Why is “older” whiskey generally considered better than “newer” whiskey? And does this apply to all alcohol?
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I think you’ve pretty much been answered but I have some detailed information about how the process works.
The aging process is due to the young whisky (new make) being absorbed into and out of the barrel. This happens due to the temperature fluctuations in the cellar. In colder countries like Scotland and Japan the whisky takes longer to age because they are generally cooler countries. However, this means that a lot of the undesirable flavours are absorbed into the wood as well. In other warmer countries like Taiwan (try Kavalan) and my country (South Africa), a whisky ages a lot quicker. This means that a lot more flavour is imparted to the whisky in a much shorter period and you generally have younger whiskies (5yo and 7yo) with a lot of flavour. Of course the down side is that it doesn’t spend as much time in the barrel so you retain some of the off flavours in some cases.
Evaporation is also a key issue. In Scotland the General rate of evaporation (Angel’s share) out of the barrel is 2% per year, which means that a 12 year old whisky will lose 22% of its volume and a 21 year old whisky will lose 35% of its volume. With this decrease in volume you have less whisky to sell so price can also increase as a result. Interestingly, in warmer countries without proper climate control you can’t age a whisky past 9 years because the volume loss makes it uneconomical.
Another factor are flavours like peat. Peat is used in the kilning process and imparts a unique smoky flavour to the malt and eventually the whisky (Ron Swanson’s Laguvalin 16 is a good example). This flavour diminishes over time as the whisky ages so it’s unusual to get older whiskies with intense peat. They usually stay within the 10-20 year range. Older prayed whiskies exist, but their flavour is much more subtle.
I haven’t even begun to talk about the cask selection (difference between bourbons which use new casks and Scottish whiskies which use second fill casks) as well as the actual process of distilling the whisky but I guess I’ll cut it short here. I’m willing to answer any other questions you have though.
I think you’ve pretty much been answered but I have some detailed information about how the process works.
The aging process is due to the young whisky (new make) being absorbed into and out of the barrel. This happens due to the temperature fluctuations in the cellar. In colder countries like Scotland and Japan the whisky takes longer to age because they are generally cooler countries. However, this means that a lot of the undesirable flavours are absorbed into the wood as well. In other warmer countries like Taiwan (try Kavalan) and my country (South Africa), a whisky ages a lot quicker. This means that a lot more flavour is imparted to the whisky in a much shorter period and you generally have younger whiskies (5yo and 7yo) with a lot of flavour. Of course the down side is that it doesn’t spend as much time in the barrel so you retain some of the off flavours in some cases.
Evaporation is also a key issue. In Scotland the General rate of evaporation (Angel’s share) out of the barrel is 2% per year, which means that a 12 year old whisky will lose 22% of its volume and a 21 year old whisky will lose 35% of its volume. With this decrease in volume you have less whisky to sell so price can also increase as a result. Interestingly, in warmer countries without proper climate control you can’t age a whisky past 9 years because the volume loss makes it uneconomical.
Another factor are flavours like peat. Peat is used in the kilning process and imparts a unique smoky flavour to the malt and eventually the whisky (Ron Swanson’s Laguvalin 16 is a good example). This flavour diminishes over time as the whisky ages so it’s unusual to get older whiskies with intense peat. They usually stay within the 10-20 year range. Older prayed whiskies exist, but their flavour is much more subtle.
I haven’t even begun to talk about the cask selection (difference between bourbons which use new casks and Scottish whiskies which use second fill casks) as well as the actual process of distilling the whisky but I guess I’ll cut it short here. I’m willing to answer any other questions you have though.
Depends on your tastes. I enjoy scotch at times which is a drink that changes with ageing.
I’ve tried many different price points and brands. I have some inexpensive types I really like (for in their price range), and I have had some crazy expensive ones I have also really loved.
On the other hand, I’ve had some inexpensive stuff I hated (but someone must like it or it wouldn’t sell) and expensive stuff I’ve also hated (same deal).
I had a 28 year old laphroig that was kinda surreal to drink. I took a drink, and tasted nothing it was so smooth, then 30 seconds later the taste showed up and it was amazing.
I’ve tried a 30 year old from another distillery and didn’t like it. Interestingly for a bottle it would have cost 8x as much at the prior mentioned 28 year old I really liked (which was already stupid expensive).
I believe the age changes the flavour thing would apply to anything aged in barrels. Scotch, Bourbon, Wiskey, Wine for sure, maybe other types?
How much do you want the impurities to influence it? Like white vinegar vs the fancy vinegars.
Depends on your tastes. I enjoy scotch at times which is a drink that changes with ageing.
I’ve tried many different price points and brands. I have some inexpensive types I really like (for in their price range), and I have had some crazy expensive ones I have also really loved.
On the other hand, I’ve had some inexpensive stuff I hated (but someone must like it or it wouldn’t sell) and expensive stuff I’ve also hated (same deal).
I had a 28 year old laphroig that was kinda surreal to drink. I took a drink, and tasted nothing it was so smooth, then 30 seconds later the taste showed up and it was amazing.
I’ve tried a 30 year old from another distillery and didn’t like it. Interestingly for a bottle it would have cost 8x as much at the prior mentioned 28 year old I really liked (which was already stupid expensive).
I believe the age changes the flavour thing would apply to anything aged in barrels. Scotch, Bourbon, Wiskey, Wine for sure, maybe other types?
How much do you want the impurities to influence it? Like white vinegar vs the fancy vinegars.
Longer cask maturation. More taste of the wood…
Probably more than 60% of a whiskies flavor comes from the cask/maturation process, which takes the longest. Minimum of 3 yrs for Scotch whisky.
The other 30% is everything they do to create the clear spirit before they put it into the cask.
Longer cask maturation. More taste of the wood…
Probably more than 60% of a whiskies flavor comes from the cask/maturation process, which takes the longest. Minimum of 3 yrs for Scotch whisky.
The other 30% is everything they do to create the clear spirit before they put it into the cask.
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