People often find the easy way out and don't care much about storing and presenting their alcohol as long as they get to drink it. Well, you can't call them real drinkers, and you’ve to accept the fact that you're not one if that is how you treat your expensive liquor. A real drinker would know the importance of using a decanter for their wine and whiskey, especially if they have a home bar.

If you're not sure why exactly you need a decanter for your liquor, don't worry as this article has got you covered. Whiskey and wine decanters have been present since the late 80s, and you've probably even seen them in many movies.

It's time to start using them for all your liquor to accentuate your home bar and take your drinking experience to the next level. Decanters play an important role in maintaining the quality and consistency of your liquor, especially when it comes to storing wine. So stick around and read further below to find out the importance of using decanters for your wine and whiskey.

Importance of Using a Decanter for Wine and Whiskey

The reason for storing wine in a decanter is quite debatable. Decanters can help preserve the taste of the wine you have stored, or it can also deteriorate its consistency. The oxygen levels do tend to trigger the wine. Wine usually comes with an alcohol level between 11 and 15 percent, sometimes higher, and exposure to oxygen might cause issues in your internal system. If you notice how wine decanters appear, the specific design encourages the exposure between air and the liquid.

On the other hand, when it comes to storing whiskey, you don't have to bother about its interaction with air. Whiskey tends to age on its own time, and even if you store a century-old whiskey, it will remain pure and safe to drink. That is the beauty of whiskey, and only hardcore whiskey drinkers will understand this. Whiskey has higher alcohol content than wine, and when something has much higher alcohol content, the reaction from oxidation doesn't hit that much. Whiskey does tend to change within time, but you don't have to worry much about it.

Aesthetics is one of the major reasons why people give so much preference to buying decanters for their wine and whiskey. Many people are unaware of the oxidation but favor aesthetics more than the other reasons. If you're a home bar owner, you will know that serving whiskey or wine through a decanter makes it more exciting to drink, and you just sense a royal and chivalrous vibe.

Decanters help add more quality to your home bar and drinking style. The design of the decanter also helps serve justice to the high-quality liquor you're drinking or serving. The appearance of alcohol is also another reason, especially for whiskey. Different colored decanters help preserve the texture and color of the wine and whiskey. If you want to enhance the appearance of your liquor, the only way to do that is by getting a decanter.

Difference between a Wine and Whiskey Decanter

Many people are still unaware that you can’t store both whiskey and wine in one type of decanter. Whiskey and wine both have different types of decanters. There is no hard and fast rule that you have to store it in a specific decanter; you can choose to store wine even in a whiskey decanter, but reading the differences below will help you understand why you should avoid doing that.

1. The Design and Shape

Whiskey decanters mostly have a square-like shape with a bold stopper and a smooth base-like surface. Most of them aren't square-cut, but you will also come across the diamond and globe-shaped whiskey decanters. These types of decanters help showcase the subtle caramel color of whiskey in an elegant way.

Wine decanters come in different shapes; some have modified complex designs, while some are pretty general and simple. If you go for a unique wine decanter with a rounded base, you will notice how it highlights the color of wine, especially red wine.

2. The Stopper

While some might not give much preference to the stopper, it is one of the most important features in a wine and whiskey decanter, especially when it comes to maintaining the quality of liquor. Wine needs to make contact with air, this doesn't mean it shouldn't have a stopper at all, but it should have one that's wide enough for some air to pass through it.

When it comes to whiskey, stoppers are quite essential as whiskey doesn't need air to achieve the right decanting process. The taste and quality of the whiskey get better as it ages; hence the stopper is more of a storage purpose for whiskey.

3. Size

The size of whiskey decanters is much smaller compared to wine decanters. Whiskey is mostly drunk in smaller proportions, and it is said that whiskey is a much heavier drink than wine. Hence, the shape of the decanter suits the weight of whiskey.

Wine decanters are much bigger and wider compared to whiskey decanters. This is because wine needs more air for it to be well-nourished. Most of the wine decanters are made from heavy glass and not crystal lead. Lead is a chemical that could cause a harmful reaction in your internal system if it interacts with wine; hence wine decanters are always lead-free.

Wine decanters are also much light compared to whiskey decanters. Hence, you can easily move wine decanters around different tables without struggle and be as careful as you are when carrying whiskey decanter.

Conclusion

Knowing the purpose and difference between a wine and whiskey decanter is quite essential, especially if you own a home bar or plan to get one soon. You must always educate yourself on how to take care of alcohol as you're the one consuming it, and you wouldn't want anything to go wrong. On the other hand, both whiskey and wine are expensive types of liquor; hence you would want to do your best to preserve and serve it.