Why is “older” whiskey generally considered better than “newer” whiskey? And does this apply to all alcohol?
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Time does allow for things to change flavor. Holding things for a long time costs time(obviously), money, space, and rescources.
-This makes it more expensive
-people attribute expensive with “better” – *especially* with alcohol.
Most of what makes alcohols “better” is just thinking its better due to its difficulty to produce and its rarity. They put this stuff in fancy bottles to convince you even more. They jack up the price to even further convince you.
Yes, you can taste it when it’s “older” up to a certain point. No, this does not necessarily make it better. Yes, you will upset many people by saying that. There have been studies. Fight me.
Time does allow for things to change flavor. Holding things for a long time costs time(obviously), money, space, and rescources.
-This makes it more expensive
-people attribute expensive with “better” – *especially* with alcohol.
Most of what makes alcohols “better” is just thinking its better due to its difficulty to produce and its rarity. They put this stuff in fancy bottles to convince you even more. They jack up the price to even further convince you.
Yes, you can taste it when it’s “older” up to a certain point. No, this does not necessarily make it better. Yes, you will upset many people by saying that. There have been studies. Fight me.
Whiskey is a type of alcohol that is made by aging a fermented mash of grains, typically including barley, corn, rye, or wheat, in oak barrels. As whiskey ages in the barrels, it takes on the flavors and aromas of the wood, as well as the other components in the barrel, such as vanillin and tannins.
One reason why older whiskey is generally considered better than newer whiskey is that the longer the whiskey ages, the more time it has to interact with the oak barrels and develop complex flavors and aromas. This aging process also allows the harsher flavors of the whiskey to mellow out over time. Additionally, older whiskey is often associated with higher quality because it takes more time, effort, and investment to produce, and older whiskeys are often produced in smaller batches, which can make them more rare and valuable.
This principle doesn’t necessarily apply to all types of alcohol. For example, some types of alcohol, such as white rum or gin, are typically consumed when they are relatively young and fresh, without any aging. Other types of alcohol, such as wine, may benefit from aging to some extent, but the optimal aging time varies depending on the type of wine, the vintage, and the storage conditions.
Whiskey is a type of alcohol that is made by aging a fermented mash of grains, typically including barley, corn, rye, or wheat, in oak barrels. As whiskey ages in the barrels, it takes on the flavors and aromas of the wood, as well as the other components in the barrel, such as vanillin and tannins.
One reason why older whiskey is generally considered better than newer whiskey is that the longer the whiskey ages, the more time it has to interact with the oak barrels and develop complex flavors and aromas. This aging process also allows the harsher flavors of the whiskey to mellow out over time. Additionally, older whiskey is often associated with higher quality because it takes more time, effort, and investment to produce, and older whiskeys are often produced in smaller batches, which can make them more rare and valuable.
This principle doesn’t necessarily apply to all types of alcohol. For example, some types of alcohol, such as white rum or gin, are typically consumed when they are relatively young and fresh, without any aging. Other types of alcohol, such as wine, may benefit from aging to some extent, but the optimal aging time varies depending on the type of wine, the vintage, and the storage conditions.
Age of whiskey doesn’t mean it’s older. It’s about how long it sat in wooden barrels. The contact with the wood mellows the harshness an imparts color and flavor. Once it’s in the bottle, not much is happening (so long as the bottle is sealed)
If you buy a 4 year aged bottle of bourbon and leave it on the shelf for 20 years, you have a very dusty bottle of 4 year old bourbon.
Age of whiskey doesn’t mean it’s older. It’s about how long it sat in wooden barrels. The contact with the wood mellows the harshness an imparts color and flavor. Once it’s in the bottle, not much is happening (so long as the bottle is sealed)
If you buy a 4 year aged bottle of bourbon and leave it on the shelf for 20 years, you have a very dusty bottle of 4 year old bourbon.
Spirit industry expert:
Whiskey is aged in oak barrels or used barrels from rums, beers, or wines. These barrels will impart flavors to the whiskey as it ages. Now as whiskey ages in barrels you will also loose a portion to evaporation. This is called the angels share, part of the price is the distillery is still taxed for the lost amount. Now all whiskey is blended unless specified, so if you see an aged whiskey this is the minimum age and can contain much older whiskey. Usually there is a maximum age before whiskey starts tasting bad. Once a spirit is bottled the aging process stops. So drink your booze, and having a improperly cared for old bottle may actually taste bad or worse if it starts to evaporate. I’ve never had a whiskey or whisky I didn’t like but definitely have a ranking on my mind. From cheap stuff to Macallan M to beyond.
Spirit industry expert:
Whiskey is aged in oak barrels or used barrels from rums, beers, or wines. These barrels will impart flavors to the whiskey as it ages. Now as whiskey ages in barrels you will also loose a portion to evaporation. This is called the angels share, part of the price is the distillery is still taxed for the lost amount. Now all whiskey is blended unless specified, so if you see an aged whiskey this is the minimum age and can contain much older whiskey. Usually there is a maximum age before whiskey starts tasting bad. Once a spirit is bottled the aging process stops. So drink your booze, and having a improperly cared for old bottle may actually taste bad or worse if it starts to evaporate. I’ve never had a whiskey or whisky I didn’t like but definitely have a ranking on my mind. From cheap stuff to Macallan M to beyond.
Some of it is people who don’t understand whiskey. They see advertising that older is better and just assume that is the case without knowing how it works.
Fresh unaged whiskey doesn’t have much taste to it. The containers you put it in help it develop flavor. So the time the whiskey is sitting in that charred oak barrel it is picking up flavor from the barrel. More time in the barrel lets it pick up more flavor and develop a more interesting taste.
However, more oak flavor isn’t necessarily a good thing. There are limits. Aging a whiskey 100 years wouldn’t make the best tasting whiskey in the world. It would taste like a mouthful of wood. Fortunately the distiller will be testing the flavor and put a stop to it long before that happens.
Sometimes you will prefer the flavor profile of a younger whiskey than an older whiskey.
Some of it is people who don’t understand whiskey. They see advertising that older is better and just assume that is the case without knowing how it works.
Fresh unaged whiskey doesn’t have much taste to it. The containers you put it in help it develop flavor. So the time the whiskey is sitting in that charred oak barrel it is picking up flavor from the barrel. More time in the barrel lets it pick up more flavor and develop a more interesting taste.
However, more oak flavor isn’t necessarily a good thing. There are limits. Aging a whiskey 100 years wouldn’t make the best tasting whiskey in the world. It would taste like a mouthful of wood. Fortunately the distiller will be testing the flavor and put a stop to it long before that happens.
Sometimes you will prefer the flavor profile of a younger whiskey than an older whiskey.
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