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oxidation negative effects

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@Donski
Donski started a discussion

i recently had some glenfiddich 12 that was just not enjoyable but tried it again at another location that while not being a great whisky was a lot more enjoyable. I can only assume that the first was caused by oxidation so are there any other whiskies that are affected in a negative way with oxidation.

12 years ago

5 replies

@Wills
Wills replied

connosr.com/wall/discussion/…

connosr.com/wall/discussion/…

I recommend to read those discussions first. Maybe you find some answers. General opinion is, that the influence of oxidation is noticed very explicit in smoky/peaty whisky. Glenfiddich 12 is very light and delicate so I guess, the effect of oxidation is not so common. But there is an influence too. Sometimes it's good, sometimes the whisky gets worse. I don't have a rule here.

12 years ago 0

@valuewhisky
valuewhisky replied

There doesn't seem to be a whole lot of "rules" to follow, except maybe that A) more air in the bottle reduces shelf life, B) peaty whisky gets less peaty over time, and C) higher-proof whiskies have longer shelf life. Otherwise, a whisky may or may not go flat at just about any time after a few months, or may last for years. Getting a scotch at a bar is always a gamble - you have no idea how long they've been there, or if they've left the cork out, etc.

Another thing to consider is your palate - the same whisky might taste great or terrible depending on what you've eaten recently. Perhaps that came into play in your Glenfiddich tasting.

12 years ago 1Who liked this?

@Victor
Victor replied

This is a complex subject, and individual whiskies respond very differently to oxidation. There is a lot of information on the other two discussions on this.

You can do your own experiements with oxidation very simply by tasting a glass of whisky at repeated intervals, eg 20 minutes, over, say 8-10 hours. What you will have after 10 hours with any whisky is seldom very close to what you tasted when you first poured it into the glass. Most whiskies will be greatly altered after only 2-3 hours doing this experiment.

12 years ago 1Who liked this?

@systemdown
systemdown replied

In addition to what has already been said, it should also be noted that the rapid oxidation of whisky in a glass over a few hours is not the same as the kind of oxidation experienced in a bottle of open whisky on the shelf over many months or years.

12 years ago 0

@WhiskyNotes
WhiskyNotes replied

A side note really... Glenfiddich sells over three million bottles a year. I suppose the 12 year-old is the vast majority of this. Two things you should notice: 1. Chances that both bottles contained the same whisky are low and 2. even without oxidation I'm quite sure you'll find a bottle that goes bad.

12 years ago 1Who liked this?