Does tequila taste different after it has been in a flask? We were asked that question recently, and decided to find out.
After doing some online research, we learned that there was no clear obvious answer – other than “it depends on the flask.” If the flask is cheap, and made of inferior metals, there’s a chance that it could affect the taste of the tequila inside it.
Right after we moved to Mexico City, we bought a cool-looking flask we found in a store near our apartment. Having never owned a flask before, I guess we just thought all were created equal, and didn’t worry about the details.
We reasoned that since tequila is stored at a distillery, often for long periods of time, in large stainless steel containers – that there shouldn’t be any effect on the taste as long as the flask is made from the same quality metal.
To get ready for our experiment, we loaded up the flask with a tequila that we know and love – one we are very familiar with – Fortaleza blanco. We let it sit in the flask for over a month.
As you can see by watching the video, the results were mixed. Scarlet and I weren’t able to detect any difference in aroma between tequila straight from the bottle and the same tequila from the flask.
When we tasted it, Scarlet didn’t notice much of a difference – but I felt there was some change to the finish. It became a little rougher late in the finish – something that’s not normally present in the super-smooth Fortaleza blanco.
I can only assume that our flask isn’t constructed with the best of metals. But even so, storing tequila in it for a fun night out will probably not show any difference in taste – even after a month in the flask, the change was barely detectable. (Especially by Scarlet, and everyone knows she has the tasting skills in the family.)
I just won’t be using it for long-term storage, that’s for sure.
— Grover
If it is a pewter flask, which a lot of flasks are, it will almost certainly take on a much different taste profile, due to the presence of lead in the alloy. Tequila is slightly acidic, and acid in liquid dissolves lead, which will lead to lead poisoning. That is why you never put juices in a pewter container. ServSafe 101.
Careful there… for instance there hasn’t been lead incorporated into English pewter (one of the biggest pewter working countries around) since the 70s. Any modern day pewter flask is going to be lead free… not counting some Chinese junk flask that could contain who knows what.
I have noticed a definite metallic twang after a few days in a stainless steel flask. Might be the lead in the solder or welds used to seal it.
I now use exclusively plastic flasks-not the hard plastic, but the soft, collapsible ones sometimes called cruise flasks. They can be collapsed to remove the air which also affects the taste and they impart NO flavor to the contents, whether the finest tequila or 30 year-old scotch!
As far as I know you should never leave any liquor in a flask for longer then maybe 4 days, 5 at most anyway, so the whole month thing seems meaningless.
Even if that old advice I had been given is tall tale, I doubt many people ever leave liquor in a flask longer then a few days anyway.
Would love to hear results if you did it after leaving it in there 4 hours, 12 hours, 24 hours and then jump to say 72.
I think that would give you a more real world and proper basis.
Just read my comment back, didn’t mean it to sound so dickish lol, sorry.
Stumbled on your site tonight and I truly love it you guys are great, been reading it for hours now haha.
One request, can you add a search function?
Peace out!
Store alcohol 3 days max in a flask.