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WSET ® Level 3 Spirits > Adjusting, Blending, Packaging > Flashcards

Adjusting, Blending, Packaging Flashcards

Post-distillation, distillers may choose to utilize various techniques to finish their products for sale. This deck reviews the various aspects of adjusting and finishing with regard to appearance, sweetness, texture, and the abv of the final product.

1
Q

What are the four main things that a producer can adjust at the end of the production process?

A
  1. Appearance
  2. Sweetness
  3. Texture
  4. Alcohol by Volume (ABV)
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2
Q

What do adjustments, such as the Lincoln County process or filtration in Vodka, relate to?

A

These adjustments relate more to quality assurance and consistency in the product.

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3
Q

What can filtration be used to remove from a spirit?

A

Components relating to:

  • Visual imperfection
  • Textural imperfections
  • Color
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4
Q

When/why is coarse filtration used?

A

For spirits aged in barrel, sometimes bits of the charred wood may become detached and will need to be filtered out of the clean liquid using a sieve or similar device.

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5
Q

How can gravity be used to filter a spirit?

A

When a producer chooses not to do a filtration, instead of allowing the product to sit and settle over time, thus allowing gravity to pull the solid impurities out of suspension into a sediment.

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6
Q

Why would a producer choose to use a filter rather than gravity to filter out impurities from the liquid?

A

When using gravity, there will be some liquid loss due to the volume of liquid held in the sediment after racking. This can be costly, but reduced volume loss can occur when using a filter.

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7
Q

What is chill filtration?

A

A technique used to filter out certain components in the product that may form a haze when the liquid is chilled. The producer will chill the product, forming a haze, and then lightly filter out the haze before bottling.

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8
Q

What is the temperature a spirit will be chilled to in order to properly chill-filter it?

A

Anywhere between -10°C and 4°C (14°F and 39°F)

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9
Q

What is the typical filter pore size for most spirits being chill-filtered?

A

About 5 microns

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10
Q

Why would a producer use carbon filtration (specific effects)?

A

Will reduce or smooth out a spirit’s coarse, harsh texture, among other things.

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11
Q

What can activated charcoal remove from a spirit?

A

Color, in addition to aroma and texture (the same as regular charcoal).

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12
Q

What type of wood is burned for charcoal at Jack Daniel’s distillery?

A

Maple

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13
Q

What does Maple charcoal filtration give to a Tennesse whiskey such as Jack Daniel’s, that Bourbon will not have?

A

A lighter, smoother texture

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14
Q

Where is activated charcoal often used (which spirit category)?

A
  • Vodka, where it helps create the smoothness that is so important to many products in this category.
  • Is also used by some Shōchū producers, where it can be used to allow the complex flavors to be more prominent.
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15
Q

When would color in a spirit be the by-product of the technique used to add flavor?

A

During:

  • Oaking
  • Maceration
  • Percolation
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16
Q

Why would a producer use a colorant such as Caramel Color (E150a)?

A

For consistency

Oak and botanicals cannot be relied upon to produce consistent color results, and sometimes need to be corrected/adjusted.

17
Q

How much caramel color is used to adjust a spirit?

A

It is used in tiny amounts, as it is quite potent.

18
Q

What type of products are best suited for caramel color?

A

Oak-aged spirits.

19
Q

Name a spirit category where the use of caramel color is prohibited:

A

Straight Bourbon

20
Q

Why would many naturally colored spirits have their color enhanced?

A

Color from botanicals can break down over time and be inconsistent. As such, artificial color is often used to stabilize the color in the product.

21
Q

What is artificial color?

A
  • Artificial color is a manufactured chemical that is fit for human consumption and is used as a colorant for products.
  • They are widely used in the food and beverage industry.
22
Q

How much and when are artificial colorants added to a spirit?

A

Small amounts, usually just prior to bottling.

23
Q

Where is it common practice or even required to add some level of sweetness to a spirit?

A
  • Pastis (required)
  • Cognac and Armagnac (optional, but common)
  • Some rums, particularly oak-aged rums
24
Q

Aside from pure sugar, what other options are available for adding sweetness to a spirit?

A

Syrups from corn or grapes.

25
Q

What is a syrup barrel and how is it made?

A
  • Distiller will take some fresh-pressed grape juice
  • Add newly made spirit to it
  • Then age that fortified product in a barrel

This process achieves a similar reaction to aging the spirit in a barrel but allows for adjustments down the line before bottling.

26
Q

How could one taste something similar to a syrup barrel?

A

Pineau des Charentes

27
Q

Where is it common to use syrup barrels?

A

Cognac and Armagnac.

28
Q

What can be added to a spirit in order to create a smoother texture?

A

Glycerol and a very small amount of sugar.

29
Q

What is glycerol?

A

A colorless, odorless, viscous liquid.

30
Q

What is abocante?

A

An additive used in Tequila, made from caramel color, oak extract, glycerol, and sugar syrup.

31
Q

What is one type of Tequila abocante is commonly used to produce?

A

Gold Tequila, which gets all of its color and much of its character from the abocante.

32
Q

What is added to a spirit just before bottling to adjust the alcohol level?

A

Water

33
Q

What can be done to water to make it the least likely to alter the flavor of the spirit?

A
  • Distill it
  • Filter it in active charcoal
  • Use UV light (to kill bacteria)
  • Ion exchange and reverse osmosis (to remove any dissolved minerals)
34
Q

Explain: faibles

A
  • Used to reduce the abv of a spirit (specifically Cognac) to bottling strength.
  • Involves diluting an unaged spirit to less than 30% abv before aging in barrel.
  • Can add a distinct flavor to the spirit.
35
Q

How can a producer create both a unique style and complexity in their product?

A

By blending.

Often blending older and newer sprits to get freshness mixed with older nuances, such as rancio. Can help to create a unique style that is unattainable by just aging alone.

36
Q

Why do many producers use glass to package their products?

A

It is strong and inert, thus you can create unique bottles or packaging designs but it will not impart any flavors on the product.

37
Q

Besides glass, what are some other packaging materials used for spirits?

A

Ceramic bottles and PET

38
Q

Why is a cork closure not often used for non-wood-aged spirits, such as vodka?

A

Cork is a natural product and could impart certain color and aroma/flavor characteristics to neutral products such as vodka.

WSET ® Level 3 Spirits (23 decks)

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