Understanding The Aging Process Of Spirits

Have you stopped and think, as you stroll down the aisle in your favorite grocery store, seeing all the advertising about aging liquors in an oak barrel, what does it really mean?  All scotches brag about how their products have been aged and all fine wines boast of being made years ago. Liquors such as whiskey tend to become more expensive as it get old, so our question is, does all kinds of liquor get better or taste better as it age?

It is true that the more aged the liquor is the more expensive it become. For example, good bourbon must be aged for a considerable number of years in an oak barrel before it is sold. The aging process in an oak barrel can be as long as ten years before they bottle it. Once the liquor is bottled, the aging process stops. This is because glass is a non-reactive container which will not cause any reaction to the liquor. If the bottle is opened and not consumed for a couple of years, the wine will not age but will ruin the drink.

However, if the liquor is placed in an oak barrel again and let it age, it can make it taste better. Aging can help liquors such as whiskey, rum and tequila taste better. When liquor which is not wholly consumed is placed back into an oak barrel, the process of aging starts again and it will infuse more flavors to the liquor. The most common oak barrel used for aging liquor is made from American Oak wood. An oak barrel from this kind of wood tends to make good tasting liquors.

The process of aging only happens when liquor is placed in an oak barrel and not left inside bottles. No matter how long the liquor is stored in a bottle, it will not age, however if placed in an oak barrel, the chemicals in the liquor will react with the wood and thus the spirit will age.