Search
Close this search box.

When Aging Whiskey Takes The Right Time

Stuart MacPherson, Master of Wood at The Macallan, calls wood the “singular most important factor in creating a whisky’s character,” since up to 80 percent of its final flavor comes from the cask. Nevertheless, How does aging works?

Depending on the local laws to label whiskey in certain categories, a right maturation or aging time is not necessarily opposed to “natural” maturation. This minimum legal aging is a minimum quality level for a label.

Distiller requirements

Beside minimal aging, up to 6-7 years can give a whiskey a better quality level and up to 12 years is the optimal on average within the American bourbon and whiskey world, because it is that older is not necessarily better. 

With Scotch, the use of new and refill casks will influence aging time to achieve a marketable quality level. New casks give Scotch a more flavorful profile at a younger age than a Scotch aged in a refill one. And in this case, care has to be taken about a potential overpowering of wood on the flavor profile. If barrel aging is responsible for a large part of the final flavor, it originates differently according to barrel origin and size.

OYO Sherry Casks
Blackened sherry casks basking in the sun (image via Middle West Spirits)

Big vs. small barrel?

  • Among big barrels are the standard 53 gallon (200 liters) and the 63 gallon Hogshead (250 liters). The Sherry butt 132 gallon (500 liters) – from Spain- is an ex-sherry cask used for whisky aging. As a new cask, its size allows the limitation of an overpowering of wood notes. One year in it is necessary before a standard aging in 53 gallon casks. Then, whisky can take a spicy and fruity character as well as a darker, ‘redder’ color in this cask type,
  • A small barrel (5 gallon) allows a lot of color and flavor quickly, but shorter aging times mean not so many aromatic notes like vanilla or caramel or toffee so typical of bourbons. Furthermore, aging in small casks can lead to excess of some compounds from the wood with harsh taste, making the spirit simply over tannic and bitter and hardly drinkable,

Whisk(e)y aging alternatives

For a long time, most winemakers and distillers have known that wood cask origin relies on its permeability to oxygen. This  impacts significantly the spirit profile through a traditional aging. Therefore, small amounts of oxygen can favorably influence spirit aging regardless to the barrel size, as a controlled amount of oxygen has an influence on color. It influences flavor and mouthfeel as well. This use and control of “micro-oxygenation” could be an alternative to an aging closer to one taking place in bigger barrels for longer time.

Yet, aging can depend as well on some extra conditions like geographical locations – in Texas, heat accelerates the process, for example. Regardless to the barrel size, Texas climate and that of Scotland are different. Although judged detrimental to the aging of whisky, Australian and South African producers know to take profit of the inherent climatic conditions, allowing the marketing of different products fulfilling consumer demand without cutting back on quality.

Finally, since the boom of craft whisk(e)y in the early 2010s, distillers have used unusual cask finishing methods. Aging single malt whiskies in calvados casks for about six months, for example, or in IPA casks, has had a marked influence on the traditional aging process, bringing alternative flavor types into the final bottled product.

Search
  • Latest News
  • Latest Reviews