No Age Statement Whisky

No Age Statement (NAS) whisky is a hotly debated subject at the moment and last week I discussed it with a group of friends.

It seems that more and more distilleries are launching NAS whiskies but the biggest problem is that the industry has created a consumer culture that is based on Age = Premium Price.

"If we take price alone as an indicator we are led to believe that an 18yr old is a better whisky than a 10yr old. The professional critics tell us this in their reviews and the distilleries suggest it through their pricing" said one friend. Very good points I think which means that the decision not to issue an age statement is always going to be treated with suspicion.

"My immediate thought is, what are they hiding? What's the trick they don't want me to see?" said another friend. The answer is that they are probably hiding the young ish age of the whisky, which if revealed, would upset the pricing and quality culture that consumers have been used to until now.

Let's be clear, there are some perfectly good single malt whiskies that are 6, 7, 8 years old. For a while the only single malt you could buy from Ardbeg was their 'Very Young'. Putting new spirit into smaller casks can speed up the maturation process and the now common use of maturing in casks other than ex-bourbon means that the spirit can become 'smoother' and more palatable sooner.

I get that distilleries would like to find a way of collecting a return on their capital as soon as possible but I'm also certain that the majority are not going to do anything to harm their brand image for the sake of a few years wait.

The question is whether the pricing by age policy that we have been used to is over and whether we should now challenge the assumption that age equals quality?

Age actually only means scarcity, which as we know, according to the laws of supply and demand, pushes prices up. In many cases age can also mean a whisky that has a wider appeal - whether it is better quality must always be a matter of individual opinion.

Is NAS the start of a shift? It probably is but it will take a few years. There aren't many industries that have to wait 10+ years to get their money back and I bet the accountants have done all sorts of calculations about the benefits of releasing at 6, 7 and 8 years old.

The industry now has a job to do in convincing consumers that single malt under 10 years old can taste good. Of course the easiest thing to do is try it but when faced with two bottles that are about the same in price, consumers will need to be persuaded away from their current preconceptions about age statements.