Does whisky that’s been aged in wine barrels warrant the higher price tag?

Is there sleight of hand at work in the whisky industry, when high prices – similar to those attached to aged single malts – are now being charged for near-ubiquitous brands on the basis they’ve been matured in casks that previously held wine?
K.R., Woollahra, NSW

Illustration by Simon Letch.Credit:

In a word, yes. I think some of these fancy whiskies that have been aged in Montrachet, old sherry or Madeira barrels – or even, as is the case in Australia, Seppeltsfield 100 Year Old Para Vintage Tawny barrels – are produced using a spirit that’s still quite young. But the proof of the dram is in the scoffing and, personally, I’ve found most of those I’ve tasted to be superb spirits.

The proof of the dram is in the scoffing and, personally, I’ve found most of those I’ve tasted to be superb spirits.

Whisky, like some specialty cheeses, improves with age, but only if the material you begin with is of the highest quality. Older isn’t always better. Give someone unused to aged cheese a two-year-old comté and they probably won’t enjoy it. They’d be happier with a six-month-old for a fraction of the price.

Casual drinkers no doubt find it reassuring to read on their malt whisky label that it is eight, 10 or 20 years old. They feel they’re getting their money’s worth. But the ageing of whisky is an unpredictable thing. A spirit can be legally sold as whisky after a minimum three-year period of cask-ageing in Scotland (two in Australia), but the lack of an age on the label needn’t imply it’s young.

On the other hand, some wine-barrel-finished whiskies are sold at prices similar to, or higher than, aged single malts. As you rightly point out, this could be a great way for distillers to gouge profit, confusing consumers who assume they’re buying an aged whisky if they pay a lot for it. It certainly presents an opportunity to fleece an unwary public, but it’s also asking you to put your taste buds on the line as you decide whether the whisky is worth its price on the basis of its savour alone. As Matt Bailey of the Scotch Malt Whisky Society told me: “It is deceptive consumer practice to promote the type of cask over the quality of the spirit.”

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