Why is “older” whiskey generally considered better than “newer” whiskey? And does this apply to all alcohol?

Question

Why is “older” whiskey generally considered better than “newer” whiskey? And does this apply to all alcohol?

In: 5690

Answer 1

Everyone has answered, it’s the time it spends in the barrel that makes the flavor unique.

IMPORTANT THOUGH: once it’s bottled, the flavor won’t change. An 18-year Macallan that was bottled 5 years ago is still an 18-year Macallan. Not a 23-year Macallan.

Also, older doesn’t mean better. It’s just different. I’ve had some old scotches and the old ones aren’t always better.