Why is “older” whiskey generally considered better than “newer” whiskey? And does this apply to all alcohol?
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Chemical changes happen as the whiskey sits around, which alter the taste. Some of that is the whiskey absorbing flavors, smells, and colors from the wood barrel it’s stored in, and some is chemical components in the whiskey being created and destroyed without interacting with the wood.
Lots of people prefer the taste of old whiskey. But you can’t just decide to make more old whiskey for tomorrow. So there’s often more people wanting old whiskey than there is old whiskey available, and that shortage drives up the price.
The same applies to wine but not to beer. The lower alcohol content of beer means it doesn’t always last as long in storage, and hops flavors change in storage in ways that fewer people like.
Only partially applies to wine.
Wine will peak, and then eventually go bad. Different types of wine peak at different ages. Some wines might peak at 5 years, others at 20+ years.
This does not apply to all alcohol, only to spirits that are aged in barrels.
A barrel is (generally) charred on the inside and whiskey, rum, tequila, brandy, etc poured in for aging.
This spirit inside seeps into the wood. When it is warm (day, summer) the wood expands and more spirits seeps in. When it is cold (night, winter), the wood contracts and the spirit is pushed back into the barrel.
This is how the spirit gets its color and predominant flavors (notes of vanilla, caramel, butterscotch, chocolate, tobacco, etc).
The spirit is not pure alcohol; a large part of it is water. Water molecules are smaller than alcohol molecules, and so more water gets into the wood than alcohol. Some of this reaches all the way to the outer edge of the barrel and evaporates (the “angel’s share”). This has two effects: since more water evaporates than alcohol, the spirit inside the barrel goes up in alcohol/proof over time. That’s why you get labels and products offered at “cask strength”. But also, the older an aged spirit is, the less there is in the barrel when it comes time to bottle.
So, generally, well aged spirits have smoother and more complex flavors, higher alcohol content if bottled at cask strength (as opposed to having water added prior to bottling to lower the proof), take more time to produce and yield less product the longer they are aged, so they also must cost more.
This does not apply to all alcohol, only to spirits that are aged in barrels.
A barrel is (generally) charred on the inside and whiskey, rum, tequila, brandy, etc poured in for aging.
This spirit inside seeps into the wood. When it is warm (day, summer) the wood expands and more spirits seeps in. When it is cold (night, winter), the wood contracts and the spirit is pushed back into the barrel.
This is how the spirit gets its color and predominant flavors (notes of vanilla, caramel, butterscotch, chocolate, tobacco, etc).
The spirit is not pure alcohol; a large part of it is water. Water molecules are smaller than alcohol molecules, and so more water gets into the wood than alcohol. Some of this reaches all the way to the outer edge of the barrel and evaporates (the “angel’s share”). This has two effects: since more water evaporates than alcohol, the spirit inside the barrel goes up in alcohol/proof over time. That’s why you get labels and products offered at “cask strength”. But also, the older an aged spirit is, the less there is in the barrel when it comes time to bottle.
So, generally, well aged spirits have smoother and more complex flavors, higher alcohol content if bottled at cask strength (as opposed to having water added prior to bottling to lower the proof), take more time to produce and yield less product the longer they are aged, so they also must cost more.
Just wanna chime in and say that most people seriously into whisky don’t consider age to be a defining factor of quality.
Older whiskeys are more expensive than younger whiskeys because it costs money for a barrel to take up warehouse space and more and more evaporates over time.
Generally, the longer a whisky ages, the flavors become more mellow and it takes more of the flavor from the barrel. This usually results in an older whisky tasting more mild than a younger one. I guess it could also take too much flavor from the barrel too if it is aged too long for the type of barrel.
It’s all a matter of taste. There are whisky fans out there that really enjoy some of the punchier, more intense flavors that you can only find in a younger whisky.
A lot of people enjoy the milder “smoother” flavor of a more aged whisky.
Also there’s a prestige factor with older whiskeys. They are more expensive so the price is associated with quality and rarity. There aren’t that many 30 yr old scotches out there and the ones that exist are pretty expensive.
Just wanna chime in and say that most people seriously into whisky don’t consider age to be a defining factor of quality.
Older whiskeys are more expensive than younger whiskeys because it costs money for a barrel to take up warehouse space and more and more evaporates over time.
Generally, the longer a whisky ages, the flavors become more mellow and it takes more of the flavor from the barrel. This usually results in an older whisky tasting more mild than a younger one. I guess it could also take too much flavor from the barrel too if it is aged too long for the type of barrel.
It’s all a matter of taste. There are whisky fans out there that really enjoy some of the punchier, more intense flavors that you can only find in a younger whisky.
A lot of people enjoy the milder “smoother” flavor of a more aged whisky.
Also there’s a prestige factor with older whiskeys. They are more expensive so the price is associated with quality and rarity. There aren’t that many 30 yr old scotches out there and the ones that exist are pretty expensive.
It applies to some but not all alcohol. A friend of mine brews mead (basically honey wine) and letting it age is very important for taste. After 3 months of aging it is very harsh and has a lot of the “stank” mead is known for. By 6 months the stank has mellowed out and it approaches the quality of a cheaper mead you can find at bevmo. At 1 year the stank is much more subtle, the alcohol burn is reduced, and the flavor of the honey and whatever else you added will shine through everything else.
The best mead I ever had was made with rose petals as the only added flavor other than honey, and it was aged for 4 years. It blew store bought mead out of the water, had almost no alcohol burn, and the stank was barely even noticeable. It was more than worthy of filling an entire tankard with.
Couple general notes: While older whiskey is considered a nicer product, it won’t develop in a bottle. Opened booze will also go bad, and while you can keep an open bottle of hard stuff for quite a while, alcohol will evaporate and the flavor will deteriorate. Open wine will also turn sour fairly quick and wine bottles (closed ones) won’t keep forever. Sparking wine in particular spoils fairly quickly and you shouldn’t keep it around for too long.
€dit: Don’t drink that bottle of wine of the year you were born once you turn 18/21, keep it as a keepsake.
Couple general notes: While older whiskey is considered a nicer product, it won’t develop in a bottle. Opened booze will also go bad, and while you can keep an open bottle of hard stuff for quite a while, alcohol will evaporate and the flavor will deteriorate. Open wine will also turn sour fairly quick and wine bottles (closed ones) won’t keep forever. Sparking wine in particular spoils fairly quickly and you shouldn’t keep it around for too long.
€dit: Don’t drink that bottle of wine of the year you were born once you turn 18/21, keep it as a keepsake.
It applies to some but not all alcohol. A friend of mine brews mead (basically honey wine) and letting it age is very important for taste. After 3 months of aging it is very harsh and has a lot of the “stank” mead is known for. By 6 months the stank has mellowed out and it approaches the quality of a cheaper mead you can find at bevmo. At 1 year the stank is much more subtle, the alcohol burn is reduced, and the flavor of the honey and whatever else you added will shine through everything else.
The best mead I ever had was made with rose petals as the only added flavor other than honey, and it was aged for 4 years. It blew store bought mead out of the water, had almost no alcohol burn, and the stank was barely even noticeable. It was more than worthy of filling an entire tankard with.
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