Whisky fans will remember around a decade ago when there was a shift away from the commonly found 10 or 12 year old whiskies to presenting without an age statement. It’s not likely to be a fond memory, as many bemoaned this loss at the time and the idea of a non age statement (or NAS) whisky is still a cause of conversation years later.
However, it didn’t take long for age statements to start reappearing on labels. Some brands had readopted the format by the 2020s, and even more recently some distilleries have been reintroducing relatively well-aged whiskies into their core ranges.
Below we’ll take a look back at the origins of the NAS trend and discuss whether or not we’re entering a new golden age of age statements.
THE RISE OF NAS
In the early to mid 2010s, many regular whisky drinkers were disappointed to discover that the numbers denoting the age of the whisky were disappearing from the labels of many of their favourite bottles. It signalled a new era for Scotch whisky. Age statements were being replaced with wordy titles that often told us little about the whisky.
Of course, non age statement whiskies were not anything new. One only had to look at shop’s shelves of blended whiskies and you’d see that many were bereft of an age statement.
In the world of single malts it also wouldn’t be uncommon for brands to have a bottle without an age statement as an ‘introductory’ whisky to their range.
What was unusual was the fact that long standing favourites and some of the world’s best known whiskies were being replaced by non-age statement variants. Macallan were probably the most prominent brand to do so.
Between 2013 and 2014, the Speyside brand released their 1824 series while quietly dropping almost all aged expressions from their range. The new series comprised four whiskies called Gold, Amber, Sienna and Ruby, taking their names from the colour (and thereby the implied age) of the spirit.
Glenlivet were another prominent brand to drop their age statements. In 2015, the discontinued their 12 year old - an expression that had existed in one form or another since the 1950s - in favour of the Founders Reserve.
Many other brands, such as Glenturret, Scapa and Glen Scotia, also decided to shake up their standard range around the same period, removing age statement releases from their core portfolio. It wasn’t a universal trend and many distilleries did keep releasing whiskies proudly declaring their age, but it was a notable trend all the same.
WHY DID BRANDS DROP AGES?
Perhaps the most common reason given for the shift away from age statements was something along the lines of ‘freedom of flavour’. Removing the so-called shackles of working to an age statement allowed master blenders the freedom to pursue flavour in its purist form. Hypothetically, these were the whiskies that whisky makers wanted to make.
Unfortunately this didn’t fly, particularly among seasoned whisky drinkers. It didn’t take the most refined palate or sharpest mind to figure out that much of the new NAS stock was actually younger whisky being peddled at the same price as bottles that previously carried an age declaration.
Whether or not these new NAS whiskies lived up to their age-declared counterparts is a debate that will no doubt rage on forever. What is undeniable however is how they generally failed to make a positive impression on notoriously fickle whisky drinkers, for whatever reason that may be.
Another factor in the shift towards NAS was the fact that some distilleries simply didn’t have enough aged stock to meet the demands for their 10, 12 or 15 year old expressions.
Following the industry low during the 1980s, when an oversaturated market led to the closure of many distilleries, the 1990s weren’t an immediate ‘boom’ period for Scotch whisky. There was still an air of caution among the surviving distilleries.
Therefore it wouldn’t be unfair to surmise that they might not have been prepared for Scotch’s surge in popularity from the early 2000s onwards. In turn, by the mid-2010s, they were running out of suitably aged stock to meet this high demand.
Glendronach are possible case study for this theory. In 2015 the Aberdeenshire distillery were forced to withdraw their near-universally admired 15 year old The Revival. At the time Glendronach openly admitted this was due to a lack of stock. While it wasn’t replaced with a NAS release, a younger 8 year old expression was released.
On the other hand, one of Islay’s favourite sons did introduce a non-age statement whisky to help maintain aged spirit for one of their iconic releases. Laphroaig launched the Select in 2014, at the same time taking their 10 year old away from parts of the market, namely supermarket shelves. While the 10 year old wasn’t entirely discontinued, the introduction of the Select helped take pressure off the brand’s stock.
Understandably, not every distillery is going to be as upfront as Glendronach were and admit that they’re running out of whisky. Nevertheless, there’s enough evidence to suggest that declining availability of aged whisky was a key motivation for the change.
NAS NO MORE? CHANGING TRENDS IN LATE 2010s
However, the NAS trend seems to have been a short-lived one. Many of the brands who were the age-free pioneers were also among the first to reintroduce age statements into their range.
Different variations of the Macallan 12 year old started reappearing on shelves from 2016 and their colourful experiment with the 1824 series was phased out by 2018. Similarly, Glenlivet reintroduced their 12 year old in 2018. Though in both cases NAS whiskies still have a presence in their core ranges in the form of the Macallan Double Cask Gold and the aforementioned Founders Reserve from Glenlivet.
Beyond having older stock available, what are some of the reasons for returning to age statements? Firstly, aged whiskies have an intangible pedigree. They carry a certain clout, an established cultural caché that NAS whiskies can’t hope to live up to.
Discerning drinkers know that older isn’t necessarily better. There’s a number of young or NAS whiskies popular among drinkers, such as Ardnamurchan’s small batch releases, the Ardbeg 5 year old Wee Beastie or Jura’s NAS cask expressions found in most supermarkets across the UK. Additionally, some NAS whiskies are popular in the collectors market, such as Macallan’s reputed Archival Series.
Even with such whiskies in mind, these examples are definitely in the minority. Decades of impressive marketing in favour of age statements has reinforced the idea that older is better. As such, a whisky with a presented age or vintage will generally carry more weight in both drinking and collecting circles.
A further hindrance these whiskies face is the lack of clarity when it comes to naming NAS whiskies. Consumers can be left confused by arbitrary naming conventions. A 12 year old whisky is always going to be a 12 year old whisky; vague allusions to craftsmanship with names like Distillers Choice or borrowing words from Scots Gaelic are less clear.
At the risk of throwing shade, Highland Park were certainly a guilty party in this regard. The mid-to-late 2010s saw the Orcadian brand wholeheartedly embrace its Viking heritage with a full rebrand and new releases with names such as Triskelion and Valknut. While age statement whiskies remained part of their range, these new expressions never reached the same level of popularity as their 12 or 18 year old.
Interestingly Highland Park has very recently undergone another rebrand, dropping much of the Viking imagery and labelling. With that, the NAS whiskies have also been cut from their core range and only the 12, 15 and 18 year old expressions remain.
THE RISE OF ‘TEENAGE’ WHISKY
Returning to the idea that whiskies with an age statement are immediately more impressive than NAS variations, there’s increasing evidence to suggest that distilleries (or at least the marketing teams behind those brands) are once again seeing the merit of having well-aged expressions in their core ranges. A number of distilleries have either introduced - or reintroduced - ‘teenage’ whiskies into their portfolio.
Scapa dropped age statements from their portfolio in 2015 when they introduced the Skiren and Glansa expressions. Like their neighbours Highland Park, Scapa have also recently signalled that they will discontinue these lines and reintroduce a new core range. Alongside an introductory 10 year old, their new features an impressive 16 year old variation.
Elsewhere, Longmorn and Bruichladdich have both introduced 18 year old whiskies into their main ranges earlier this year. Longmorn’s decision is a particularly bold move, since the 18 year old is actually the youngest of their available whiskies.
Finally, Ardbeg recently revived their much-loved 17 year old. The Ardbeg 17 year old was one of the first whiskies released when the distillery reopened in 1997 yet, despite its immense popularity, it was dropped from the range in 2004.
A cynical mind might argue that Ardbeg recreating a teenage classic is more of an attempt to cash in on whisky nostalgia, rather than part of any wider trend. The original 17 year old fetches hefty prices on the secondary market, so understandably the current team might want to capitalise on that popularity. A similar argument could be made for the Scapa 16 year old - another cult favourite before it was discontinued -, albeit the original is less sought after by collectors and investors.
OLDER & WISER? PREMIUMISATION IN THE WHISKY MARKET
A much discussed topic in whisky is the ongoing phenomenon of premiumisation - the idea that brands are tapping into the the image of Scotch as a premium or luxury product, thereby encouraging consumers to spend more than they otherwise might have on a similar product previously. As discussed earlier, whiskies presented with an age statement certainly ties into the concept of ‘premium’.
When discussing Longmorn’s decision to start their range with an 18 year old malt, Chivas Brothers cask expert Kevin Balmforth explained that “Longmorn’s higher-aged releases appeal to the collector. The collectors are experts and epicureans, established professionals who are interested in learning more about rare spirits and love to be seen as ‘in the know’.
“They have high standards and expectations, and want to keep exploring their passions – arguably cementing that we are in a new era of whisky appreciation where age statements are more understood and appreciated than ever.”
Balmforth does also admit that “age is not the only marker of quality,” but this is a clear admission that they are pitching their brand as a premium product. The impressive age statements almost act as a codeword for consumers, a shorthand way of implying prestige.
Diageo’s Mortlach also attempted an upmarket rebrand that didn’t last long without an age statement. Attempting to capitalise on the admiration for the 16 year old Flora and Fauna release, Diageo rebranded the Mortlach with an art-deco inspired makeover in 2014. NAS expressions Rare Old and Special Strength led the way in the new range, with 18 and 25 year old variations the only aged expressions in the new range.
It failed to get over with consumers however, and four years later Mortlach reintroduced a 16 year old into their range alongside a 12 and a 20 year old. Today these aged, premium whiskies remain the cornerstone of the Mortlach range.
Elsewhere, Edrington have made big moves towards premiumisation. They own Macallan, who are very much the poster boys for premiumisation. On top of that, Edrington recent dropped the Famous Grouse blend from their portfolio. Despite being one of Scotland’s most recognisable whisky brands, they sold the blend to William Grant and Sons.
Explaining the decision, Edrington CEO Scott McCroskie stated that the “decision is driven by our strategy to focus on our core strengths and the growth opportunities in the ultra-premium spirits category. We consider this the right moment for Edrington to exit the blended Scotch category and focus on our core portfolio of ultra-premium spirit brands.”
What was meant by that focus on premium brands came to light soon after with the aforementioned Highland Park rebrand. They moved away from the niche Viking-inspired aesthetic to a more clean and contemporary look. With that, the NAS whiskies have been dropped and the age statement releases put front and centre.
There are some other reasons that might be given for the sudden return of slightly older age statements. One such example might be the COVID lockdowns of a few years ago. Sales of Scotch took a massive hit between 2020 and 2021, with exports particularly affected. It’s possible to hypothesise that brands the reduced demand allowed brands to keep maturing stock which they are now able to release.
COVID undoubtedly had a massive impact on the industry and while this might be one possible positive to come from an otherwise horrific time, I don’t think it fully explains the timing and the scale of the current trend.
THE FUTURE OF AGED AND NON-AGE STATEMENT WHISKIES
Regardless of the reasons behind this trend, we definitely seem to be in a new era of age statement whiskies. Whether or not producers will be able to maintain the regular pace at which they’re currently putting out these aged releases, particularly with these older, ‘teenage’ whiskies, remains to be seen.
Just as the fad of NAS whiskies seemingly came and went, so too might the current demand for so-called premium Scotch whiskies. Who’s to say consumers won’t turn against expensive, well aged whiskies and instead return to younger alternatives en masse? With the ongoing cost of living challenges it’s not that hard to imagine.
However, the whisky industry is known for its resiliency. As outlined above, trends come and go, and whiskies come and go with them. Whatever challenges the industry faces or what contemporary fashions dictate, we can be sure that the whisky world will adapt and change with the times. With those changes will no doubt come new expressions for us to try - and who can complain about that.
