You know your single malt from your single cask; you know the regions of Scotland like the back of your hand and you’re a master at nosing and tasting your particular whisky.

But what do you do with the bottle when you’re done drinking from it?

Storing Scotch isn’t as simple as shoving it in a wine rack or leaving it on the windowsill. There are certain rules you need to follow if you want to get the most out of your beverage in the long term.

So, let’s dive in. In this final edition of Scotch 101, we’re talking about the correct method of Scotch storage; where your bottles should live, how to fight off the scourge of oxidization and what do you once your precious tipple has been opened.

Where should you keep your scotch?

The Modern Day Man’s Whisky and Wine Cabinet

Traditionally, Scotch whisky is stored in cellars for two reasons:

1) Cellars tend to maintain a room temperature of 15-18°c – the optimal temperature for your Scotch.

2) Cellars are dark, with only a minimum amount of sunlight and heat.

If you have a cellar, it’s the obvious place to store your whiskies. But, not to worry if you don’t. Plenty of Scotch enthusiasts have gotten on just fine without one. The trick is making sure you keep your whisky in conditions as close to that cellar as possible. That means, protecting it from the sun’s rays and fluctuations in temperature.

So what’s the issue with sunlight anyway? Well, it breaks down the alcohol for one, as well as causing chemical reactions to the alcohol’s volatile bonds that will alter the flavor.

Leaving your Scotch on a shelf near to a window is therefore a no-no. If you can, store it in a cabinet, or at least make sure it is covered it with a dense, opaque material such as wood. So long as the temperature of the room, your Scotch is stored in, is between 15 -20°c (59-68°f) – regular room temperature – you shouldn’t have a problem.

Keep your bottles vertical:

Photo by Alex Holyoake

Wine connoisseurs recommend storing wine bottles horizontally. But with whisky, it’s a different story.

Whisky bottles should always be stored vertically, and the reason is to do with their high alcohol content.

As we’ve already established, any given Scotch will have a minimum alcohol content of 40% (it can’t legally be called Scotch if it doesn’t).

Because of its high alcohol content, whisky has a tendency to react with cork. When whisky comes into contact with cork, it causes it to decay and gradually disintegrate. This results in oxygen entering the bottle, oxidizing its content and changing the characteristics of your whisky. Oh, and it makes your drink taste awful to boot. Keeping your bottle vertical keeps the cork in a good state and preserves your drink.

And on the subject of cork, you want to keep the cork of your bottle moist to avoid it chipping, it’s worth turning your bottle upside down once a month to keep the cork wet.

Storing an open bottle of whisky:

The Modern Day Man’s Yamazaki Sherry Cask 2013. Finished with the help of friends.

Everything we’ve talked about so far applies to storing a sealed bottle of Scotch. But, what happens when you crack your bottle open? How long does it keep and how should you take care of it?

Well, crucial to how long your whisky will last is how much liquid is left in the bottle.

As the folks over at Scotch Noob note:

“An opened bottle of whisky (stored away from light) with more than two-thirds of its contents remaining can be expected to remain unchanged for about one year.”

After that period, oxidation is going to start occurring. And, as we know, when oxygen binds with your whisky, it starts to affect the flavor.

The more air in the bottle (i.e.: the more Scotch is drunk), the quicker oxidation will occur. Say you’ve finished three quarters of your scotch bottle; you can expect to notice a degradation in quality in less than a month, eventually resulting a flat and tasteless tipple with few of the characteristics it once had.

So what do you do if you’re down to that last third of a bottle?

Well, there are two options. The first, and by far the most sociable, is to invite friends around for a whisky tasting evening (my favorite method). It’s a sure fire way to use up that whisky before oxidization takes its toll. Besides, sharing a drink with good company is one of life’s great pleasures.

But if you’re what the Scots would call a Jimmy-nae-mates and don’t want to share your Scotch around, you can always funnel your chosen Scotch into smaller glass bottles (with good seals) to slow down that oxidization process. It’s less fun, sure. But if you’re saving that remaining Scotch for a particular occasion, then this is the sensible option.

Can You “Age” Your Whisky?

Addressing one final question that often gets asked when it comes to whisky storage, whisky does not “age” like fine wine does.  Whisky matures in the cask. Once it’s been distilled, you can’t mature it in the bottle. As Scotch Whisky Association notes, if you keep a 12 year bottle for 100 years it will remain a 12 year old bottle. Keeping that bottle closed for longer won’t improve the flavor, so don’t worry about cracking open your single malt too soon.

So that’s it for Scotch 101. Assuming you’ve followed all the advice in this guide, it’s fair to say that you now know a thing or two about the history and practices of Scotch Whisky, and the many amazing varieties of Scotch that are available. Now, all that’s left for you to do is open your bottle, pour yourself a dram and savor its flavors.

We’ve covered the world of Scotch, but we’re by no means done with the wonderful world of whisky. In the next Whisky 101 series, we’re going global, sampling the spirits of Ireland, Canada, Japan, India and everywhere in between.

So until next time, do dheagh shlàinte!

Read the Previews Scotch 101 Series:
1) Understanding Blends, Single Malts and Casks
2) Understanding Scotch Whisky Regions (Part One)
3) Understanding Scotch Whisky Regions (Part Two)
4) How to Drink Your Single Malt

By now, you’ve purchased a good single malt bottle, and you’re probably itching to try it. But now is not the time to be over-eager! If you want to get the most out of your first Scotch, there’s a right way to drink it.

Drinking Scotch is an art in itself, and there are methods that seasoned Scotch drinkers have used for years to really appreciate the unique flavor characteristics of a given dram.

So let’s dive in and find out how you go about drinking your single malt. From temperature, glasses and drinking methods, to the debate around water, ice and mixers, we’re covering it all!

What Temperature is Scotch Served At?

While many alcoholic drinks are best served chilled, that’s certainly not the case for Scotch. If you want to get the most out of your single malt when it comes to flavor, make sure you’re serving it at room temperature and remember that refrigerating your given Scotch isn’t a good idea.

Why? As Nick Savage, master distiller at The Macallan notes, chilling Scotch causes the flavors to tighten up and “contract.” Room temperature, meanwhile, “allows for optimal taste” because the whisky’s aroma’s and flavors will “volatilize,” meaning you can better appreciate them.

Some even recommend wrapping your hand around the whisky glass before you drink it, allowing those flavors to volatilize even further.

So, in summary, refrigeration of your Scotch is a definite no-no. Room temperature is the way to go to get the most out of your tipple.

What Kind of Glass Do You Use?

A standard whisky tumbler might seem like the glass of choice for any self-respecting Scotch drinker. It’s what you see folks using to drink Scotch in movies and on TV all the time.

But, Scotch aficionados tend to disagree. In fact, the recommended receptacle for your dram is a tulip-shaped glass.

Photo by henry fournier

This is for two reasons:

• It allows the whisky to be swirled around without spilling (useful for releasing the flavors of the whisky)
• It concentrates the aromas at the neck of the glass

They’re not always the easiest things to find, but it’s well worth hunting out a tulip-shaped glass if you want to get the most out of your dram.

The Stages of Drinking Scotch Whisky

Photo by Filip Bunkens

Once your whisky is at room temperature and poured into an appropriate glass, there are a few steps to drinking your chosen dram that will help you appreciate it fully.

Checking the color:

Hold your glass up to the light and check the color of the whisky. Some people believe doing this helps you determine the age of your malt, but this is a misconception. Checking the color will give you an indication of how your drink was matured. Golden colored single malts typically come from sherry oak casks, paler whiskies from bourbon casks.

Checking the “legs”:

Checking the legs on your whisky involves holding your glass by the stem, tilting it and then rotating it briskly, so that the walls of the glass are coated with the Scotch. When the glass is held up straight, you’ll see the “legs” forming at the whisky runs down the sides of the glass.

Why do this? Checking the legs helps you determine the age of your whisky. The slower the legs, the more unguent the liquid and the older the whisky.

“Nosing”

Now that you’ve determined the age and origin of your whisky, it would be tempting to dive straight in with the tasting. But, there’s a very important step that comes before the drinking – and that’s the nosing.

Nosing the whisky simply means smelling it. The correct way to do this is to hold the glass away from you and then pass it under your nose, taking a deep breath through your nose as you do so.

On this first pass, you should make a mental note of what the smell reminds you of. Then, repeat the process a few times to see what other notes you detect.

This might seem like a strange step, but drinking Scotch really is a multi-sensory experience and nosing is essential to understanding the full flavor characteristics of your dram.

Tasting:

Finally, we get to the tasting. To do this, form your tongue into a small spoon shape, then take a sip from your glass. Don’t swallow the whisky straight away, instead let it rest on your tongue.

From here, your mind tries to identify the many complex aromas of your dram and what they remind you of. This process can sometimes be overwhelming, especially to a new whisky drinker. But, remember that they’re your taste buds, and that there aren’t right or wrong things to detect in your dram.

Crucial to tasting is that it helps you distinguish different Scotches from one another. Next time you taste that single malt, your mind should be able to identify it.

Water, Ice and Mixers:

There’s plenty of debate about whether you should add anything at all to your whisky. Some purists say that whisky should only ever be drank neat.

But, the general consensus is that, if you’re going to dilute your Scotch, it should be with water. Many believe that adding a touch of water can enhance the aroma of your whisky and bring out many of its hidden characteristics.

By water, we’re specifically referring to soft, still spring water, ideally from Scotland. Tap water is off the table because it contains high levels of chlorine that can spoil, instead of complimenting your tipple.

As a general rule, it’s recommended that you taste your whisky neat first, and then add a little spring water with your second sip. You don’t want to drown your drink; about 20% water is plenty. Combine the whisky and water by gently shaking the glass (giving it a “shoogle” in Scottish parlance).

Scotch on the rocks might be common in bars across the Scottish land (and everywhere else), but for whisky connoisseurs, adding ice is a big no-no for three reasons.

• Ice cubes are usually made from tap water, meaning high levels of chlorine.
• Ice cubes reduce the temperature of the drink, and chilling Scotch whisky freezes its flavors.
• It’s very difficult to regulate the amount of water in your drink when adding ice cubes, and they dilute the flavor as they melt.

Finally, mixers such as sodas, ginger ales, lemonades and colas are a pointless addition to Scotch. You spent top dollar on your bottle because you wanted to experience its unique flavor. Covering up that whisky’s true taste with a cheap mixer is not going to help you do that.

So that’s it for this week’s edition. By now, you’re well versed in buying and drinking Scotch. Next week, we’ll be talking about how to store your whisky so that you can get the most out of it for years to come.