Is Older Whisky Better?

If a 12-year bottling is good, then a spirit that’s rested for 20 years must be even better, right?

We've all heard it before: "With age comes wisdom and character." This saying often applies to whisky, where many believe older is better. If a 12-year-old whisky is good, then a 20-year-old must be even better, right? Well, not necessarily. The rise of younger releases and "no age statement" whiskies has challenged this notion, prompting us to rethink the importance of age in our favorite spirits.

The Role of Time in Whisky Making

Whisky requires time just as much as it needs water and grain. As whisky rests in barrels, it undergoes a chemical process called adsorption, which smooths out the harshness of the raw spirit. But how long should this aging process take? Distilling is expensive, and micro-distilleries often can't afford to wait 12 years to release their first product. As a result, many have started bottling younger whiskies while storing other barrels for future release.

The Charms of Young Whisky

While long aging processes are credited for creating smooth, sippable whiskies, young whiskies have their own unique advantages. Our analysis of the Malt Maniacs Awards that some young whiskies, particularly from Taiwan and India, performed exceptionally well. These regions require less aging time due to their climates, offering impressive young whiskies.

Young whisky has less oak influence, allowing the grains' flavors to shine through. If you're keen to learn the differences between wheat, corn, and rye whiskies, young versions can be eye-opening. They offer a purer expression of the distiller's skill, as aging can mask imperfections in mediocre whiskies. A great young whisky is a testament to the distiller's genius.

Young whiskies also have fewer tannins and less astringency from prolonged oak contact. They often retain more smoke or peatiness, which can mellow with age. Young whiskies are excellent for cocktails due to their lighter character, making them versatile mixers for drinks like Old Fashioneds or Manhattans.

The Brash Character of Young Whiskies

However, young whiskies aren't without their drawbacks. The lack of astringency might be a downside for some, as aged whiskies' bracing, tongue-tingling sensation is something many cherish. Young whiskies can seem flatter by comparison and often have a fiery, brash character. Think of them as a cocky teenager—self-assured but lacking the refined social graces.

Young in Whisky Terms

So, what exactly qualifies as young whisky? It varies. In Australia, whisky must be aged at least two years to be labeled as such; in the UK, it's three years. In the US and India, some young whiskies can be bottled as early as six months, while others might age up to eight years. Although some traditionalists consider 12 years as "young," it's usually seen as more standard.

Your Whisky with the Right Glassware

At Lemonsoda, we believe that the right glassware can elevate your whisky tasting experience. Whether you’re enjoying a young whisky or a well-aged spirit, the perfect glass can make all the difference. Our selection of high-quality drinking and barware glasses ensures that you savor every sip.

Explore our range of whisky glasses on Lemonsoda and find the perfect match for your next tasting session. From classic tumblers to elegant snifters, we have everything you need to enhance your whisky enjoyment. Visit Lemonsoda today to browse our collection and elevate your drinking experience.

Young Whiskies Worth Trying

Ready to take the plunge? There’s plenty of fantastic options to try—and the good news is that even the best young offerings are often much cheaper than their older counterparts, for obvious reasons. So go ahead and try a few!

Starward Solera Whisky by New World Whisky in Melbourne is an amazing place to start. It’s the technique rather than the time that makes this malt whisky interesting—it’s made with 100% Australian barley and aged using a technique more often applied to port wine that involves continually rotating and blending different ages of spirits right in the barrels. That gives the final product a far more complex character than you’d expect from a three-year-old liquor, with hints of raisin and caramel starting to appear.

Low Gap from California's American Craft Whiskey Distillery is aged for two years in new and used oak barrels. It’s a great expression of hard wheat character that shows some of the best of what an incredibly well-made young whisky can offer, with a light taste and feel but distinctive buttery tones.

The English Whisky Company’s Chapter 6 Unpeated whisky showcases smooth barley after the minimum 3 years of ageing under English law. It doesn’t have any of the vegetable, funky notes of smoke and peat that are often associated with UK spirits, but that lets the light, pastry-like flavours shine. The distillery is releasing ‘chapters’ of its whisky as it continues to age and blend, so consider picking up a few different ones to sample for yourself how a particular spirit changes with age and oaking.

Tomatin Legacy is a no-age-statement (NAS) whisky, meaning it’s not legally bound to a certain age and can be blended (though it’s still single-malt). It is aged, though, in a combination of virgin (that is, unused) oak barrels and used bourbon barrels. So there’s a complexity there you don’t get with many young whiskys. It’s citrusy and piney, but with vanilla and pepper tucked in there, too.

Wasmund's Single Malt from Copper Fox in Virginia is ‘rapid oaked’, which is a bit of a different beast (we'll discuss that voodoo in another article), but still turns out an incredibly respectable, nuanced spirit after only a year or so.

If you're visiting the New England, USA, Spirits of Old Bennington Kilted Wheat is an excellent young wheat whisky bottled at only six months, but with the character and smoothness of a much older spirit—the hint of caramel plays out nicely. It’s only available in limited bottlings direct from the distillery in Bennington, Vermont, but it’s well worth the trip.

With all these offerings and more a pour away, there’s no reason not to give youth a chance!