by pierceography » Mon Dec 30, 2013 5:15 pm
I would also suggest you store the bottle upright. Oxidation will occur faster the more surface area of the whiskey is exposed to air. Storing a bottle on its side increases this area quite a bit. You can also subject the whiskey to cork taint.
Unlike wine, whiskey does not age in the bottle and does not require exposed surface. While in theory whiskey should keep forever in bottle, there are factors that can contribute to its degradation. Oxidation, cork taint, and evaporation are the three I'd keep in mind. Cork taint becomes an issue because of whiskey's higher alcohol proof than wine. After prolonged exposure to the cork (bottle on its side), the alcohol can eat into the cork causing the cork residue to affect the whiskey's taste. Evaporation is a risk no matter how you store the bottle. If you don't have an air tight seal, the whiskey can evaporate much like it does while in the barrel (albeit at a much slower rate). You often see that with older bottles stored for years or decades. I would recommend sealing the bottle after each drink if you plan on keeping for years. And another suggestion other thank drinking the whiskey after you've hit 1/4 bottle is to decant it. Simply transfer the whiskey to a smaller bottle (200ml if you're at 1/4) and you're exposing the whiskey to much less air.
Hope this info is helpful!