Liquor -- heat damage?

[dls12]

A friend of mine recently sent me a bottle of Creme Yvette (55 proof) as a gift. Unfortunately he did not realize that I was out of town (and did not tell me about the gift) and so the bottle sat in a UPS facility for around 10 days before it could be delivered. To make matters worse, I live in a place with hot summers; so between the time spent in transit and the time in the UPS facility, the bottle has probably been at 100 degrees Fahrenheit for around two weeks. Given the duration, how seriously might the spirit have been damaged? The bottle was of course unopened during this time period, so that's a possible saving grace -- but the alcohol content is in the critical range, so I'm still concerned.

[ScoopKW]

Damaged as in toxic? Unlikely.

The violet flavor has probably fallen off considerably, though. I haven't had the new stuff, and I'm not old enough to remember the original.

I wouldn't bother laying it down. Pour a dram and let us know how it fared.

[bostonapothecary]

but the alcohol content is in the critical range, so I'm still concerned. an

the alcohol content is not in the critical range. you are above 20% so you are above the percentages that bacteria can grow in.

your bottle basically got "madeirized" aka "baked". madeira wine gets heat tortured like that for much longer and with less alcohol and lives to tell the tale... so madeirization can be a flaw or a feature, but most typically a flaw.

baking wine or spirits has its biggest influence on aroma. the quickest way to sum it up is that the aromas shift to the left or to the right from either the ordinary (aka boring) to the extraordinary or vice versa.

madeira usually becomes enigmatic, extraordinary and attractive while most dry wines become "raisiny", ordinary, and boring.

st. germain liqueur tends to madeirize pretty easy taking on a dark golden color, but it still tastes pretty good after that happens.

its definitely safe to drink so test it out and let us know what you think. good luck.

[dls12]

OK, bottle cracked open. Some crystallized sugar already on the rim of the bottle. Alcohol dominates the nose, ahead of the the violet. The violet is certainly there in the flavor, though not nearly as overpoweringly as in the R&W Creme de Violette. I'll guess I'll have to track down someone else in town with a bottle in order to see if this is how it's supposed to be....