Fruit Spirit Flashcards
What is pomace?
It is the solid leftover of fruits, vegetables or plants.
usually grape skin and seeds
How is Pomace processed to make a pomace brandy?
Diluted with water & fermented if necessary (white grape), or directly distilled (dark grape)
dark grapes pomace can be directly distilled because, it contains alcohol (in wine making, skin are left in contact with the juice during fermentation)
What are the 2 ways, fruits can be processed to make a fruit spirit?
They can be crushed/pressed and then fermented
or Macerated in a neutral spirit and re-distilled.
Why distillers usually use grapes with high acidity and low aroma?
Because these grapes usually don’t make interesting wine, but distillation can concentrate their delicate floral and fruity aromas.
Why is it interesting for some distillers to use highly aromatic grapes?
Because after distillation they have pronounced grape aromas. eg: Pisco
After crushing and pressing, what can be done to the white grapes’pomace instead of discarding it?
It can be mixed with water, and that liquid can then be fermented and distilled.
What difference is there in processing raw white grapes and black grapes?
White grapes: Crushing-pressing-separate grape juice and pommace- fermentation- distillation
Black grapes:Crushing- fermentation- drain wine- pressing pomace- distillation
For what reasons some fruit would be macerated in neutral alcohol instead of crushed and fermented?
Some fruit do not give enough juice, or distiller might want to avoid aromas created during fermentation.
What type of fruit spirit is often aged in oak barrel? in inert vessel?
Spirits made from Grapes and apple often in oak barrel
Spirits made from Pomace and fruits other than apple are aged in inert vessel.
Grapes and apple in new oak then transfered into old oak (so that the oak doesn’t overshadow the flower and fruit flavours)
Where is located the region of Cognac?
In the west of France, in the north of Bordeaux.
What grape is mostly used for Cognac making?
Ugni blanc
Cognac is divided in 6 sub-regions. What are the 3 most famous sub-region?
Grande
Champagne, Petite Champagne, Borderies
Fill the gap: If one of the 3 famous Cognac’s subregion’s names appear on a label, then ____ of the grapes used must have been grown in the stated sub-region.
100%
What is a Fine Champagne?
It’s a Cognac blend of eau-de-vie (distilled wine) from grande Champagne (at least 50%) and petite Champagne
What is the legal requirement of Cognac regarding distillation?
It must be double distilled in a pot still, heated by direct flame and condenser by a worm tube.
Name 2 features of the cognac still that are legally defined.
The still needs to be directly heated by flame, and have a worm tube condenser
What is a worm tube condenser?
It is copper pipe shaped as a snake, immerged in cold water to condense the alcohol vapours. Must be used in cognac still.
How many years does a cognac need to be age for the mention “VS”? “VSOP”? “XO”
VS: 2 years (the minimum)
VSOP: 4 years
XO: 10 years
Where is Armagnac?
South of Bordeaux, south-west france
How many sub-region is Armagnac divided in? What are they?
3 sub regions.
Bas Armagnac, Haut Armagnac, Tenareze
Name 3 grape varieties used to make Armagnac?
Ugni blanc, Baco blanc, Folle blanche
Baco blanc (gives the prune aroma), Folle blanche (gives more floral aromas)
What type of still is used to make majority of Armagnac?
Short column still
Alambic Armagnacais
It’s a hybrid between column and pot still
What labelling term can Armagnac have? What are the ageing requirement?
Blanche(3months), VS(1year), VSOP(4years), XO/hors d’age/vintage (10 years)
Only the blanche appellation requires aging in stainless steel, the other in oak barrels
For an Armagnac to have the BLANCHE appellation, what is the minimum age requirement of the youngest spirit in the blend? for the VS?
3 months for the blanche appellation
1 year for the VS
Other than caramel colour, what else is commonly added to Cognac & Armagnac?
Sugar
Where is Calvados made ?
It is made in Normandy, northern France
What is Calvados?
It is an apple/pear spirit made in Normandy
What is Pisco?
It is a grape spirit. Made in Peru or Chile.
It uses highly aromatic grapes.
Why is Pisco usually unaged?
To keep the vibrant fruit, floral flavour
Between Peru and Chile, which country requires Pisco to be unaged? which allows it?
Peru requires Pisco to be unaged, while Chile allows it.
What is the name of the Pomace spirit made in Italy?
Grappa
Pomace from which grape is usually used for Grappa?
Muscat (moscato)
Moscato has a pronounce floral aroma
True or false: Grappa can only be matured in inert vessels.
False.
It is typically matured in inert vessel but can be matured in wood
Why can pomace have a sharp texture and herbaceous flavours when used for spirit making?
It is because of the tannins in seeds and skin
That’s why grappa tends to have a sharp texture
The most common used grains for Whisk(e)y making are barley, corn, wheat, Rye. Which of these grains are commonly malted?
Barley.
What are the 2 technique used to processing starch?
Malting, cooking.
How is barley typically processed?
It is usually malted.
Explain the malting process.
-Place the grains in a warm, damp room for germination (unpack starch/releases enzymes)
-Heat the grains to stop the growth in the grain (Malted barley)
-Crush the malted barley into a coarse flour
-Mix the malted barley with warm water it’s called Mashing
If peat is burnt to create the hot air this adds smokey aromas to the malted barley.
After germination you have: green malt
After the heating you have: malted barley
After mashing you have a sweet liquid called: wort
What is Wort?
It is the name of the sugary liquid after mashing when the Enzyme converted the grain starch into sugar.
Explain the cooking process in processing grains.
-Crushing: the grains are crushed into a flour
-Cooking: It is then mixed with water and heated at high temperature (the heat unrolls the starch granules)
-Adding enzyme: malted barley or bought-in enzyme is added to break down the starch into sugar.
True or False: in distillation of Whisky, only pot still are allowed to be used.
False
What type of barrel is usually used for maturating Whisk(e)y?
Usually Oak barrel.
for maturing bourbon it has to be newly charred new oak barrel
for Scotch Whisy old oak barrel is usually used
What post distillation operation are typically done in Whisky production?
Maturation in oak, blending, caramel colouring added, dilution.
What do the enzymes produced by the barley convert the starch into?
Glucose (sugar)
What is Bourbon and where is it made from?
Spirit made with at least 51% corn. It can be made anywhere in the USA but the vast majority of production is in Kentucky.
What does mashbill refers to?
The combination of grains used.
True or false: Bourbon distiller can use their own unique selected yeast to create the flavours they need.
True
True or false: Bourbon is required by law to be high in strength.
False
It is required to be distilled relatively low in strength. distilled 80%abv max. Barreled 62.5%abv max
What are the post-distillation requirements of Bourbon.
Maturation in new charred oak barrels
No sugar added
No caramel colouring added
Why are Boubon matured on higher floor in the warehouse have deeper colour than those matured lower.
Higher is hotter, therefore maturation happens faster
On the label of a bottle of Bourbon, what does “single barrel” means?
Only one barrel considered exceptional has been used to make the Bourbon.
On the label of a bottle of Bourbon, what does “Small batch” means?
It is a blend, from a selected small number of casks
Cask: wooden container with various size
Barrel: a cask but with a specific size and shape
Fill the gap: On the label of a bottle of Bourbon the age statement designate ___
The age of the youngest spirit used in the blend.
What is Tennessee whiskey?
It is whiskey only made in Tennessee, following the same rules as Bourbon AND filtered throught mapple wood charcoal
Bourbon: 51% corn, distilled to a relatively low strength, matured in new charred oak barrel, no sugar or colour added
What must Tennesse Whiskey be filtered through before being matured in newly charred oak barrels? What is the name of the process?
The newly made spirit must be filtered throught mapple wood charcoal. It is calle the Lincoln County Process.
What does the Lincoln County Process achieves?
It softens and smoothes the spirit before maturation in barrels
What does “straigth” means when it appears on the label of a Bourbon or Rye Whiskey?
It means the Whiskey has been matured for at least 2 years in new oak barrel and
no colour or flavour has been added
What does Sour mash means when it appears on a label of an American Whiskey?
The acidic residue at the bottom of a column still has been added back to the fermenter
What are the advantages of the Sour mash technique.
It stables the PH level in the new mash, ensures a healthy fermentation, add a subtle flavour for more complexity.
On the label of a bottle of Bourbon, what does “Bottled in bond (BiB” means?
The Whiskey has been made in 1 distillery in 1 year, aged minimum 4 years in wood containers. Nothing but water can be added and it has to be 100 proof.
What is the maximum ABV/Proof a Bourbon can be distilled to?
80%ABV/ 160 proof
What is Peat?
Peat is damp, partly decayed vegetation cut from the ground.
What is Rye Whiskey?
Whiskey with at least 51% Rye, distilled to relatively low strength, matured in charred oak barrels, no colour or sugar added
What flavours usually have Rye Whiskey?
Rye bread, spice, lemon zest
What are the rules regarding production of Scotch whisky?
It must be distilled and matured in Scotland, matured in oak barrel for at least 3 years, caramel colour can be added but not sugar
Single malt whisky need to be bottled in scotland and 100% barley
What are the rules regarding production of Single malt Scotch whisky?
Only malted barley
Fermented and distilled in pot still in only one distillery
Matured in oak barrel for at least 3 years Bottled in Scotland
caramel colour can be added but not sugar
Everything need to be done in Scotland up to bottling
How does the height of a pot still influence the flavour of a single malt scotch whisky?
Tall still=least volatile fall back in the pot=lighter style
Short still=least volatile end up in condenser=more pronounced style
What is the characteristic of oak barrel used in maturing single malt scotch whisky?
They are reused american (ex-bourbon) spain (ex-sherry) casks
What kind of aroma can ex-bourbon barrel give Scotch Whisky?
Subtle cocconut, vanilla, spice aromas
What kind of aroma can ex-Sherry barrel give Scotch Whisky?
Dried fruit, orange peel aromas/flavours
Explain the wood-finishing technique in single malt scotch making.
The spirit is transfered in a different cask for a short period of time for additional color and aroma (e.g ex-port cask ex-rum cask)
What is blended Scotch ?
It is a mix of at least 1 single malt and 1 single grain whisky.
In blended Scotch, what does the age on the bottle indicate?
The age of the youngest whisky used in the blend.
What is single grain whisky?
It is a whisky made of malted barley and corn/wheat
How many regions is the Scotch Whisky divided into? what are they?
5 region.
Highland, speyside, Lowland, Islay, Campbeltown
Islay usually makes peaty/smoky whisky
What does “cask strenght” mean in relation to Scotch Whisky?
The Whisky was not diluted with water prior to bottled.
What is interesting regarding how Canadian make Whisky?
They usually process grain separately instead of making a mashbill and blend them after maturation.
Base Whisky (light & high strenght) + Flavouring Whisky (Pronounced grain Whisky)
Rye is often used
What is interesting regarding how Irish make Whiskey?
Some distiller use 100% malted barley (irish malt)
Some use a mix of unmalted and malted
Unmalted barley give an earthy, nutty, oily character
Pot still Triple distillation is sometimes done
Peat is rarely used
Which country was whisky/whiskey production directly inspired by the Scottish production model?
Japan.
Distilling grains in column still, malted barley in Pot still. There is no trade between distilleries therefore everyone have to produce what they need.
Are Irish Whisky distilled using Pot or Column stills?
Both can be used
the majority is made using pot still
Sometimes a blend is made by assembling whiskies made using different distillation method
