The question about the Isle of Jura Superstition brought back in my mind a topic that has been up in this NG earlier: The effect of air exposure, both in the glass and in the opened bottle.
I recently experienced an extreme example of this with a Signatory Laphroaig, and wrote something about it here. No one bothered to comment, so I venture to try again. I really would appreciate it if someone has similar or different experiences or wiewpoints to share.
First to the glass: I've tried to take notes for some time, now, and among other things I try to notice changes when adding water. (You know, the whisky might open up, become rounder/sweeter, more smoky etc., or again maybe nothing much happens except that it becomes more watery..). Now, I belong to those who often find the whisky best when not diluted. Then I often find that the same changes that I have noted happening when using water occurs also when the whisky is just given some time in the glass, exposed to air. Well, often, not allways..: Yesterday I had the Balvenie Single Barrel 15 for the first time, and while I found water to subdue the dry oak character (and bring out some sweetness and possibly some flower in the finish), I found air exposure to enhance the oak. I have seen a lot of tasting notes dealing with effects of water, why is the effect of air so little commented upon?
Secondly the opened bottle: I guess most people will agree that when a half emptied bottle sits on the shelf for, say, half a year or more, the whisky will usually slowly become duller. This is my experience also. But I often find positive changes to begin with. I'm talking about the first couple of weeks to the first couple of months. The Isle of Jura Superstition is in my opinion a good example that not only bad things happen in an opened bottle over time. And the Signatory Laphroaig I mentioned really went through changes. (For the record: 1988 UCF, 46%, destilled 16.03.88, bottled
23.01.04, cask no. 3613). When I had just opened it, the nose was like a raw genever (fusel?) and nothing much more, and the palate was rather onedimensional. After a few weeks I noticed a clear improvement, and after about four months the change was amazing. The genever-fusel was all gone, and what remained was a fresh, fine, dry, good Laphroaig. Then, sadly, it also went dull rather quickly. Well, this was an extreme example, but in my experience, lots of whiskies improves the first weeks or months after opening the bottle, before they slowly starts to deteriorate.
I also have to say I find the phenomenon difficult to understand: I mean, when ageing in the cask, surely the whisky is in some degree exposed to air (the cask *breathing*), and even if it's in a limited degree, it goes on for many years. Strange then, that a few weeks in an opened bottle can bring about noticable changes. (Not to mention 15-30 minutes in a glass!)
Comments/opinions anyone?
Gunnar