One query that comes up continuously about single malt whisky is that this one: does the age of the whisky matter? You will note whiskies which can be 18-, 25- years previous, and even older being offered and normally the older the whisky then the dearer it’s. However is it higher?

You will be sure about 2 issues. Firstly – older whiskies are very uncommon and secondly they’re very costly. Take for instance the blended Scotch whisky Johnnie Walker Blue Label, it has whiskies within the mix which can be round 50 years previous and can set you again round $300. There are a selection of causes for why older single malt whiskies are dearer. To begin with – the longer a whisky matures within the oak cask, the extra of it’s misplaced evaporation. Most distilleries in Scotland lose round 2% of the amount. So 2% yearly for, say 25 years is a variety of whisky.

Then after all it’s important to take note of the time issue. 25 years is a very long time to attend till you bottle the product. Someday the whisky shall be matured in numerous cask to affect the flavour. So all this time, persistence and experience all provides to the worth.

There are mainly two faculties of thought within the whisky trade – “age issues” and “no, age would not matter”. Many of the bigger whisky producers will market a selected vary of manufacturers are varied age factors – 10, 12, 15 and 18 years previous, and can typically give these a selected title as effectively. For instance there’s a Bowmore 12-yr previous referred to as Enigma and a 15-yr previous Glenfiddich referred to as Solera.

For instance the Chivas Brothers whisky firm are on the facet of the fence that ‘age issues’. They market their merchandise particularly on this. Their tagline is: “Search for the quantity… a assure of age and high quality”.

On the ‘age would not matter’ facet of the fence is, for instance, Macallan. They’ve began to take away the age specification on a few of their youthful single malts and giving them names. Time will inform if this advertising concept pays off. They are saying that they’re doing this to cater to totally different profiles and tastes, fairly than simply placing the one malts in an age bracket.

So to reply the query – does age matter? The reply is certainly sure, however solely to do with value. Does age make a whisky higher? Solely you’ll be able to determine that query.

Older whiskies are definitely extra advanced and have extra depth than their youthful counterparts. That is to do with the evaporation course of (like in case you are cooking and you retain simmering a sauce – you may be left with a thicker and extra intense flavour). Additionally the extra time the Whisky spends within the cask then the extra it attracts within the flavours from the forged.

For those who like sturdy tasting peaty whiskies, then you definately most likely aren’t going to search out this in a single malts.

In actuality, some older whiskies are higher than their youthful expressions. There are extra flavours and extra depth to the style. Nonetheless some are positively not, having develop into virtually ‘too previous’.

Scott Gibson has collected a lot info on the manufacturing and advertising of single malt whisky.