Changes over the years in same product

[Mika J]

Hello everyone,

Something that occasionally has puzzled me: Have you ever noticed any significant changes in some particular rum/whisky etc. with time? I do not mean change in an opened bottle or so, but rather a change in the product itself . For example, you purchase a bottle of XX in 1999 - then taste the same product, different bottle in 2001 - and seem to recall it was very different in the old days?

I have had a distinct feeling that during the 1990's, Angostura's "Royal Oak" rum changed in taste some and there was also some quality fluctuations.. I actually got the latter thing tested as I had 4 different bottles of the same stuff at home, opened each and did went through them. 3 out of 4 bottles had a strange oily/greasy sidetaste which was not pleasant - 4th bottle did not have it and resembled more my older memories of the products taste.

Has anyone ever conducted similar tastings of the same product from bottles representing different / same times? What were the results if I may ask?

With limited edition products, one can expect of course a certain amount of variation - but what about more standard bottlings? I have noticed with some whisky also changes in taste over a period of say 6 years - whether these are in fact purposedly done, I do not know.

Some brands like to make a big fuss about medals their products have won in the distant past, but if the taste is changed (whether purposedly or not), these medals mean very little IMHO.

Sincerely,

Mika J

mika.jansson@nokia.com

[ctgm]

To a certain extent the blended spirit will always be a little different, as is also the case with champagne. I suppose a lot of it comes down to the distiller and his ability to use what he has to make a blend that tastes the same.

If anything goes into wood then there will always be a difference, unlike a neutral tank.

I would also imagine that the changing fashion of drinks will affect the way they taste and a gradual change might be intorduced. This is not so common as the way it tastes is paramount to the brand image. More frequently a repackaging will accompany a marked changed in ("improved") taste.

With whisky, I go back to Macallan 18yo. This is bottled and sold as an 18yo but they also put the distillation year on the packaging as they know that there are differences from year to year.

[Ed Hamilton]

A number of rums have changed over the years mostly due to availability of aged reserves. I hadn't noticed the difference in Royal Oak but some other rums have completely lost my interest. Rarely will a distiller admit that there have been changes, but like any aged distilled spirit there will be differences.