The trouble with aged spirits is that most of us immediately think of whisky and rum. A second later, we may add brandy – or Cognac for the cognoscenti – to the list. But in every case, we relegate the entire genre to one of the three categories of consumption – after dinner, after November (in the Northern hemisphere) or after 50 (years of age)!
Sad as it sounds, barrel-ageing makes us somehow believe that the spirit isn’t right for summer, daytime or youthful exuberance. Well, let’s debunk that today by looking at two spirits that aren’t aged in this traditional way – a breakaway from the usual suspects listed above.
Baijiu
The traditional Chinese spirit is aged in earthenware. These clay jars allow the spirit to interact freely with oxygen and thus ageing occurs differently from conventional spirits and drinks. The drink doesn’t change colour as much as a similar spirits that have been aged in oak. The nose and palate do evolve to a considerable degree – quite unlike anything that barrel ageing imparts. So, instead of notes of vanilla and butterscotch that barrel-ageing imbues a spirit with, clay jar ageing imparts a smoky earthiness to the spirit. Ageing in ceramic containers makes the spirit fruitier and a tad vegetal (in an appreciable way). Baijiu is still a yet-to-trend beverage but, for the curious, it provides a lovely breakaway to try and experience something quite different.
Tequila
By the time you finish reading this, a dozen more new premium Tequila brands will have launched on the market, possibly half of them owned by Holly-celebs. The “Shooter with lemon and salt” days of Tequila are far behind and today, it occupies top shelf space in the most exclusive bars of the world. If you thought single malt prices are astronomical, wait till you see how much some of these “Sipping Tequilas”, go for. While the most common form of Tequila remains Blanco, i.e. unaged, the other two versions, Reposado (literally, rested, but translates to, slightly aged) and Añejo (aged), are given some barrel-time. There isn’t a standard on just how much ageing is required but it is generally accepted that any ageing between two to twelve months will yield a reposado and upwards of one year (and up to three years, or more in the case of Extra Añejo) is required to be labelled as Añejo.
Good Tequila is much better when sipped. To me, Tequila (alongside rum) is one of the few white spirits that embody the flavour of the plants they come from. Even the most hipster of gins and the most expensive of vodkas, by definition, don’t have such richness of provenance.
Meanwhile, here are two ways to enjoy the ‘regular’ aged spirits in a way that makes them a lot more affable for light daytime indulging.
Iced Green Tea
If you haven’t tried mixing whisky (especially Bourbon) with some slightly sweetened green tea, then you are yet to try the perfect summer day drink. Add some fizz to it (or better yet, make the green tea fizzy), and you will not look for another mixer.
Pineapple Juice
This is another lesser-known mixer that is extremely versatile and pairs brilliantly with aged spirits across the board. Piña Colada is a great example, but you can add pineapple juice to more than just rum – think whisky, agave-spirits, Pisco, Akvavit and other aged liquors.
