Schnapps

What happens to schnapps and aquavit when it gets old?

Many people think that schnapps stays completely still in the bottle, and that is almost true. A bottled schnapps or aquavit changes much more slowly than wine, because the high alcohol content slows down the chemical processes. Aalborg Jule Akvavit, for example, is bottled at 47 percent, and at that strength neither fermentation nor the kind of development known from a bottle of red wine maturing in the cellar can take place.

Even so, a sealed bottle is not completely sealed. Over many years, a tiny amount of oxygen seeps in through the cork or screw cap, and that oxygen slowly reacts with the schnapps' aromatic compounds. At the same time, a little alcohol and aroma can seep out the other way, so the level in the bottle drops slightly over the decades. These are small changes, but in a bottle that has stood for 30 or 40 years, they can certainly be noticed.

How the taste changes does not have a clear-cut answer. Producers typically say that spirits do not change in an unopened bottle, while many collectors experience the opposite. The most widespread experience is that the fresh and volatile top notes, such as citrus and fresh dill, can become more subdued, while caraway and spices may be perceived as rounder and more integrated. In whisky, people talk about "old bottle effect", and the same discussion exists among those who collect old schnapps.

The most important thing to know, therefore, is that every old bottle is a little story of its own. Two bottles from the same year may have lived different lives, and that is exactly what makes it exciting to open an aged schnapps.

Barrel-aged or bottle-aged: two completely different ways of aging

When talking about old aquavit, it is important to distinguish between barrel aging and bottle aging. They are two different things that produce two different results.

Barrel aging happens before the schnapps is bottled. Here, the aquavit rests in oak barrels for a period, and the wood imparts both color and flavor. The longer the time in barrel, the more color, typically from a faint straw color to golden, and the more notes of vanilla, toasted oak, and dried fruit. In Norway, it is common to age aquavit in used sherry casks, while classic Danish schnapps is most often clear, either because it is not barrel-aged at all, or because it is aged in old barrels that do not impart color.

Bottle aging is what happens afterward, when the bottle is sealed and sits on the shelf. There is no wood here, and therefore no new color or vanilla is added either. A clear Christmas aquavit from the 1980s is still clear today. The change in the bottle is slow and quiet and is mainly due to the small amount of oxygen that finds its way through the closure over the decades, and the slight evaporation that causes the level to drop.

You could put it this way: the barrel determines what kind of schnapps you get, while the time in the bottle determines how it is when it is opened many years later. The schnapps in this collection have spent many years in the bottle, and it is precisely that slow bottle age that makes them something special.

Aalborg Jule Akvavit: a new vintage every Christmas since 1982

Aalborg Jule Akvavit was first launched in December 1982, and since then a new edition has been released every Christmas. The recipe is the same, a distillate of caraway, dill, and coriander seeds with a robust caraway character and a finish with hints of orange and almond. What changes from year to year is the bottle and the box, and therefore each vintage is easy to recognize and an obvious collector's item.

Precisely because the bottle is dated, an old Christmas aquavit makes a really good gift for someone celebrating a milestone birthday, or for a couple celebrating an anniversary. A bottle from the year of birth or the wedding year is personal in a way that a new bottle can never be. If you are looking for more ideas, you can also see our birthday gifts with wine from many different vintages.

In our selection, you will find, among other things, Aalborg Jule Akvavit and aquavit from De Danske Spritfabrikker from many different years. Many of the bottles still have the original box, and several of them come with the characteristic bottle shapes that make the vintages look different on the shelf. The selection changes continuously because most vintages exist only in a few examples, so if you find the year you are looking for, it is a good idea to act quickly.

At the Christmas lunch, a vintage schnapps also gives people something to talk about. It is fun to taste a Christmas aquavit from a year when half the table had not yet been born, and it is a simple way to make the Christmas table a little more personal.

How to store and serve an old schnapps

An old schnapps has done just fine for many years, and with a little care, it will also keep just fine with you. Store the bottle upright so that the strong alcohol is not constantly in contact with the cork. This is the opposite rule of wine, which should lie down. Store the bottle in the dark, because light wears down the aromas, and keep it away from heat and major temperature fluctuations, for example by the radiator or in a warm kitchen. A cool cupboard or a cellar is ideal. You can read more about the general principles in our guide to wine storage and preservation.

When opening a very old bottle, do so calmly. An old cork may be dry and brittle, so twist it open carefully, and possibly have a new cork ready if the old one crumbles. Also look at the level and the color. A slightly lower level is completely normal for a bottle that has stood for decades.

Ordinary schnapps is traditionally served ice-cold, but an old schnapps deserves to be tasted a little less cold. Try it lightly chilled or at cellar temperature, so the rounded notes of caraway, dill, and spices have room. Pour it into a small glass, smell it first, and preferably taste it alongside a newer schnapps so the difference stands out clearly.

Once the bottle has been opened, more air gets in, and then the development goes faster than in the sealed bottle. Put the cork back in tightly after use, and preferably enjoy the bottle within a reasonable time. If the schnapps is to be given as a gift, you can find more ideas in the perfect gift.