Skip to main content

Apparently, Whiskey Aged in Space Tastes Different than the Earth-Aged Variety

Swill is our bi-monthly column dedicated to liquor, wine, beer, and every other delicious dram that falls under the broader umbrella of booze. But it’s more than just tasting notes scribbled on a cocktail napkin — Swill is about getting outside of your comfort zone, trying new things, and exploring the big, wide world of libations. One week you might catch us halfway through a bottle of single-malt scotch, and the week after that we might be buzzing on some Ugandan moonshine made from bananas. This column is just one big boozy adventure, so grab yourself a glass and join us for another round.

Back in 2011, Ardbeg Whisky did something awesome. It filled up a vial with whiskey, put it on a rocket, and blasted the booze into orbit. The goal of the mission? To see how lower gravity affects the aging process — or more specifically, examine “the effect of micro-gravity on the behavior of terpenes, the building blocks of flavor for whisky spirits as well as for many other foods and wines.”

Recommended Videos

Well now, after three years of aging in space (with shavings from a charred American White Oak ex-bourbon barrel), the vial has returned back to Earth for tasting. The verdict is finally in on the difference in taste — and it’s not what you’d expect.

Like any good scientist, Ardbeg made sure to include a control sample in the experient: a vial of whiskey (also with barrel shavings) kept here on Earth for the same amount of time. Here’s how the terrestrially-aged booze differed from the space-aged stuff, according to ardbeg’s panel of whiskey connoisseurs:

The control sample, which reached an alcohol by volume (ABV) of 58.4 percent, had an aroma described as follows: “Very woody, hints of cedar wood, sweet smoke and aged balsamic vinegar. Hints of raisins, treacle toffee, vanilla and burnt oranges. Very reminiscent of an aged Ardbeg style.” As for its taste, connoisseurs noted, “Dry palate, woody/balsamic flavours, sweet smoke and clove oil. A distant fruitiness (prunes/dates), some charcoal and antiseptic notes. The aftertaste is long, lingering and typically Ardbeg, with flavours of gentle smoke, briar wood, tar and some sweet, creamy fudge.”

Ardbeg Space Experiment - Final Frontier Film: The Pier Review

The space sample was quite a bit different. It came out with an ABV that was just a touch lower (56 percent), and featured an aroma that Ardbeg described as, “Intense and rounded, with notes of antiseptic smoke, rubber, smoked fish and a curious, perfumed note, like cassis or violet. Powerful woody notes, hints of graphite and some vanilla. This then leads into very earthy/soil notes, a savory, beefy aroma, and then hints of rum & raisin flavored ice cream.”

The taste of the space spirits was even more intriguing. Ardbeg’s tasters noted that the whiskey had “a very focused flavor profile, with smoked fruits (prunes, raisins, sugared plums and cherries), earthy peat smoke, peppermint, aniseed, cinnamon and smoked bacon or hickory-smoked ham. The aftertaste is pungent, intense and long, with hints of wood, antiseptic lozenges and rubbery smoke.”

When it was all said and done, the tasters concluded that the differences afforded by these two maturation conditions produced “dramatically different flavor profiles,” which the distillery believes “will give rise to the potential development of new flavors, and in particular new Ardbeg whisky expressions.”

In other words, keep your fingers crossed, and in the future, Ardbeg might release a space-aged whiskey to the masses.

Drew Prindle
Drew is our resident tech nerd. He’s spent most of his life trying to be James Bond, so naturally he’s developed an…
Country singer Dierks Bentley is releasing a new, limited-release bourbon
Launched to coincide with his new album, Dierks Bentley is releasing a new whiskey
Whiskey glass

Dierks Bentley is a country music star. He also launched his own whiskey brand, ROW 94, in September 2024 in collaboration with the historic Green River Distilling Co. in Owensboro, Kentucky. Recently, the brand announced the release of a new, limited-release bourbon.
ROW 94 Broken Branches

Named for his new album, it was made in partnership with Lofted Custom Spirits at the Green River Distilling Co. It begins with a mash bill of 70% Kentucky-grown corn, 21% rye, and 9% malted and row barley. It's matured for at least five years in new, level 4 charred American oak barrels using "Branch Aging" with fire-toasted oak staves seasoned for up to twenty-four months.

Read more
Starting tomorrow: Strato Frappuccino brings cold foam and bold new textures
A reimagined version of the classic Starbucks Frappuccino
Starbucks Strato

Starting tomorrow, Starbucks lovers can try a new, reimagined version of the classic Frappuccino. The Starbucks Strato Frappuccino blended beverage features a new layered twist inspired by the Italian word Strato, which means layer. The new drink debuts tomorrow, July 8th, in three sweet flavors, each combining creamy cold foam with familiar flavors. These new drinks are for those looking for a more refined version of the classic Frappuccino, with a fresh take on familiar flavors. The new flavors include:

Brown Sugar Strato Frappuccino Blended Beverage: A blend of Frappuccino® Roast coffee, milk, and ice, layered with brown sugar-flavored cream cold foam. A blend of cinnamon is an elegant finishing touch.

Read more
Kentucky Owl’s new Batch #13 is the final masterpiece from a bourbon legend
Kentucky Owl

Popular whiskey brand Kentucky Owl recently announced the launch of its newest bourbon, Batch #13. It was blended and crafted by former Master Blender John Rhea. What makes the whiskey more unique is that it was the last bourbon blend created by the Kentucky Bourbon Hall of Fame member before his retirement.
Kentucky Owl Batch #13

Batch #13 consists of a blend of five different bourbons. There’s a mix of younger and wheated whiskeys and more mature and higher rye whiskeys. The blend is roughly between eight and nine years old.

Read more