Maturation | The Many Variables of Barrel Aging

Aging on oak is arguably the most important contributor of flavor in whiskey, and many factors and choices can wield influence. The climate has a major impact on that maturation, as do fluctuations in temperature—in hot climates, whiskey ages more quickly and loses more volume to evaporation. Other variables that come into play include oxygen exposure, barrel char, toast level, entry proof... and, of course, time. Cask finishes present another range of choices—and it is possible to over-finish or over-age a whiskey. There’s still a lot we don’t understand about maturation and how it will happen, and that’s part of the magic.