Does Air ACTUALLY Change Whiskey!? | Smoke Wagon Uncut Unfiltered BLIND REVIEW & WILD REACTIONS

[@chandler49]

Just a thought, sometimes when watching the blind reviews I have trouble keeping up with which glass is which. If it's not too much hassle in post, maybe put a small label in the corner of the screen with what you're currently drinking while you're drinking it. I think it would go a long way with being able to follow along with your tasting notes.

[@stuffandwhiskey]

We’ve considered it before and will revisit the idea as we transition into the new studio space if we can find a clean way to implement it on screen. We always make sure Glass 1 is the first bottle listed in the title and pictured in the thumbnail and Glass 2 is always second for quick and easy reference as well. Cheers and thanks for watching!

[@robertjason6885]

Y’all nailed this… younger brother older brother… little bro big bro. Well done!

[@jimidrammer4187]

I review new bottles on "Neck Pour" then revise weeks or months later any changes, most improve or mellow. "Fresh Crack" is probably something entirely different.

[@marktraveler8569]

This is freakin’ Awesome! And I just picked up my first bottle in Fort Collins and am sipping this as I watch this video. I was just thinking “I wish this whiskey would grow up”, for real. There is Hope! Because I was a little disappointed, and Kurt recommended this over on SLB, you know? Your reactions rock. Thank you guys 👊

[@JeffUm]

The change over time, is one of the best parts of the experience of drinking a bottle. Excellent video. Ty

[@stuffandwhiskey]

Well said!

[@robertjason6885]

Exactly why I pour off about 2-3oz for use in my BBQ spritz bottle. Accomplishes 2 things. But as Josh said, from that point just enjoy your whisky… and the resulting change.

[@Scott-co4dq]

This video prompted me to pour from 2 bottles that had been opened for a little while - a Smoke Wagon UCUF and a Jack Daniels SiBBP. It improved the SW but the JD felt and tasted like a banana bread / peanut butter Stagg Jr. ! Dang, did that bottle mellow nicely - rich, flavorful and easy to sip at >130 proof. I may try this experiment again with the Smoke Wagon sometime later as I have an opened and unopened bottle both of the same batch # 101.

[@kevingalloway1684]

Love the blind tasting! You guys are becoming one of my favorite whiskey channels! I love the honest reviews and I always leave smiling and feeling good! Please keep them coming, you guys make my day!

[@stuffandwhiskey]

And you made our day with this comment, Kevin! Thank you for the kind words and for watching!

[@dattexboy]

One of the better channels on KZbin. I see the progress without the “feeling yourself” that usually turns me off other channels. Keep it up guys.

[@stuffandwhiskey]

Thanks so much Anthony! We take the production of the channel content seriously, but we definitely don't take ourselves very seriously, and we're always glad when that shows through. We always want our videos to feel like it does when we're hanging out with friends in person, and that rarely involves much seriousness. Cheers and thanks for watching!

[@lionelg4648]

Would love a neck pour, mid pour and end pour battle

[@briancopple4238]

Love this video! You Both crack me up, you are both professional in my opinion!

[@swopeti]

Examples like this is why i get excited when the 1st pour from a bottle of something new is good i am thinking about wow in a few months this will be fantastic.

[@musicmakesmefeelgood-b4e]

Blind this against Doc Swinson Blenders cut and Stellum. Stellum came on top for me.

[@robbiedaniels2164]

I love these types of blinds. So interesting! Hope to see more of them.

[@markwood2452]

Fresh crack/neck pour is a thing. I had a Nashville barrel that was jalapeño pepper on the first few pours which was good but kinda shocking and after the bottle was open for a while it settled into a more traditional bourbon profile.

[@stuffandwhiskey]

Air definitely helps those NBC bottles in our experience!

[@markwood2452]

@@stuffandwhiskey the best is the bottle that’s fantastic on the first pour and then only gets better from there. I can’t think of one example where a bottle got progressively worse after being opened that wasn’t already not great from the get go.

[@RobertMichaelStewart]

I must say my bottle of Smoke Wagon uncut/unfiltered batch 129 December 21 2021 the neck pour wasn't near as good as after it opened up.... Loved this review!

[@sethjohnson2287]

I opened my bottle of SWUU and I got dates on the nose and palate. Such an interesting and unique experience. When I revisited, it was just regular ol' bourbon. So I probably won't pick another up. Was fun while it lasted.

[@stuffandwhiskey]

It’s fun to see how a bottle changes over time but it’s a bummer if that changes is for the worse.

[@a.w.3480]

SWUU is pretty notorious for improving with some air (most whiskies will change a good bit for better or worse).

[@kane6106]

I will never understand people who claim no difference between air/no air. Um, chem 101 will tell you about evaporation and how it will change what's in the bottle lol. Good video.

[@dustinstober9647]

Love my SW UCUF!!! Got batch 134d Feb 6, 2022 57.94%

[@stefanschwalenberg8320]

The next thing you two should do is make differently aged (maybe 1 month and 4 months) samples from the same bottle and taste them together to see if there's a sweet spot for air exposure. And Josh, you were never gonna put that episode back on track... that train completely jumped whatever tracks on which it was running.

[@stuffandwhiskey]

Haha, you're not wrong Stefan, it was a full derail pretty much right from the get go. 😂

[@phildrenckpohl4564]

I see a big difference in open for a month vs fresh crack bottles... Henry M, 1792 Full Proof, Eagle Rare, EH Taylor, all improved... So now I open add 2oz to a infinity bottle and put it on deck for a month before bringing it into rotation

[@LeatherDaddy97]

Henry mckenna in my experience is extremely different on fresh cracks

[@stuffandwhiskey]

That’s a SOLID idea, Phil! How’s the infinity bottle?

[@phildrenckpohl4564]

@@stuffandwhiskey luv it... Every time it gets full I pour off a small Mason jar... The flavor morphs each phase and now is 6th generation and 46 bottles... Created a spreadsheet so I know age, mash, and proof averages, sometimes making best guess when that info is unavailable

[@phildrenckpohl4564]

@@stuffandwhiskey I did have a conflict the other day, the bottle was so tasty I considered a total pour off to capture the incredible flavor... But alas that would be a fail to the spirit of the infinity bottle... My spreadsheet has a gold, silver, bronze, rankings and a rebuy column saved me the other day when considering a bottle, looked at the spreadsheet and didn't get recommendations

[@ranman1959]

I always turn my bottle upside down so the neck pour is at the bottom of the bottle. 🙂 Another whiskeytube channel did something similar to this a while back, using two bottles of M10 from the same barrel. IIRC, all three guys on the channel preferred the bottle after some air. The bottle that changed the most for me after some air time was ECTB; hated it at first, loved it after about a month after opening it.

[@DBTdad]

I also upturn my bottles before opening. It's a habit now. If a fresh crack isn't to my expectations I put in the back of my liquor cabinet for a few months. It always seems to improve over time.

[@jasoncoates1835]

"Neckpour" doesn't mean a literal pour from the neck, it just means the first pour from a freshly-opened bottle. You can shake it like a cocktail if you want to, the first pour will still be a neckpour. This is about getting some liquid out of the bottle, increasing the amount of air inside, and getting some evaporation going. The more headspace & the more times you open the bottle (and cycle out the vapors in that headspace) the more your bottle will develop over time... in theory. (And, based on this video, other videos, and my own personal experience, it's not a myth.)

[@CAP10CAVEMAN]

Best review I’ve seen on a novel concept.

[@stuffandwhiskey]

Thanks Mitch! We'd always rather show than tell, and thought this played out in a very interesting way. Glad you enjoyed. Cheers!

[@WhiskyForBeginners]

I'm left handed, and it always looks so weird to me when people start with the glass on their right. 😂

[@davidbayse5320]

Totally agree air changes and usually for the better. Thou have had bottles I loved turned very tannic and to the bad. Thanks for video

[@stuffandwhiskey]

Always a bummer when a bottle turns for the worst. Thanks for watching David! Cheers!

[@jeffdavenport8104]

"HOLD ON!!!" Quite a cool experiment guys. Another great video!

[@stuffandwhiskey]

Haha, still trying to wrap our heads around this one. It was such a blast to shoot and we think that comes through. Cheers Jeff!

[@Bill.K.]

Great video!

[@michaelhoffer9172]

Always enjoy y'all's videos and glad I got to witness Josh's "fresh crack" epiphany. Going to have to re-visit a couple bottles that I thought were just okay when I first tasted them and see how they are now. Cheers!

[@stuffandwhiskey]

Gotta revisit those bottles “for science” for sure. Cheers Mike!

[@chad1781]

I literally laughed out loud at the outtakes. Great video!

[@stuffandwhiskey]

Haha, glad to have brought some laughter into your day, Chad. Cheers buddy!

[@milessakauye8819]

I've noticed some lower proof bottles not getting better with air. So maybe higher proof bottles allow the proof of the bottle to stay at a higher level after repeated openings. Have you tried exposing 80 proof to air? If so, what did you find?

[@stuffandwhiskey]

We haven’t but you can count on us getting a lower proof bottle in our sample pool under the same guidelines to see what happens!

[@JaredHardwick]

Best outtakes ever. Appreciate what you guys are doing. Keep it up!

[@stuffandwhiskey]

Thanks so much Jared! Cheers and thanks for watching!

[@onggia850]

Most bottles I ever had improved as the bottle gets to about halfway.

[@elknmuleys]

Hahahaha loved the reveal reaction.

[@TRob_1964]

While I have experienced the same situation numerous times (the bottle usually get better after some time open and drinking them down allowing more air in). I did have 1 bottle (a hard to get limited bottle I paid $125 dollars for) that got worse after about 6 months of being open. It got very oaky and bitter on the finish. Great video y'all.

[@stuffandwhiskey]

Aw man, Tim, sorry to hear that!

[@camodown]

I have that same batch 62 and it’s almost gone.

[@stuffandwhiskey]

It's a great bottle. Enjoy!

[@dattexboy]

I actually prefer the Small Batch and imma proof hound so I was surprised

[@stuffandwhiskey]

Right!? The Small Batch from Smoke Wagon is VERY underrated. It's taken out some heavy hitters in blind tastings for us.

[@ejf8350]

Most times when i open a bottle, I can smell it from a few feet away. Something is obviously escaping the bottle. So is it the air in the bottle that causes the change, or is it the cumulative effect of opening the bottle multiple times with molecules escaping from it over a fair period of time? Or both? Well, whatever it is usually makes my my bottles taste better. Sometimes the universe just hands us a win.

[@89sooner]

Jason at The Mash and Drum did a take on this a few months back, and he came down on alcohol evaporation over oxidation. Obviously others have gone the other way (and sadly, I assume there are a few that think that "the neck pour," the top smidge of the liquid is different than the rest...glad their bottles never once tilted in the truck, in the back seat, in one's hands). It was a bottle of ECTB that I really didn't like on crack that made me an acolyte of change...based on my experience...I am always down with some science!

[@billjoynes3433]

I find most bourbons to at least slightly change with a little air time or a bit of water.. 🥃 Cheers

[@Robert.Sheard]

When you break away to spend time with the two glasses, how long are we talking about?

[@stuffandwhiskey]

GREAT question! Sometimes it’s 5 minutes and sometimes it’s 15. We’re actually going to address that in each video specifically (an overlay for transition purposes with a “5 minutes later” note) when we start filming in the new studio this weekend. Those head-to-heads will start releasing in mid-October.

[@jonpasser3866]

Peanut butter & Jelly with Cheese itz on the sandwich!!!

[@roscoepcoltrane23]

Bourbon yes definitely gets better with air. Scotch is the same from beginning to end. Don’t really understand why but that’s my experience.

[@stuffandwhiskey]

Interesting! We’ll have to run some Scotch experiments (for science of course).

[@roscoepcoltrane23]

For science that’s right.

[@lilannalucey]

You guys got all dressed up for this one. I feel bad wearing a tank top and gym shorts eating a donut. But hey, #WFH. As an engineer I love the controlled experiment. There's so many flavor and aroma compounds that all react differently to oxygen and ethanol concentrations that will all vary over time. I guess it's very similar to aging stouts and barley wines. Some compounds break down slowly changing the over-all profile. And the proof definitely decreases as the ethanol evaporates. Erin, I just watched my 6yo eat a bag of puffy cheetos for "breakfast". You have similar snack interests. I prefer the regular (aka crunchy) ones. And A++ on the bloopers this time. Did this happen to be the last video in a batch, perhaps?

[@stuffandwhiskey]

This comment got diverted to the “held for review” folder for some reason. Good question on the filming placement. We’d have to check but it seems likely. 😂

[@Black43Rose]

You are a lucky man, 😊my friend.

[@89sooner]

Hah, no! Sibling politics... Love me bourbon experiments and science (like a recent-ish Whiskey Tribe video that had some fancy camera on a glass when a dash of water was added...crazy reaction, not just dilution)! Also so fun to see how palates and vocabularies have changed over the course of the channel...oh, experience! To Erin's point at 14 minutes...for a known banger...pour half into a decanter, and then wait with both...obviously not happening, but still? Even though not in my market, agree on Smoke Wagon (and pretty much everywhere, Barrell/Stellum and the like) and the FOMO/secondary fight.

[@stuffandwhiskey]

Ooooo we love the decanter idea David! That’s brilliant!

[@JohnKay79]

Same but different is similar.

[@patrickq7489]

Change does not mean better. I've had bottles I liked more at the beginning than the end.

[@XirpEleswyr]

Personally, bottle 2's consumer score for me is a thumbs down, because if someone's tryin to sell me a half empty open bottle of it for 70$ i'd ask where the other half went ;)

[@stuffandwhiskey]

😂 😂 touche Nathan!

[@drgallup]

Whiskey gets exposed to air throughout the entire production process from the mash to the still and particularly in the barrel. For YEARS. So obviously it is not exposure to air that is responsible for the difference you observed. I think it is the fact that the mixture has many different compounds with different vapor pressures. So the more volatile compounds leave the liquid over time in the open bottle and are lost. I've definitely had bottles that were open too long with too little in them and they went to hell. I had an Elijah Craig small batch from the days when it had a 12 year age statement that I was keeping as a reference bottle. The cork shrank and lost it's seal and the whiskey stank and had sediment, I had to dump it down the drain. So a little loss of the light ends might make a smoother, richer tasting whiskey but too much and it's garbage.

[@joemajor2553]

Drain the neck!

[@LeatherDaddy97]

And this is one of many reasons that you guys are whiskey tribe but much better

[@stuffandwhiskey]

That’s high praise to even be mentioned in the same sentence as them. Thanks man!

[@LeatherDaddy97]

@@stuffandwhiskey i mean....depends who you ask

[@stuffandwhiskey]

@@LeatherDaddy97 as with anything. We just appreciate you supporting from the get go. Cheers!