In contemporary times, we have all come to accept that age is just a number. Forty is the new 30 and 50 is the new 40, while 100 is, well, 100 is still 100 and a damn impressive milestone if you ask me. We have learned to take measure of the individual rather than simply checking the odometer of life. The same number game applies to spirits — can wood aging go too far?
Unfortunately, we haven’t fully evolved our thinking about the number in relation to wood-aged spirits. There is an assumption that a 21-year-old Whiskey is better than a 15-year-old, but the taste evidence does not support this snap judgment.
I suppose we can’t begin a discussion of age with regard to spirits without first laying down some simple definitions. When you encounter an age statement on a bottle of Whiskey, Brandy, or any spirit, the number indicates the number of years spent in wood. Wood aging is the only age that counts. If you buy a bottle of 10-year-old Whiskey today and lock it away for 20 years,s it’s still a 10-year-old Whiskey.
Most wood-aged spirits are sold with some indicator of age. In the case of Single Malt Scotch Whisky, many Irish Whiskies, Rum, and Bourbon, as well as the age statement, are often boldly presented on the label (10, 15, 20 years old and so on). Cognac and other Brandies often use a grading system (VS, VSOP, XO, and so on) to indicate age. See our Cognac aging grade decoder.
It is also important to know that age statements on spirits bottles indicate the minimum age. If you were to drop a shot glass full of 10-year-old Whisky into a swimming pool full of 25-year-old Whisky, the entire lot would be 10-year-old Whisky.
Wood aging is absolutely essential to Whiskey, Brandy, and Rum. The world’s most famous Whiskey categories all have minimum aging requirements, as do the best Brandy-producing regions. In many Rum-producing nations, the spirit cannot legally be labeled as Rum without a minimum period of rest in wooden casks (this holds true for white Rums as well).
There are spirits that do not reach their full potential until aged in wood for a period far exceeding the required minimum aging. Vintage Armagnac, for one, typically needs a decade or more to fully mature (three decades is not uncommon).
Minimums have been legally established, but there are no maximum age limits – and there should not be any. However, I am continually puzzled by the fascination with old spirits and the older, the more desirable mantra of most consumers, as well as some in the business.
The Reflexive Urge to Grab Old Spirits
The most dangerous drinking game on the planet is standing near the booth of a prominent Whiskey maker at a major Whiskey festival, taking a shot of spirit each time a punter arrives at the table and asks, “What’s the oldest whisky you got?” You’ll be flat on your backside before reaching the second verse of “Auld Lang Syne”…
Allow me to give you an insider’s perspective; those of us who have been involved in the drinks business for decades are the last to be impressed by an unknown old spirit. In fact, we are likely to be very skeptical. We know that wood aging is a careful art and science and that there is most certainly a point of diminishing returns. At a point the spirit will become so much more of the cask and less of the spirit that it is no longer enjoyable. On more than 100 occasions I have tasted old spirits from both cask and bottle and thought to myself, or said aloud, “this is a shame – it was probably beautiful years ago.”
Of course, distillers and blenders know this too, so why, you might ask, do they age a portion of their spirits past their prime? The answer is simple: you’ll buy them. Not only will you buy them, but you (not you – you’re too smart, but the next guy…) will pay a king’s ransom for ultra-old spirits.
Of course, at the end of the day it is all subjective. For instance, I have an ongoing, gentle debate with a friend of mine who is a distiller. He feels that his 21-year-old whisky is the distillery’s best expression while I prefer the 17-year-old. Neither of us is wrong. Different strokes for different folks.
Please don’t misunderstand me; the purpose of this story is not to disparage very old spirits (25 years old and beyond). Some of the greatest spirits I have ever tasted have been aged in cask for decades. I simply want to put an end to the reflexive belief that the oldest spirit is the best spirit. This is simply not true. Buy carefully.
Do you want to better understand wood aging? May we suggest Be A Beverage Expert (BABE), a guide to understanding wine, beer, spirits, and cocktails.