Aroma and Flavor Differences Between Older and Newer Bottles
As I keep mentioning, whisky is a very sensitive liquor. Every cask in a maturation warehouse has its own flavor. Because of that, producing whisky with an absolute identical taste is close to impossible. For that reason, older and newer bottles made at different times will naturally show differences in flavor. In addition, if the master distiller has changed, the differences become even clearer.
Let me explain the flavor differences between older and newer whisky. Before getting into it, this is honestly not an area where I can make easy, definitive statements, because it varies enormously by distillery and by product. So, in addition to generally known characteristics, I’ll add my own subjective opinions—even if they may be insufficient—when helpful. Also, when comparing older and newer, I will base it on the same distillery and either the same age statement or the same product line.
In the case of older whisky, it has spent more time in the bottle than newer whisky. Of course, whisky does not count time spent in the bottle after bottling as part of its maturation age. However, some people argue that this so-called “bottle aging” has meaning. Most whiskies are released after mixing multiple casks to create a complex profile, and when spirits that matured separately in their own oak casks—from a few years to several decades—are blended together, they likely need a process and time to integrate and harmonize. Of course, producers will have blended sufficiently before bottling, but if there is additional time in the bottle where the components sit together, mingle, and stabilize, it should at least not have a negative effect. And you can also find quite a few people who say bottle aging has a positive influence. I can’t say for sure whether it’s due to bottle aging, but older whisky often has a softer, more balanced, harmonious aroma and flavor. Newer whisky, on the other hand, tends to show clearer, more vivid flavors. It often leans toward emphasizing certain notes.
Additionally, older bottles tend to show rich, complex sweetness—flavors like honey, maple syrup, and toffee. They also often show a more noticeable grain influence, with a distinctive spiciness that rises pleasantly. In terms of texture when drinking, older bottles tend to feel more viscous and smooth.
That said, the differences between older and newer can be large in some cases and small in others. If the older and newer versions changed over a short period, the time gap is not big, so the aroma and flavor may not differ much. And if the casks used for maturation are not sherry casks but other types, the differences may also be smaller.
Why Older Bottles Can Be Better
Since older bottles are rarer and more expensive, some people say that older bottles are better for sure. In fact, that’s hard to state definitively because it comes down to personal preference, and an older bottle is not always better just because it’s older.
For example, in the case of Glenfiddich, the taste difference between older and newer isn’t very large, and in the case of Springbank, newer bottles sometimes receive better evaluations than older ones. However, it’s also true that for a significant number of distilleries, older bottles tend to be rated higher than newer ones.
Older bottles are especially rated higher most often when the whisky is matured in sherry casks. There is a reason this happens. A sherry cask refers to an oak barrel that held sherry wine. In that case, the cask is influenced by the sherry, and when whisky is matured in it, it imparts sherry character. One important point here: it is illegal to export oak casks that were actually used to mature sherry wine from Spain, so the casks used are not those “matured sherry” casks. Sherry-maturation casks become more valuable the more they are reused, and they have a better influence on the wine being matured. Because of that, the Spanish government has long prohibited exporting those casks. Therefore, “sherry casks” for whisky are not casks that matured sherry; they are oak casks that were used as shipping containers when sherry was loaded onto ships for export to other countries. In the past, shipping periods were long—about six months—so during that time, the casks used as containers would take on sherry character. And when whisky is matured in those casks, the sherry character is imparted to the whisky.
However, while sherry wine’s popularity hasn’t changed dramatically from past to present, the popularity of sherry-matured whisky skyrocketed. As a result, it became difficult to meet demand using only the casks that were created as a byproduct of exporting wine. So these days, many distilleries produce sherry casks in bulk—either themselves or via contract—by filling oak casks with cheap sherry wine, and the used wine is turned into vinegar or discarded. In the past, the casks would have held sherry wine of good enough quality to export; today, they are often made using low-quality, inexpensive sherry wine that would be difficult to sell as a product. That’s why it may be natural that older sherry whisky has better flavor than newer ones. Of course, there may also be distilleries that still obtain and use sherry casks in the old way.
If you exclude sherry casks, the evaluation of older versus newer can come down more to personal preference, and the price is also usually several times higher for older bottles due to rarity and storage maintenance. So rather than fixating only on older bottles, it’s better to try many whiskies, broaden your experience, learn what styles you like, and then make rational purchases accordingly.
How to Find Older Bottles and How to Open Them
As mentioned just above, older whisky is rare, so it’s hard to find. But it’s not impossible to buy. Here are a few methods.
First, visit the underground/traditional liquor market. In Korea, there is Namdaemun liquor market. Yet keep in mind that it’s challenging for the beginners. You need to know the overall market prices of the target whisky and be able to recognize and buy rare bottles. Ironically, thanks to its difficulty, you can find rare whiskies that are hard to see elsewhere, and sometimes there are cases where you can buy them far cheaper than the overall market price. Though obviously, most rare whiskies are high priced according to supply and demand.
Next is joining multiple open chat rooms for various liquor shops. This method lets you see what whisky each shop has without visiting in person, and with older bottles, promotions sometimes happen as well, so you can easily get event-related information through your phone.
Lastly, become a regular at a liquor shop. Because older bottles are rare—and among them, truly good older bottles are often not sold to just anyone—limited sales are usually conducted for regular customers who have purchased a lot at that shop. Typically, purchases come with mileage points by whisky, and only people above a certain mileage threshold can spend those points to buy a purchase ticket and then buy the bottle. Also, if you visit very often and become close with the owner, I’ve heard that if you ask, they may set items aside separately. So if you have the time and money, this is the most reliable way to obtain older and rare bottles.
For most whiskies—especially higher-priced ones—the stopper is often cork. Over a long time, the cork can deteriorate, and with a high probability, it can crumble and stick to the bottle. In that case, when you try to pull the cork out, it breaks and you can no longer remove it by hand. If that happens, stick about five or six cocktail pins or toothpicks into the cork, grip them by hand, and carefully pull upward so it doesn’t crumble further. After that, if you have a spare cork—either from an empty whisky bottle you finished or an extra you bought separately—you can use that to seal it. For reference, in the case of wine, there is a tool called an Ah-So opener for broken corks, but wine cork material is different from whisky cork, so using it can worsen the situation—please be careful.
Next, I’ll come back with “Vintage whisky: definition & characteristics, differences vs. wine vintage, pros & cons”
Thank you for reading.