The Impact of Aging on Whiskey: Does Older Always Means Better?

Aging plays a crucial role in the development of whiskeys. Whether it be Scotch, Bourbon, Irish, or Canadian whiskies, the aging process affords the spirit a chance to develop the aromas and taste notes that come to enjoy (or dread, depending on one's own preferences of course). The usual rule of thumb amongst the casual whiskey fan crowd is that "the older the whiskey the better" and that a longer aging process often makes the spirit "smoother". However, like anything else in the beverage world, there is a bit more nuance to this position that warrants our consideration. Generally speaking, having a whiskey sit in a barrel for an extended period of time does add more flavor to it, often times one's personal preferences may dictate whether this a good attribute or not. In this blog post, we will analyze the science of aging, the role of the type of barrel used, and whether older whiskey is always "better".

How Aging Affects Whiskey

When a whiskey is aged, it undergoes a transformation of sorts inside the barrel. What goes into a barrel initially is a clear spirit mash; which is then transformed into the dark colored spirit that we have come to adore. During its imprisonment in a barrel, the whiskey undergoes the following processes:

1. Extraction:  The whiskey will absorb flavors from the charred oak barrel, which represent the myriad of notes that one receives from the taste. 
2. Oxidation: During the aging process, oxygen will interact with the blossoming whiskey, often times softening the harsh notes and aiding in the development of new aromas. 
3. Evaporation: As the whiskey is aged, some of it is evaporated (often times referred to as the "Angels Share"), which leads to a more concentrated and refined taste. 

While it is true that the length of aging plays a paramount role in the final nature of the product, more time in the barrel is not always indicative of better. Too much aging can make a whiskey overly woody or tannic and often times overpower the original flavors of the spirit. 

The Role of Barrels in Aging

As one can surmise after reading the section above, the barrel type as well as the size significantly impacts in how a whiskey ages. For example, the following types of barrels can often yield the following results: 

• New Charred Oak Barrels: These barrels are typically used in bourbon, and often times imparts your prototypical notes of rich caramel and vanilla. A barrel is "charred" when the inside of the barrel is exposed to an open flame, which burns the wood and creates a layer of charred carbon and imparts a more pronounced aging process. This differs from barrels that are "Toasted", which indicates a less intensive burning of the wood.
• Used Barrels: These types of barrels are often used for Scotch and Irish whiskies, and often create a more subtle aging process. 
• Small Barrels: Smaller barrels tend to accelerate aging, which often times lead to an overly oaky taste. 

One thing to consider is the experimentation that distilleries do to specific whiskeys, such as finishing them  (taking the whiskey after the standard aging process and placing them for a brief period of time in another barrel type) in wine, sherry, port, cognac, tequila and other styles of barrels to incorporate more unique flavor profiles. 

Time for the Main Question: Does Older Always Mean Better?

The answer to this question is often times open ended: it depends. If you are looking for more developed and complex flavors, coupled with a smoother mouthfeel with less alcohol burn, and a deeper, richer color, then you would be apt to search for a whiskey that is aged for 10+ years.

However, if you do not care for whiskies that have a considerable oak influence, buying a younger whiskey would be just what the doctor ordered as it will exude less of an oak presence as an older whiskey would. One other item to consider is the style of whiskey as it pertains to its age. For instance, I often times observe that bourbons usually hit their flavor zenith between 10-15 years old. Anything past that is not always optimal and can be too tannic. Scotch, which as noted above is aged in used barrels, tends to better the longer it is aged. 

Likewise, the longer a whiskey is aged, the more evaporation occurs, which leads to the higher price tags you often see on older expressions of whiskey.

To summarize, I suggest the following for anyone to navigate the murky whiskey waters:  

• For Bourbon, they typically peak around 8-15 years. Longer aging can result in an overpowering oakiness.
• For Scotch Whisky - Single malts generally improve with age, often reaching their peak between 12-25 years.
• For Irish Whiskey, such expressions are lighter in general, and thus benefits from aging 8-18 years. 
• Rye Whiskey, which tend to be spicier by nature, typically shines between 4-10 years. Some of the older expressions of rye tend to offer additional complexity. 
• Japanese Whisky, which often times mimics Scotch aging techniques can excel at both younger and older age expressions.

Stay tuned for more insights on the world of spirits.