What happens to bourbon as it ages?

The bourbon aging process is beautiful. It is a perfect interaction between the oak barrel and the spirit, but how does this happen? Let's get into it.

So to start let's go over what bourbon is as a spirit. To be considered a bourbon the spirit's mash-bill needs to contain at least 51% corn, it must be aged in new oak barrels that have been charred, and it must be bottled at least 40% ABV.

Before the aging process, the bourbon is a clear liquid. It is the barrel that gives it the brown color, as well as the caramel flavor that we all know and love.

Well how does this happen?

This happens due to the nature of the barrel. Since the barrel is wood, it is susceptible to humidity, and temperature changes. As the surroundings of the barrel change the wood expands and contracts, soaking up and then expelling the whiskey, and over time this drastically changes the flavor, removing the harshness and giving us a smooth caramel taste.

So what is the difference between a 4-year-old vs. a 12-year-old bourbon?

The longer a whiskey ages the more smooth and complex the flavor notes it will get, as it just continuously getting pulled in and out of the barrel for longer and longer. If you had the same spirit in two barrels one was aged for 4 years, and one was aged for 12 years you could expect the 12-year bourbon to be significantly smoother and have a much stronger profile of vanilla, oak, and caramel that we all know bourbon for.

So try some bourbon that has been aged for different years, and let us know what you think by rating it on the app NEAT: Whiskey Finder!.

For a lower-age bourbon, Still Austin Straight Bourbon Whiskey is great (aged for 2 years), and for a longer-aged bourbon, you can't go wrong with Eagle Rare, or Weller 12 year; however, those can be tough to find so I would also recommend Widow Jane!