Why a whisky’s age isn’t everything
THE WHISKY WORLD IS BUILT ON LEGACY. Scotch distilleries tout 200-plus-year histories, and producers in the US find roots in the colonial era. Individual batches can be categorised by age statements with the prevailing idea that older whiskies are better. But if you’re still shopping for whisky based on age statements alone, you’re doing it wrong. Age is one thing, but it’s maturity that really matters.
Most whiskies are required to spend a minimum amount of time ageing. For Scotch-, Irish-, and Canadian varieties, that’s three years, whereas the mandate for Japanese whiskies and ryes sits at two. The outlier is bourbon, which can be any age
