Yesterday, I saw this bottle that said 1829 on it. Does it mean that this drink was made at the year 1829? If so, that’s almost 2 years ago. So the original makers of it are dead. What is the purpose of this “aging” and if the original makers are dead, why did they make it? So their grand children could benefit from it?
Update:
It just said 1829 engraved on the bottle. Not brewed in or anything like that.
3
✅ Answers
🥇 Favorite Answer
In the case of wine the ageing happens in the bottle. Even though the fermentation is complete there are enzymes in the wine that continue to act chemically that change the character of the wine.
Distilled spirits do not age in the bottle but are aged in the wooden barrels. Most are aged in charred Oak. The charcoal has a mellowing effect on the Whiskey ( or Whisky if Scotch ). Also the long time in the wood allows flavors from the wood to slowly leach into the Whiskey. Oak contains Vanillan and this is one of the primary flavors that are added to the product. This same Vanillan is why most wine is aged for a time in Oak. Spirits aged for a very long time will be transefered to new barrels after a certain amount of time because if left too long in the same one they can start leaching more of the Tannins which tend to beharsh and bitter.
In the case of whiskey it is just long term planning. Most distilleries were family business intended to be passed down. The older Whiskey is often blened with newer to provide a more consistent product. However this is why some people like me prefer a single Malt Scotch. Growing conditions aand slight variations in the malting conditions give different batches a different taste just like Wine has some years that are better than others.
1829 is probably the year the company was founded.
Alcohols age in the cask but spirits do not age further in the bottle.
Wines and port age in the bottle and the flavours become more rounded and better, until they start to oxidise and go off.
.Many drinks do mature with age.But if you may have found a bottle of alcoholic something bottled in 1829, grab it now, it would be a collectors piece. The probability is you read the label wrong ,it would have said established in, or founded or brewed since or something similar.