What is the oldest matured single malt scotch?

Answer 1

Even fruit still on the tree that is over ripe can have alcohol in it. Yeast from the air will begging to eat its sugar. So as long as there have been fruits or other sugar rich plants. And there has been yeast. There has been alcohol.

There is a certain insect ( I forget the name ) that smells the alcohol on over ripe fruit and is drawn to it. Scientists say this has given it an evolutionary advantage over other flying bugs.

Don't try eating over ripe fruit to get drunk if you are a human. Let the fruit rot for awhile and then eat it.

Answer 2

someone edited my original answer that maybe not was rocket science, however whoever edited it seems to lack nowledge about Scotland for sure

First .. scotch is always referring to whiskey distilled and bottled in Scottland, by law. Scotch is always spelled Whisky (no Scotch whiskey is spelled whiskey, that is American or Irich only) nly because the use of peat-fueled fires to dry the barley during early stage in the malt whiskey production.

Scotch whiskies are distilled and stored as "single malts", vatted malt, pure malt or blended whiskey.

Single malts are always from te same distillery always aged more than 3 years, as any Scotch Whisky according to the law.

Distillation is made in potstills up to aprox or below 70%

There is no upper limit regarding storage, except from what is reasonable.

More than 50 years would be extremely rare and of very little use and has nothing to do with the brand, rather then with the kind of cask.

Pure malt or vatted malt is malt whiskey from more than one distillery.

Single cask malt is from one cask only.. still 100 % based on Barly (no grain)

Grain Whisky is made out of any grain except barely, most usual corn, stored at least 3 years in oak and distilled in a patent still upp to 95% alcohol.

A "blended" scotch whiskey is a mixture of Malt Whisky and Grain Whisky.

All Scotch Whisky including Blended Scotch Whisky is labeled with the age representing the youngest Whisky included.

If no age .. assume 3 years Grain and various age of malt whiskey.

Back to original question ... the age !

Answer: there is no technical limit regarding age, it is all about price and taste

Normal age in regarding malt whiskey up to 25 Y, for enthusiasts maybe 40 Y, for

collectors, no limit. Be aware that aging is only reffered to time in the cask.

Normal age on Blended Scotch is no age at all (at least 3Y) but some special collelctions are up to 25 Y.

Answer 3

You will not find Scotch older than around 55-60 yrs in maturation. This is because Scotch whiskey is put into the cask at around 63.5-68.5% alcohol and will lose some alcohol from evaporation every year. If the whiskey goes below 40% in the cask it cannot be bottled or sold as Scotch whiskey. I've seen in a master blender's room in Scotland some sample of Scotch younger than 50yrs which have gone below the minimum 40%. So you won't I'm afraid be finding any 250yr old Scotch., but there are still great Scotches to be had from closed or mothballed distilleries which fetch a pretty high price.

Answer 4

Their is actually some serious contention on this point between The Glenturret (1775) and The Bowmore (1779). However some records indicate that both of their foundings were actually almost forty years later. Keep in mind it wasn't until 1823 that Parliament started cracking down on illegal distilleries, so it is all really a little fuzzy.

Answer 5

According to their website the answer is Laird Distillery. Their label reads Est. 1780 and the site states:

"For almost 300 years, the art of producing AppleJack has been passed down through generations of the Laird Family. Laird was America's first commercial distillery with License #1. We now proudly bring that tradition to a variety of products, imports, spirits, wines and more. Thank you for your interest in Laird & Company."

See http://www.lairdandcompany.com/index2.htm for more.

Answer 6

The Old Bushmills Distillery in Northern Ireland is the world's oldest licensed distillery, and therefore the oldest in Britain. It was given it's license by King James I in 1608.

Answer 7

A 150 year old Glenavon, worth £15,000