A Few Facts About 50 Year Old Whisky

By Author: Bonny Kominek
Total Articles: 20
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50 year old whisky is rare and can therefore be expensive. Online prices range from a few hundred to a few thousand pounds from suppliers like Master of Malt. Here are a few facts about whisky.

Whisky is the spelling in Scotland and Canada; whiskey is the spelling in Ireland and America. Whisky was first produced in Scotland ? if you listen to the Scots! Ireland also makes claim to be the first country that produced whisky.

About 90% of single malt whisky is produced in Scotland. There are over 5000 types of single malt whisky. Single Malt Whisky is the product of a single grain, from a single distillery.

Blended whisky contains several single malt whiskies, and in addition grain whisky. When single malt whiskies exclusively are blended together, the drink is called a vatted malt.

Whisky age is determined by the aging process, which takes place in oak barrels. To be called whisky, a minimum of three years maturation in an oak cask is required. Blended whisky can only be called as old as the youngest element of the blend.

50 year old whisky has therefore spent at least 50 years being ...
... matured in an oak barrel. Whisky does not mature after it is bottled, and so the age is taken when the drink is transferred from the cask. Once bottled, a 50 year old whisky will still be a 50 years old whisky in a hundred years time.

Whiskey lasts almost indefinitely in a bottle that has not been opened, as long as it is not exposed to extremes of temperature and light. Whisky in an unopened bottle can last 100 years without spoiling. Once opened, a bottle will last at least 5 years, and often longer.

50 year old whisky will have lost volume during maturation, thanks to evaporation ? this can be as high as a 60 ? 80% loss. This loss is called the Angels Share. Bonny Kominek is a freelance writer and big Whisky fan. Bonny Kominek recommends looking at what Master of Malt has to offer when looking for 50 year old Whisky.