How can I tell how old my Jim Beam is?
Most bottle manufacturers molded the year into the glass at the bottom of the bottle in 2-digit format. You'll often find it in the lower right portion when looking at the bottom (some dates are much easier to distinguish than others). This will usually tell you–within a year or two–when the whiskey was bottled.
As with most hard liquors, bourbon doesn't go bad. Because of the alcohol content, any bacteria that enter the bottle will be killed.
The shelf life of bourbon and all of its premium qualities can only last for two to eight months unless stored correctly and away from any light source. However, a properly stored and sealed bottle of bourbon lasts for many decades and is perfectly fine to drink.
In this format, the first number is the glassmaker's permit to make liquor bottles, and the second number is the year the bottle was made.
Elegant. Smooth. Refined. That's what 4 years of aging in newly charred American white oak barrels does to our bourbon.
If an old whiskey looks or smells bad, discard it immediately. If it looks and smells fine, taste a small amount to determine if it is safe to drink. If it has a milder taste than usual, that is fine. But if it has a sour, metallic, or other strange taste, discard it.
Unopened whiskey doesn't go bad. Whiskey that hasn't been opened lasts indefinitely, but whiskey can expire. You just have to open the bottle. Most whiskey scientists believe that an opened bottle of whiskey lasts about 1 to 2 years—if it's half full.
- Distillery name (brand)
- Type of wood it has been aged in.
- Age.
- Region.
- Type of whisky.
- Strength, known as ABV (alcohol by volume)
- Bottle size.
- Est. year.
do Beam products have an expiration date? when stored in proper conditions (at or below room temperature, out of direct sunlight) hemp has an extremely long shelf life and is very stable. we include a manufacturing date on all of our products to give you peace of mind.
For the first few years of its life, bourbon definitely improves with age. New make bourbon isn't delicious, but six-year-old bourbon certainly can be. But it's possible to overdo it. In practice, older whiskey isn't always better--and that's particularly true when it comes to bourbon.
Does unopened bourbon get better with age?
From the Barrel to the Bottle
The good news is that once bourbon is aged, bottled, and placed on your bar shelf, it doesn't change much at all. You can expect even open bottles of bourbon to last in good condition for several years.
do Beam products have an expiration date? when stored in proper conditions (at or below room temperature, out of direct sunlight) hemp has an extremely long shelf life and is very stable. we include a manufacturing date on all of our products to give you peace of mind.
For the first few years of its life, bourbon definitely improves with age. New make bourbon isn't delicious, but six-year-old bourbon certainly can be. But it's possible to overdo it. In practice, older whiskey isn't always better--and that's particularly true when it comes to bourbon.
A glass bottle's embossing effects often help to provide positive proof of the bottle's age. The embossing may be located on any part of the bottle. Multiple types of embossing effects may appear on a single bottle. You can often determine a bottle's intended use by viewing its embossing effects.
- Distillery name (brand)
- Type of wood it has been aged in.
- Age.
- Region.
- Type of whisky.
- Strength, known as ABV (alcohol by volume)
- Bottle size.
- Est. year.
