIUM whiskey.
#4
Dave
My answer depends on 1 thing:
Does 45 year old whiskey lose anything if you open it? Like, if you open it today and don't drink it within a month will it be ruined? If so, I'd wait. If not, crack that bad boy open & toast your mom with as many buddies as you want, then put it away. Each year on the anniversary, pull it out & have a single shot in her honor.
#5
HCGLNS
If resealed and kept out of sunlight the whiskey will be fine for a long time.
Also if you mix that with anything other than a few drops of water you could die.
I've always wondered (mostly due to being allergic to alcohol) why do people mix high end liquor with water?
#7
Cajungal
Because it's so strong, mixing it with water's a good way to acquire a taste for it. For me, it keeps me from coughing... especially with whiskey.
Odin, let me tell you what I think, honestly. Drink it anytime you want, because you never know what can happen before you can enjoy it. Enjoy it by yourself during a peaceful moment and with friends and people you love, as often as you can. Then when it's gone, keep the bottle and enjoy all the happy memories associated with it. Don't wait for an occasion that might never come. I'm speaking from experience.
seriously?
(from the alcohol newbie here)
no, I mean it...seriously? how? why?
what do you mix it with, how do you mix it, how potent is 45 year old whiskey (BTW, I say save it for a special friend, not friendS plural) and I assume it continues to get more potent as it ages?
#9
PatrThom
I think he was just referring to the dilution of 45yr-old whiskey as possible sacrilege.
what do you mix it with, how do you mix it, how potent is 45 year old whiskey (BTW, I say save it for a special friend, not friendS plural) and I assume it continues to get more potent as it ages?
45 year old whiskey is no more potent (alcoholic) than any other age, though age makes a difference in how flavorful it is - but not all whiskeys are the same so some 12 year olds may be more mature than a 20 year old (if you're Icarus especially). And no, whiskey does not age in the bottle. This stuff will always be 45 year old whiskey, even if he keeps it for decades.
And I've been told that mixing whiskey with 2 or 3 parts water improves the flavor, by diluting it enough so it's not overpowering, allowing one to better taste the subtleties. Or something like that.
#12
sixpackshaker
What matters in the age of whisky is how long it has been in the barrels. Once you put it in the bottle it stops aging. At least it stops aging in the good way.
That would be something I'd save for the birth of your first child.