Does a Darker Whisky Mean More Flavour?

It might be tempting to think that a darker whisky is automatically richer in flavour than a lighter one but that’s not necessarily true.

Whisky starts life as a clear liquid called new make spirit. Its colour develops during maturation in casks. The final hue can vary widely depending on a number of factors:

• Type and size of cask (for example, sherry butts vs bourbon barrels)
• Previous contents of the cask (if any)
• How the cask was treated (toasted, charred or seasoned)
• Number of times the cask has been used
• Length of maturation

All of these influence how much colour is extracted from the wood and absorbed into the whisky.

Then there’s the question of caramel colouring. In Scotch whisky, the addition of E150a (plain caramel colouring) is legally permitted but only for colour consistency, not flavour. So, while the colour might give you clues about how the whisky was matured, it can also be misleading.

In short: don’t judge a whisky by its colour. Sip widely and enjoy whiskies across the full spectrum from pale gold to deep mahogany.