As we have discussed in a previous article, the benefits of maturing new make spirit for a period of years in oak casks is undisputed both in terms of appearance and of flavor qualities. Nevertheless the magnitude of the time that is required for spirit to mature “optimally” in cask is a distinct inconvenience to whiskey producers.

Protracted maturation cycles are of the same order of magnitude as typical economic cycles, so that predicting sales can be considered at best to be approximate. Bringing new spirit innovations to market also requires a “wait-and-watch” strategy, creating potential discomfort for marketers…