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IBD General Certificate > Unit 2 - Lesson 6 - Botanicals > Flashcards

Unit 2 - Lesson 6 - Botanicals Flashcards

1
Q

How far back does gin go?

A

1400s

1495 evidence indicates juniper berries used in spirits from household recipe book

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2
Q

Why juniper in gin?

A

Pine aroma - was used more for medicinal purposes and historically juniper was used for ailments

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3
Q

Where and when did gin become very popular?

A

Britain in 18th century

Soldiers were given gin at their posts and became “native” in those stations

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4
Q

How many species of Juniper?

A

Over 50 with Juniperus Communis the most common

Other species use is almost zero

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5
Q

Is juniper a tree or shrub?

A

Tree

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6
Q

What type of tree is juniper?

A

Dioecious - meaning male and female trees

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7
Q

What sex of trees grow juniper berries?

A

The female juniper tree

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8
Q

How high can juniper trees grow?

A

10-15m

Many also grow close to the ground

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9
Q

What climate are suitable for juniper trees?

A

Cool, temperate and primarily grow in the northern hemisphere

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10
Q

What are the qualities of juniper trees?

A
  1. Very hardy
  2. Thrive in variety of soils
  3. Drought tolerant
  4. Primarily grown in wild
  5. Rarely commercially cultivated
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11
Q

What are juniper berries?

A

They are seed cones with scales, tightly packed and fleshy - look like berries
Evolved to trick birds into eating and spreading seeds

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12
Q

How long do juniper berries take to mature and how big do they get?

A

18 month to maturity and 6mm in diameter

Change from green to purple or black

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13
Q

How juniper berries picked and why?

A

Handpicked for consistently since a tree has berries maturing at different times

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14
Q

How do harvesters collect juniper berries?

A

Use tarps
Beat branches with stick to drop berries
Manually sort for consistent ripeness based on color

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15
Q

What is the primary aroma of juniper berries?

A

Piney and floral

Some with citrus or turpentine qualities

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16
Q

Where does the aroma for juniper berries originate?

A

From high terpene content which is an aromatic hydrocarbon found in conifers and citrus trees

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17
Q

What is the most abundant terpene in juniper and makes up how much of the aroma molecule?

A

⍺-pinene making up 50% of aroma - pine wood scent

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18
Q

What are the important juniper terepenes?

A 
⍺-pinene = woody pine scent
sabinene = woody, pine, spicy
mycrene = herbaceous, hoppy
limonene = citrus
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19
Q

How did the Romans use juniper?

A

A cheap black ground pepper

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20
Q

What is the distiller’s challenge for juniper?

A

aromas can vary year to year when aromatic oils change

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21
Q

How to maintain consistency across juniper harvest?

A
  1. Reliable supplier
  2. Keep from same region (eg Macedonia)
  3. Trial benchtop distillations yearly
  4. Check smell, size of berries
  5. Check oils using gas chromatography
  6. Avoid inconsistent size and color
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22
Q

What does coriander add to gin as a botanical?

A

Citrus and sometimes sage

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23
Q

What is the formal name for coriander and where is it grown?

A

Coriandrum Sativum

Throughout the world

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24
Q

Where do the coriander aromas derive?

A

Linalool - floral, grassy, citrus
⍺-pinene - pine
geranyl acetate - roses, herbal
terpineol - lilacs

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25
Q

Where is the largest proportion of coriander grown?

A

Morocco - with larger seeds

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26
Q

What is the difference between larger and smaller coriander seeds?

A

Larger seeds (more often in sub/tropical) have lower essential oils

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27
Q

How many varieties of citrus?

A

Too many to count since they are easily crossbred

28
Q

What part of the citrus do distillers use?

A

The peel or pericarp

29
Q

What are the 3 components of the pericarp?

A
  1. Endocarp (or liths) - innermost section
  2. Mesocarp (pith) - middle section - bitter, white, fibrous
  3. Exocarp (Flavedo or Zest) - Outer section. Contains most oils, most important
30
Q

What is the most important part of the pericarp?

A

Exocarp (outer layer) with the most oils

31
Q

What is the majority form of the essential oil in citrus?

A

Limonene (also found in juniper)

32
Q

What are the methods for choosing citrus peel?

A
  1. Reputable supplier
  2. Origin and harvest differences
  3. Mindful of “bad-looking” or off aromas
33
Q

Why is Orris Root used in Gin?

A

Used to preserve flavors as a “Fixative” equalizing vapor pressure and aroma volatility
This prevents aromatic compounds from evaporating too quickly

34
Q

What is Orris Root?

A

It is a flower

35
Q

What is the process to collect Orris Root?

A
  1. Seeds are sow
  2. Grow for 3-4 years
  3. Dug up
  4. Root separated and dried
  5. Can take up to 5 years
    Very labor intensive
36
Q

What are the aromatic qualities of Orris Root?

A

Violet

Much lost in distillation and woody aroma takes over

37
Q

What is a Fixative?

A

Compounds that equalize vapor pressure and aroma volatility

38
Q

What other industry uses Fixatives?

A

Perfume Industry

39
Q

What is another commonly used fixative in gin?

A

Angelica

40
Q

What form of Orris Root is used in gin distilling?

A

either the chopped root or powdered

41
Q

What are some herbs and flowers are used as botanicals in gin distillation and why?

A

Chamomile - dried flower for floral and hay

Hops - dried cones used in old Dutch style

42
Q

What are some common spices are used as botanicals in gin distillation and why?

A 
Allspice (pimenta or myrtle pepper) 
Cardamom 
Cinnamon/Cassia
Cubeb berries
Ginger
Grains of Paradise
Liquorice Root
Saffron
43
Q

What does Allspice add to gin distillation?

A

Pimenta or Myrtle from C America - cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg

44
Q

What does Cardamom add to gin distillation?

A

More expensive spice

High in alpha-pinene, mycrene and limonene

45
Q

What does Cinnamom/Cassia add to gin distillation?

A

Separate botanicals

Cassia is cheaper with similar flavor

46
Q

What do Cubeb berries add to gin distillation?

A

Indonesian

Black pepper, some with floral

47
Q

What does Ginger Root add to gin distillation?

A

Used fresh or dry
Pungent, lemon-like aroma
Volatile oils - zingerone, shogoal and ginnerol

48
Q

What does Grains of Paradise add to gin distillation?

A

Aframomum melegueta - W Africa, ginger plant

Pepper and Citrus

49
Q

What does Liqourice add to gin distillation?

A

Glycyrrhiza glaba
Used for sugar substitute for centuries
Sweetness to gin

50
Q

What does Saffron add to gin distillation?

A

Most expensive spice
Dried stigmas & styles of the saffron crocus plant
Honey, Hay, Floral

51
Q

What are the primary volatile oils in ginger root and how much weight do the hold?

A

Zingeron
Shogoal
Gingerol
1-3% of total weight of the root

52
Q

What is the acceptable amount of botanicals for gin?

A

30g per liter of neutral spirit 96%ABV

53
Q

What percentage does Juniper make up in gin?

A

40-50%

54
Q

What are some common botanicals used in other spirits?

A

Wormwood - Absinthe
Anise - Pastis (France), Arak (Israel), Ouzo (Greece), Raki (Aremenia) Sambuca (Italy), Mastika (Bulgaria)
Caraway - Aquavit (Scandi) and Brennevin (Iceland)

55
Q

What is wormwood?

A

A plant grown in temperate climate which use the leaves and flowers for spirit production

56
Q

What are the compounds in wormwood?

A

Absintthin - intensely bitter

Thujone - caused stigma for Absenthe spirit can be lethal

57
Q

What is the compound in woodworm that can be lethal in high doses?

A

Thujone and 19th C Ansinthe was below the 10 mg/L thresehold now in place - so it wasnt lethal then

58
Q

Where is thujone also found?

A

Sage which may contain up to 50% thujone in sage oil

59
Q

What is Anise?

A

Anise seed from the plant providing “black liquorice” aromas

60
Q

What is the primary flavor compound in anise?

A

Anethole which can make up 80% of aniseed’s essential oils

61
Q

What is Anethole?

A

Essential oil found in Anise
1. not water soluble - makes spirits cloud with water
2. Highly soluble in ethanol
3. Fragrance is intensely sweet
Added for some sweetness without having to add sugar

62
Q

How much sweet is Anethole (Anise) than sucrose?

A

13 times

63
Q

What part of Caraway is used for botanicals in spirits?

A

Relative to carrot family, the fruit which is often mistaken for seeds.

64
Q

What compounds do Caraway seed contain?

A

Carvone
Limonene
Anethole

65
Q

How should botanicals be stored?

A
  1. Refrigerated - 4-10° C
  2. Low humidity
  3. Low oxygen
66
Q

What are the big 4 botanicals in Gin?

A

Juniper
Coriander
Citrus Peel
Orris Root

IBD General Certificate (52 decks)

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