1.11 Spritis

Question 1

Brandy?

Answer 1

Distilled wine.

Aged in oak and coloured with caramel.

Question 2

Cognac and Armagnac?

Answer 2

Cognac - oak ages brandy from north of Bordeaux. Double distilled in a copper pot still.

Armagnac - column still south of Bordeaux.

VS, VSOP and XO (napoleon) indicate age of maturation.

Question 3

Whisky?

Answer 3

Barley, cork and rye.

Conversion to turn starch into fermentable sugars. Ground and mixed with hot water.

Barley has to germinate first. Then heated using a kiln. Peat used to give smokey flavours. Malted barley.

Question 4

Scotch whisky?

Answer 4

Distilled and ages in oak casks in Scotland.

Malt whisky made only using malted barley.

Single malt - one distillery.

Distillation in copper pot stills.

Grain whiskey - corn, wheat malted barley column still.

Normally blended (malts and grains).

Question 5

Irish whiskey?

Answer 5

Malted and unmalted barley and grains.

Question 6

Bourbon?

Answer 6

> 51% corn

Flavour from heavily charred oak barrels.

Question 7

Tennessee whiskey?

Answer 7

Like bourbon. Filtered through sugar maple charcoal.

Question 8

White rum?

Answer 8

Aged in oak then stripped of colour with charcoal.

Question 9

Golden and spiced rum?

Answer 9

Oak ageing. Add spices.

Question 10

Dark rum?

Answer 10

Added caramel. Aged for years in oak.

Question 11

Tequila?

Answer 11

> 51% Agave in mexico. 7-10 years growth before harvesting.

Blanco/silver

Joven/oro/gold caramel added

Reposado/anejo aged in oak

Question 12

Vodka?

Answer 12

Done in column still to get strength (95-97%)

Barley, wheat, rye, grape, potato. Q

Question 13

London dry gin?

Answer 13

Re-distilling in a pot still with juniper. No flavours after re-distillation.

Distilled gins - other flavourings added after

Inexpensive - essences added.