'I opened whiskey saved for 17 years and instantly learned tough lesson'

We're all guilty of saving something 'for a special occasion' - but it turns out when doing so, we might just be ruining the very thing we're waiting for. One man came to learn this the hard way after saving a bottle of whiskey for 17 long years, only to be left disappointed when hecame to open it to enjoy its flavour.

Taking to Reddit, he explained how he stashed away a bottle of Jonnie Walker Green Label almost two decades ago - and completely forgot about it until recently. However, when he came to open it, he discovered the cork had completely disintegrated.

He told Newsweek: "Important lesson that I learned – the value of things changes over time. What was once very precious or hard to get, may have held a special place in our hearts/minds, may not really be that great once we go on and explore more or as we grow older."

READ MORE: 'My hydrangeas bloom non-stop thanks to one free kitchen scrap — not banana'

READ MORE: 'I'm naming my baby after an animal but people say it sounds irritating'

He went onto explain how he was gifted the bottle from a colleague in 2008 when he worked for a major IT company.

After working long hours together, his team members joined together to buy him a gift to thank him for his hard work and to show him their appreciation for his friendship.

Thankful for the gift, he decided to keep it to drink on a special occasion. But as time when on, the bottle started to collect dust at the back of his bar.

Recently, he came across the bottle and decided it was finally the right time to open it up and enjoy.

Despite its now crusty appearance, he admitted it still had a "nice" taste to it - but he has now learnt to enjoy things as they come rather than making himself wait for life's gifts.

Sharing methods to remove the cork without it dropping into the whiskey, one user suggested: "Simply rotating the bottle vertically to soak the cork for a few seconds every few weeks is enough to preserve the cork."

Another user added: "This happens frequently with old wine bottles (and just the random bad luck).

"If you don't already have one get an Ah-So wine opener. Always keep some coffee filters on hand, and then decant the wine/whiskey into a new bottle to filter out any cork bits that fall down into the bottle."

A third user said: "A bottle corkscrew pops these right out. If a piece breaks off it's not a big deal."

One more user added: "Ideally you let the bottle sit still for as long as you can so anything and everything settles down the siphon it in another bottle using a pipe can find on Amazon or local shop selling chemistry lab stuff for schools).

"Just use the same method people use to steal petrol from your bike and car. Getting the lure good stiff out while letting the dirt stay where it is. This method is also used when brewing your own beer."