Heya! Just wondering -- I was recently given a few bottles of Sherry.
Each of these bottles were purchased ~25 years ago. Are these possibly
still good? I think they were mostly stored upright. Any chance of
getting sick drinking them, or is the alcohol content high enough to
prevent anything from growing in it?

Once you open Sherry, how long does it keep? Is it like wine, or like
whiskey?

Thanks!

-R

There are several types of Sherry. Some of the dryer types such as Fino
need to be drunk soon. They can become stale tasting within a matter of
months, but they will not harm you if you can stand the taste. Some
fuller types such as Oloroso can last much longer in bottle before
becoming stale tasting. Some of these are very sweet and labeled Cream
Sherry. Depending on the type of Sherry, it can be fortified with brandy
to bring the alcohol up to near 20%. Thus it can be nearly twice as
strong as light table wine. Even if the 25 year old Sherry is stale
tasting, it will not make you sick. It may have some sediment that may
not look or taste very good if you stir it up, so pour the wine very
carefully. So the thing to do is open a bottle and try it. It might
still be good. Most Sherry is not extremely expensive and usually does
not increase in value much once in bottle. Sherry ages best in cask.

My mailbox is always full to avoid spam. To contact me, erase
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There are several types of Sherry. Some of the dryer types such as Fino
need to be drunk soon. They can become stale tasting within a matter of
months, but they will not harm you if you can stand the taste. Some
fuller types such as Oloroso can last much longer in bottle before
becoming stale tasting. Some of these are very sweet and labeled Cream
Sherry. Depending on the type of Sherry, it can be fortified with brandy
to bring the alcohol up to near 20%. Thus it can be nearly twice as
strong as light table wine. Even if the 25 year old Sherry is stale
tasting, it will not make you sick. It may have some sediment that may
not look or taste very good if you stir it up, so pour the wine very
carefully. So the thing to do is open a bottle and try it. It might
still be good. Most Sherry is not extremely expensive and usually does
not increase in value much once in bottle. Sherry ages best in cask.

My mailbox is always full to avoid spam. To contact me, erase
from my email address. Then add . I do not
check this box every day, so post if you need a quick response.

In oups.com,
Chaka > typed:

> Heya! Just wondering -- I was recently given a few bottles of
> Sherry.
> Each of these bottles were purchased ~25 years ago. Are these
> possibly still good? I think they were mostly stored upright.
> Any
> chance of getting sick drinking them,


No, no chance of getting sick (unless, as with any alcoholic
beverage, you drink too much of it). Open and try them. They may
or may not taste good, but they won't poison you.


> or is the alcohol content high
> enough to prevent anything from growing in it?


It's not just sherry, with it's higher alcoholic content. No wine
turns into poison as it gets older. It just doesn't taste as
good.


> Once you open Sherry, how long does it keep? Is it like wine,
> or like
> whiskey?


Sherry isn't *like* wine, it *is* wine, although once opened, it
usually keeps longer than other wines. It does not keep like
whiskey does.

--
Ken Blake
Please reply to the newsgroup

In oups.com,
Chaka > typed:

> Heya! Just wondering -- I was recently given a few bottles of
> Sherry.
> Each of these bottles were purchased ~25 years ago. Are these
> possibly still good? I think they were mostly stored upright.
> Any
> chance of getting sick drinking them,


No, no chance of getting sick (unless, as with any alcoholic
beverage, you drink too much of it). Open and try them. They may
or may not taste good, but they won't poison you.


> or is the alcohol content high
> enough to prevent anything from growing in it?


It's not just sherry, with it's higher alcoholic content. No wine
turns into poison as it gets older. It just doesn't taste as
good.


> Once you open Sherry, how long does it keep? Is it like wine,
> or like
> whiskey?


Sherry isn't *like* wine, it *is* wine, although once opened, it
usually keeps longer than other wines. It does not keep like
whiskey does.

--
Ken Blake
Please reply to the newsgroup