politics

Correct. Whiskey doesn't age once it's out of the barrel, which is part of why it became a staple beverage across the world. Wine does age in the bottle and people are trying to add that prestige to whiskey.

What makes whiskey valuable is how long it was aged before it was bottled. Some distilleries have 100 year-old cycles. But a 50 year Macallen bottled in 1983 is going to taste the same as 50 year Macallan bottled in 2025. The consistent taste is one of the benefits of distilling old whiskey.