Does the ethanol used in labs stay pure forever? I just opened a bottle of sealed ethanol that was purchased in 2015 and it kind of smells different. Does ethanol expire after certain time of storage?
Ethanol will indeed absorb water (although I doubt any "bonds will be broken"), but will not explain the smell. Many times another alcohol is added, e.g. methanol or isopropanol, to prevent people from drinking the ethanol, take a good look at the label on the bottle and see if this is the case