The Balvenie's new scotch: In the realm of Scotch whisky, age trumps all. With age, whisky becomes smoother, more flavorful and quite expensive. Most enthusiasts can discern a 21-year-old Scotch from its 12-year-old sibling, but why? (Bill Hogan/Chicago Tribune)
In the realm of Scotch whisky, age trumps all. With age, whisky becomes smoother, more flavorful and quite expensive. Most enthusiasts can discern a 21-year-old Scotch from its 12-year-old sibling, but why, exactly, does an older whisky taste better? What does it mean for a whisky to be "smooth"?
"To understand the aging process, it is first important to know that, by law, Scotch whisky must be matured for a minimum period of three years in oak casks," says David Stewart, malt master of The Balvenie, who, after 50 years in the business, overseeing and pioneering every facet of distillation and maturation, knows his Scotch.
The harsh taste of an early, underage whisky comes from "heads" and "tails," a melange of unwanted, extraneous chemicals that are typically diminished during the distillation process. As whisky cask-ages, the remaining chemicals are drawn out, slowly, by the wood, with the charred interior of the barrel acting as a filter. The longer a whisky matures in an oak barrel, the more this natural filtration removes the harsh chemicals, simultaneously incorporating flavors from the wood, resulting in a mellow, smooth taste.
A bottled whisky, separated from the wood, no longer matures. This means that a 12-year-old Scotch, once bottled, will always be a 12-year-old Scotch.
However, "older" whisky isn't always better. The cask may eventually lose its ability to imbue flavor, and the overage whisky, while quite smooth, loses character or, worse, takes on the flavors of a poor-quality or depleted wood.
As malt master, Stewart constantly noses the aging whisky to judge the exact moment of peak maturation, when it is ready to be bottled. It is a craft perfected through years of practice, and Stewart is the man with the golden nose.
"I was once asked how many samples I've nosed during my 50-year career, and I calculated that it would be more than 400,000 during my whole career."
Stewart's expertise shines in The Balvenie's latest addition, a 17-year-old version of its popular DoubleWood Scotch. The standard 12-year DoubleWood is known for its trademark vanilla and an exceptional, long finish. With an additional five years in American oak, the 17-year is distinctively thicker. The sherry-cask notes flash in, but where the 12-year resolves and settles, the 17-year develops beyond the sherry, into dark toffee and some late-stage spice.
According to Stewart, "the extra aging has added rich, creamy toffee notes, deeper vanilla notes, hints of green apple and an additional complexity."
Smooth, rich and mellow, The Balvenie DoubleWood 17-year-old retails for $130 and will be incorporated into the permanent range of offerings. It is currently being released throughout the U.S.