The earliest record for whiskey-making dates back to 1494 in Scotland. Whiskey isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, but there are plenty of reasons to buy a bottle the next time you’re in a liquor store. Whether you’re buying it as a present, to keep your liquor cabinet stocked, or simply because you like the look of it, it’s important that you know what to look for when buying whiskey.
Keep reading to find out more about the three things you should look for in a premium whiskey.
1. Is There an Age Statement?
When shopping you need to look for an age statement on the label. If there isn’t one then you can assume the whiskey is anywhere between three to nine years old.
Unless you know the brand, or find the bottle interesting to look at, you should rather lean towards something that’s 10 years or older. Whiskies with no age statement on the bottle aren’t worth it if they’re priced as premium whiskey.
2. Whiskey Collections
When you first start buying liquor, chances are you’re only thinking about what you’d like to drink. You need to know when something is for drinking and when you should stash it away. Having a storage space that isn’t connected to your liquor cabinet is crucial if you’re buying specific types of aged whiskey.
This is extremely important if you’re looking for the best kinds of whiskey to collect. Whiskey collecting gives you a highly liquid asset class that doesn’t require a big initial investment. To learn more about collecting high-quality whiskey, you can continue reading here.
3. The Alcohol Strength
While alcohol content isn’t a good indicator of quality, it can tell you a lot about the manufacturing and bottling process.
If the whiskey is between 40-50% alcohol by volume then you know water was added before it was bottled. If the alcohol content is 51%+ then the whiskey is considered a “cask strength” and was bottled without adding more water.
When checking the alcohol by volume you also need to consider the age of the whiskey. If the whiskey is aged 25+ years then it is still considered cask strength even if it dips below 50%
The alcohol content isn’t an indicator of quality, but cask-strength whiskey tends to be consistently good. Stronger whiskey also means you can add water to your glass without compromising the taste. This will make it easier to drink while still getting all the flavors.
Know What to Look For in Premium Whiskey
When it comes to premium whiskey you need to know what to look out for. You can’t make your decisions based on the label or bottle shape. Premium whiskey often comes at premium prices, so you need to make sure you’re spending your money wisely.
Now that you know how to pick premium whiskey, go check out our health section for tasty meals to pair with your drink.
