Factors Affecting the Styles and Quality of Spirits

Question 1

Four key stages of spirit production

Answer 1

1. Processing the material
2. Alcoholic fermentation
3. Distillation
4. Post distillation operation

Question 2

The aim of processing raw materials

Answer 2

To use anything of agricultural origin that contains carbohydrates to create a sugary liquid.

Question 3

Alcoholic fermentation of spirits

Answer 3

The yeast are added to the sugary liquid to create:
1. Ethanol, CO2 & heat
2. Many compounds that ultimately contribute to a spirit’s aroma

Question 4

What is the Proof System of USA?

Answer 4

1% abv = 2 proof, therefore:
40% abv= 80 proof

Question 5

What is distillation?

Answer 5

The aim for distillation is to select and concentrate individual parts of the alcoholic liquid and leave others behind. The most obvious part to be selected and concentrated is “ ethanol”.
Process:
1. Takes place in a still
2. Starts when the alcoholic liquid is heated
3. The liquid boils and turns into vapours
4. The vapours are then condensed and collected as a new liquid.

Question 6

Flavor profiles of newly made spirits

Answer 6

Regardless of the type of still used, newly made spirits with:
1. lower abv - greater aroma intensity and complexity.
2. higher abv - lower aroma intensity and complexity.

Question 7

What are fractions and congeners?

Answer 7

1. Fraction: Any one of the hundreds of individual chemicals that make up an alcoholic liquid.
2. Congener: a fraction that has an aroma that can be detected by the human nose.

Question 8

What is the purpose of post-distillation operations?

Answer 8

To ensure that when a spirit is put on sale, it has the correct color, aroma, sweetness and alcoholic strength.
Options:
1. add/refine aroma
2. add/remove color
3. remove undesirable part of the liquid
4. add sugar
5. add water

Question 9

Two groups of congeners

Answer 9

1. Other alcohols, key ones are methanol and the fusel alcohols. Small amount can add complexity, too much the spirit will be considered faulty.
2. Esters, they have an attractive fruity smell.

Question 10

What are newly made spirits like?

Answer 10

Water-white, colorless, dry. Contains no sugar.

Question 11

What is reflux?

Answer 11

During the distillation, the liquid and the gas in the vapour are constantly moving around inside the still and they interact with each other, it is known as “reflux”, and it changes the compositions of vapours.

Question 12

What is rectification?

Answer 12

The rise of abv due to reflux is known as rectification. As distillation continues, the gas part of the vapour is more likely to rise up the still and the liquid part is more likely to fall down the still. As this happens, the gas and liquid continue to interact and the abv of the gas continues to rise.

Question 13

Impact of the amount of rectification taking place in the still.

Answer 13

It affects the abv and the aroma intensity of the spirits. Newly made spirits that are:
1. not highly rectified (lower abv) have a greater aromatic intensity and complexity.
2. highly rectified (higher abv) have less aromatic complexity and intensity.

Question 14

What is pot still distillation?

Answer 14

It’s a batch process that produces spirits with a relatively low level of rectification that are characterful and have a medium to pronounced aroma intensity.

Question 15

How many distillations must be done to turn a fermented alcoholic liquid to a spirit?

Answer 15

At least 2 times.

Question 16

First Pot Distillation

Answer 16

To remove some of the water and non-volatile fractions from a fermented alcoholic liquid. “Low wine” is produced between 25-30’c.

Question 17

Second Pot Distillation

Answer 17

To create a liquid that distiller can ultimately put to sale. They must select and concentrate the ethanol and some of the congeners.

Question 18

Three groups of fractions

Answer 18

1.Group 1: fractions with a much lower than ethanol- “heads”
2. Group 2: ethanol and fractions with a similar boiling point-heart
3. Group 3: fractions with a boiling point much higher than ethanol -tails

Question 19

The appeal of pot stills

Answer 19

Produce characterful spirits

Question 20

Limits of pot stills

Answer 20

1. Batch operated. The stills need to be filled, run and emptied time after time. They cannot be run continuously.
2. Labor intensive
3. Not possible to produce highly rectified spirits, let alone a neutral spirit.
   Therefore, for highly rectified spirits, column stills are in use.

Question 21

What are plates in the column stills designed for?

Answer 21

To maximize reflux. They actively send more volatile fractions up the still and the less volatile fractions down the still.

Question 22

Where are Armagnac, Bourbon, and rhum Agricole drawn from the column distillation?

Answer 22

The heart is drawn off from the top where the abv is about 75%, the liquid will include plenty of Group 2 fractions, therefore there is still pronounced flavor intensity and complexity.

Question 22

Where are Armagnac, Bourbon, and rhum Agricole drawn from the column distillation?

Answer 22

The heart is drawn off from the top where the abv is about 75%, the liquid will include plenty of Group 2 fractions, therefore there is still pronounced flavor intensity and complexity.

Question 23

Where are light marks of rum and Scottish whisky from the column distillation?

Answer 23

Higher in the column when the abv reaches 90%.

Question 24

Definition in law for neutral spirits

Answer 24

USA: 95 %abv or above
EU: 96%abv or above

Question 25

Must Bourbon use new oak?

Answer 25

Yes

Question 26

Legal minimum bottling strength of spirits

Answer 26

USA: 40%abv
EU: 37.5%abv

Question 27

Post distillation operations

Answer 27

1. Storage and maturation in oak or inert vessels
2. Adding flavors other than oak
3. Blending
4. Finishing