Did I Ruin My Whisky?

[sydfan]

Where I store my whisky is in the basement and it gets very cold. I prefer my whisky at room temperature, maybe even a little warmer. So when it's winter, I will place my bottle in front of a small electrical heater to warm it a bit. Well, last night the bottle got a bit warmer than usual. I tasted my Dalmore and it was AWFUL!!!!! Let me mention that I've been on antibiotics for six days as well and I've heard that an antibiotic can affect your sense of taste.

Please tell me I didn't ruin my whisky!!!

[Elagabalus]

Yepp it's ruined how could you be so negligent?
Destroying whisky is a mortal sin here I am reporting you to the mods at once!

[TheLaddie]

Please take my esteemed friend's opinions with a pinch of salt. He has been sat in front of an electric heater for too long.

Antibiotics can affect your sense of taste (especially metronidazole (Flagyl) which will make all forms of alcohol react so badly with your system it is used in another form (Antabuse) to stop alcoholics relapsing). Certain illnesses will affect your sense of taste too so whatever you are taking the antibiotics for could be affecting you particularly if you have a throat or respiratory infection. Whisky is not at its best when too warm either but won't be runied by a short exposure to gentle heat.

Wait until you are better, off the antibiotics and you have let your whisky cool down. Only then will you know if your whisky has suffered.

P.s. Nice Bowie quote!

[sydfan]

Please take my esteemed friend's opinions with a pinch of salt. He has been sat in front of an electric heater for too long.

Antibiotics can affect your sense of taste (especially metronidazole (Flagyl) which will make all forms of alcohol react so badly with your system it is used in another form (Antabuse) to stop alcoholics relapsing). Certain illnesses will affect your sense of taste too so whatever you are taking the antibiotics for could be affecting you particularly if you have a throat or respiratory infection. Whisky is not at its best when too warm either but won't be runied by a short exposure to gentle heat.

Wait until you are better, off the antibiotics and you have let your whisky cool down. Only then will you know if your whisky has suffered.

P.s. Nice Bowie quote!

Nice job catching it!

Thanks for your answer! I sure hope it's the antibiotic that's affecting my taste.

[Elagabalus]

I'm still telling on him!!!

[lambda]

I also lose my taste for alcohol when I have anti-biotics, even though most other food and drinks seem normal. A few months ago I had amoxicillin, and after that erythromycin (turned out I am allergic for the first, ouch) and in both cases alcohol tasted awful.

Laddie, do you have an explanation for this phenomenon? I searched the internet at that time, but couldn't find anything useful.

[TheLaddie]

I'm still telling on him!!!

The playground is a safer place for your vigilance E. Please keep up the good work

[TheLaddie]

I also lose my taste for alcohol when I have anti-biotics, even though most other food and drinks seem normal. A few months ago I had amoxicillin, and after that erythromycin (turned out I am allergic for the first, ouch) and in both cases alcohol tasted awful.

Laddie, do you have an explanation for this phenomenon? I searched the internet at that time, but couldn't find anything useful.

Hi Lambda

I've not seen anything in writing specifically about this (don't start Sion ) but there was an article comparing side effects of a new antibiotic with more established antibiotics, including effects on taste, but I can't access the full text without subscribing to the journal. There has been quite a bit of work done on quality of life in chemotherapy patients, in whom "taste perversion" is a common adverse effect. Chemotherapy can inhibit the immune response making it easier for some bacteria/yeasts to flourish in the mouth. As commensal bacteria (bacteria that normally live on/in the body) have an effect on the make up of saliva (particularly its pH) and saliva has an effect on taste, changes in the normal oral flora can affect taste.

Using antibiotics will kill off some of these commensal bacteria leaving those not killed (different antibiotics have actions against different sorts of bacteria) to proliferate (the fact that antibiotics kill off commensal bugs in the gut is why many people get the squits on antibiotics). One bug, the yeast candida albicans (thrush) often colonises the mouth if antibiotics are taken and certainly affects taste. His occurs particularly with broad spectrum antibiotics (those that have action against a wide range of bacteria) such as amoxycillin and penicillin.

Also antibiotics have a naturally bitter taste (this is why antibiotic syrups for kids are highly flavoured. My daughter was on some last week that tasted of lemon sherbert, yum) and of course whatever else you eat of drink affects how your whisky or wine tastes.

As for why this affects alcoholic drinks in particular I'm afraid I have no idea

[Deactivated Member]

As commensal bacteria (bacteria that normally live on/in the body) have an effect on the make up of saliva (particularly its pH) and saliva has an effect on taste, changes in the normal oral flora can affect taste.

Interesting...wouldn't you kill off a lot of these by regularly rinsing your mouth with something like, say, oh I don't know...WHISKY? (Or mouthwash, for that matter.) Might this explain some of the differences observed in weekend drammers as opposed to daily drammers? I'd thought that this was mostly due to some sort of acclimatisation to the strength alcohol, but I think you've opened up another avenue of inquiry.

Now why did I spell "acclimatisation" with an s?

[Elagabalus]

Alcohol supresses the immune system why would you drink when you are on anti biotics? HeLLo

[Muskrat Portage]

...Now why did I spell "acclimatisation" with an s?

You've been hanging around Canuckistan too long?

[Deactivated Member]

In answer to the original question: I don't know, but I can't think it's good for your whisky to be repeatedly heated and cooled. I suggest you get a proper glass and do the job by hand (oh now don't start), one dram at a time.

[TheLaddie]

Alcohol supresses the immune system why would you drink when you are on anti biotics? HeLLo

Only in excess.

[TheLaddie]

Now why did I spell "acclimatisation" with an s?

At least you picked up on it before Mr Picky got picked on in the playground.

[jimidrammer]

I had a round of antibiotics last week with the exact same results. Whisky all tasted the same, terrible. Beer and most foods seemed okay for the most part, but I just couldn't handle the taste of even my most favorite bottles. The experience passed as soon as the antibiotics cleared my system and all is back to normal. As for the heated bottle, it will probably be fine, maybe just sped up the oxidation process a bit. But then again Dalmore has that effect on me anyway, never could get it, although a 28yo Stillman's Dram bottle keeps staring at me at a store I frequent.

[les taylor]

jimidrammer wrote:-


although a 28yo Stillman's Dram bottle keeps staring at me at a store I frequent.


I know that feeling once a bottle has you under its power its very hard to resist it. Even though you might resist it. You wake up the next day thinking about it. Its terrible.

[sydfan]

I am very glad to know that others have had the same experience! Mainly because I tried my Highland Park 25 year and it was awful as well. That is what REALLY scared me!

[Rudy]

Hi sydfan,

Storing your whisky in the basement doesn’t really hurt.

Just two remarks:
1. In case you have an unchillfiltered whisky, there might be some solid parts due to the cold.
This is normal and these parts get fluid again at room temperature.

2. Do not put collector bottles in the basement. A friend of mine did and ruined the labels, since they got damp/wet during the sommer.

Just let the whisky get to room temperature in a ‘natural’ way, not with external heat.
That’s like nuking a deep frosted meal in 30 secs: it’s not really bad, but it doesn’t taste excellent either.

Have fun,
Rudy