Grain Spirits Flashcards
What is the difference in distillation between Whisky and Vodka?
Vodka is distilled to a higher ABV (95-96% as opposed to less than 95%) and unaged
When did phylloxera devastating brandy?
1870s and whisky became trendy
What is malting?
A process where the grain starts to germinate by being steeped in water- then the roots are turned and humidified so not to dry out and tie together. The grains are finally heated to stop germination.
When is peat introduced?
During malting when the grains are heated to stop germination
What is peat?
Decaying vegetation that is formed when the land becomes waterlogged and the vegetation becomes partially carbonised, building up over millennia into a spongy layer that can be up to nine metres thick. It can take 10 years for 1 cm of peat to accumulate.
Is a higher temp or lower temp better to impart the phenolics of peat ?
lower
What is milling?
Making a grist out of the malted barley
What is mashing
Mixing the grist with hot water in a vessel called a mash tun at 63-64C
How does Mashing create flavour?
If you put solids in the wash back and have a cloudy wort, it creates a spirit with greater malty cereal character than whisky made from a clean wort
How long does alcoholic fermentation take for whisky?
within 48 hrs- yields a liquid of 7-8% ABV
How many times is nearly all malt whisky distilled?
Twice in copper pot stills- occasionally it is triple distilled
What is the ABV after the first and second still for whisky?
21-28, 70
What does an early cut to the tails produce?
A lighter spirit
What is the minimum maturation of scotch whisky?
Maximum capacity 700L barrel for three years. Water or caramel for colouring may be added
What are characteristics of Bourbon casks?
Made from Q. Alba, heavily charred and Bourbon distillers can only use them once
What flavours are Sherry Butts known for?
Dried fruit, Christmas cake, clove, resin and orange peel
What does cask strength mean?
It is bottled without being reduced with water
Which areas in Scotland only have three distilleries left?
Lowland and Cambeltown
How does grain whisky differ from malt whisky?
It is a mix of malted barley and other grains, and it is distilled in a continuous still
How is wheat and corn prepped in grain whisky?
It is NOT malted, it is cooked at high temperatures in order to hydrolyze the starch. Cooked cereal and malted barley are mashed together.
Can grain whisky age as long as malt whisky?
Yes
Does a higher percentage of malt or a greater number of malts in a blend give the consumer a more complex product>?
No- A successful blend is one where the combination is seamless- it can be made with 4 whiskies or 40.
What is Irish whisky known for>?
Triple distillation, unseated whisky often incorporating a proportion of unmalted barley(20%-60%)
How does Cooley Irish Whisky differ?
They have pot stills and column stills, double distilled, one uses peat
