Whiskies with no age statements – are they of lower quality?

“In recent years, New World whisky producers have contributed in some way to the growth of NAS whiskies,” said Yong. “These producers are perhaps just a decade old or newly established, so they don’t have the luxury of aged [whisky stocks]. Hence, they have to make their young whiskies attractive to new drinkers to stay afloat.”

Malt & Wine Asia carries NAS variants from Scottish producers Benriach, The Glendronach, and Glenglassaugh, as well as New World whisky maker Starward from Melbourne, Australia.

“We are seeing new NAS expressions coming to fruition such as various cask finishes and spirits [made from] diverse strains of barley or smoked with different peat levels,” said Yong. “For example, Starward has recently released its single malt whisky finished in casks that once held the distillery’s ginger beer.”

Yong said he is seeing more wine drinkers being attracted to Starward as some of its whiskies are aged in wine barrels that once held Aussie red wines like Cabernet Sauvignon and Shiraz.

“Many customers have fun trying to guess what varietal the wine cask held before it was used for the whisky,” he said.