Official PCF Whisk(e)y Thread (47 Viewers)

I’m now curious how y’all like to enjoy your whiskey/bourbon. Do you let it sit a while after you pour it? For how long? And how long does it take you to finish a dram? Do you notice changes in its flavor profile over this duration?
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My understanding was neck pour was shorthand for pour soon after opening a bottle, before this happened




Not literally the liquid at the top of the bottle. Or at least that’s how I thought I was using it, good to know if that’s mot how the community uses it :ROFL: :ROFLMAO:

I’ve had a couple other bottles of whiskey taste tremendously better weeks after first opening. I’m excited to revisit the OF 1920 later on.
I can't say how anyone else uses the term. I don't use it at all, because I don't think it has any meaning whatsoever. I've never experienced a whiskey that did not taste good when I first opened it, but then tasted better at a later time. I meant what I said earlier. I think the term is a cruel joke perpetrated by whiskey snobs on whiskey noobs.
 
I can't say how anyone else uses the term. I don't use it at all, because I don't think it has any meaning whatsoever. I've never experienced a whiskey that did not taste good when I first opened it, but then tasted better at a later time. I meant what I said earlier. I think the term is a cruel joke perpetrated by whiskey snobs on whiskey noobs.
The Big Lebowski Dude GIF


I want to say a lot here, but I have made a promise for only good vibes on Election Day. So here is my experience.

If the time between “neck pour” and 2nd pour is a week, or even a month, you might notice a slight difference. 3 month, 6 month, longer… you will 100% notice a difference. I have done this many times.

Air time is real. On every toasted or double oaked bottle that I’ve ever had, the first pour was fine. The first 1/3 of the bottle was ok. The middle 1/3 of the bottle was good. And the last 1/3 was excellent. I would guess my bottles are open (start to finish) anywhere from 6 months to 2 years. This is on every toasted or double oaked, well over 40 bottles at this point.

Now on “standard” bourbon, I have certainly noticed as well but not as consistently. Air time definitely changes the whiskey. See below as well.

ECBP blind warmup. :cool

4 bourbon bros and we all have the same results.

B520>C923>B524>8yr private barrel

So, the 8yr is a pick that I helped on. I now own the empty barrel. Compared to the older pours, it’s obviously the worst. But these were all fresh cracked bottles today. I have a nearly empty of the same 8yr pick that has been open a year. Night and day difference with the fresh crack. Air time is a real thing.

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It’s been almost 2 weeks now since my stroke. I was released from the hospital about a week ago with a promising prognosis to expect a full recovery! I’m still trying to wrap my brain around all of this but I guess this gift is just for me to accept and not to question and understand why.

I’m gonna take a break from whiskey until at least thanksgiving which will be 5 weeks dry. I made a commitment to my family and myself to do this as my consumption has gotten way too out of hand lately. I figure at least a 50-75% reduction in consumption is prudent even if circumstances allow for the occasional pour down the road. I’m gonna miss the group’s 1000 page celebration but I’ll be here lurking and keeping an eye out on all the shenanigans!

I just want to thank everyone for the well wishes and positive vibes sent towards me and my family! Y’all are a great group of people and I’m proud to say I’ve made some good friends along the way!

Saluti alla famiglia!

Byron
 
The Big Lebowski Dude GIF


I want to say a lot here, but I have made a promise for only good vibes on Election Day. So here is my experience.

If the time between “neck pour” and 2nd pour is a week, or even a month, you might notice a slight difference. 3 month, 6 month, longer… you will 100% notice a difference. I have done this many times.

Air time is real. On every toasted or double oaked bottle that I’ve ever had, the first pour was fine. The first 1/3 of the bottle was ok. The middle 1/3 of the bottle was good. And the last 1/3 was excellent. I would guess my bottles are open (start to finish) anywhere from 6 months to 2 years. This is on every toasted or double oaked, well over 40 bottles at this point.

Now on “standard” bourbon, I have certainly noticed as well but not as consistently. Air time definitely changes the whiskey. See below as well.
I don't think anything you said here contradicts anything I have said. I have no experience with double oaked whiskey, so nothing I said pertains to specific experiences with that style.
 
It’s been almost 2 weeks now since my stroke. I was released from the hospital about a week ago with a promising prognosis to expect a full recovery! I’m still trying to wrap my brain around all of this but I guess this gift is just for me to accept and not to question and understand why.

I’m gonna take a break from whiskey until at least thanksgiving which will be 5 weeks dry. I made a commitment to my family and myself to do this as my consumption has gotten way too out of hand lately. I figure at least a 50-75% reduction in consumption is prudent even if circumstances allow for the occasional pour down the road. I’m gonna miss the group’s 1000 page celebration but I’ll be here lurking and keeping an eye out on all the shenanigans!

I just want to thank everyone for the well wishes and positive vibes sent towards me and my family! Y’all are a great group of people and I’m proud to say I’ve made some good friends along the way!

Saluti alla famiglia!

Byron
I also had to cut back due to BP issues. For me, losing 40lbs did way more for BP than cutting back on whiskey, but I’ve stuck with a lower consumption to support better habits. But damn I miss my Tuesday night dram. He was a good friend.

Good luck with recovery and I’ll toast virtually with you on Thanksgiving.
 
I don't think anything you said here contradicts anything I have said. I have no experience with double oaked whiskey, so nothing I said pertains to specific experiences with that style.
Just giving my experience. I’m not sure what your time period is between neck pour and 2nd pour. My experience is consistent with all bourbon, but amplified with toasted and doubled oaked.

I think the term is a cruel joke perpetrated by whiskey snobs on whiskey noobs.
I guess I’m a snob?
 
Just giving my experience. I’m not sure what your time period is between neck pour and 2nd pour. My experience is consistent with all bourbon, but amplified with toasted and doubled oaked.


I guess I’m a snob?
I recently revisited my Barrell 2024 New Year bottle (blend of whiskeys sourced from 8 different states).

The fresh crack pour two months ago was very disjointed and dominated by the Texas component, while the pour I had this weekend tasted more "integrated" and much more enjoyable. I would say there was a definitive objective change, probably the most noticeable out any of my other bottles.

Putting the "why" aside, I find that if you're really excited about a new bottle and it doesn't blow your mind on fresh crack, you may find comfort knowing that the whiskey (or your perception of it) may change when you revisit it down the road. I'll report back as I revisit a few more bottles that I was let down by.
 
I guess I’m a snob?
I prefer the term aficionado. This is a collectors forum after all. Nothing wrong with finding the deep end of a rabbit hole. One can appreciate the nuances of a thing without looking down at those who fail to notice or appreciate the same nuances. I don’t see a lot of judgement around here and diverse tastes are welcomed, as are folks not so far along on their journeys.
 
I’m now curious how y’all like to enjoy your whiskey/bourbon. Do you let it sit a while after you pour it? For how long? And how long does it take you to finish a dram? Do you notice changes in its flavor profile over this duration?

Are these stupid questions?
 
Are these stupid questions?
Absolutely not! I wouldn't worry about how long you let it sit (at least not at this point in your whiskey journey), although the general wisdom is 10-15 mins to let the aromas fill the glass. If you're drinking neat, I would make sure your glass and pour are at or around room temp.

I generally try to make my pours all about the same amount when I'm tasting neat, somewhere in the 0.5oz - 1oz range. You can use a kitchen scale or a jigger to find where your preferred pour "line" falls in a glen or whatever tasting glass you use. I also try to be mindful of my tasting order, drinking from low abv to high and milder flavors to stronger (mainly to maintain some integrity to my palate - if you're not thinking too hard on "tasting", it matters less). It generally takes me anywhere from 5-15 mins to finish my "standard pour".

Do I notice changes in the glass from t-0 to t-15 in a tasting session - no. I think the pour will evolve based on your mindfulness of the nose, palette, and finish. There are various tasting methodologies to help you focus on those, I would do some youtube searches to get familiar and experiment with what works for you. I come from the wine world, so I like to aerate on the palate and spend 10-20 seconds with some sips, some like to "chew" the whiskey making sure it coats their whole mouth, etc, etc. In regards to your last question, an interesting experiment is to leave a used glass out overnight before cleaning it. It will smell very different in the morning, often times unpleasant (imo).

Also there's nothing wrong with having a pour on the rocks, I tend to prefer neat, but there are certain buckets I try to put my collection in so that I know what I'd like to use for cocktails vs on the rocks vs neat.
 
I’m now curious how y’all like to enjoy your whiskey/bourbon. Do you let it sit a while after you pour it? For how long? And how long does it take you to finish a dram? Do you notice changes in its flavor profile over this duration?
My favorite is a high proof hazmat bourbon or rye, with one ice cube. The flavor profile changes remarkably as the ice melts, which is just a wonderful experience. It's like having two or three whiskies in the same glass.
 

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