Whisk(e)y Flashcards
what are some raw materials that spirits can be made from?
- grains + cereals
- fruits
- plants
- vegetables
- fruits + their pits
- sugar cane + its derivatives
what are some common grains + cereals that can be made into spirits?
- barley
- wheat
- corn
- rice
- rye
what are some fruits that can be made into spirits?
- cherries
- apricots
- apples
- pears
- grapes
for grain + cereal-based spirits, such as Bourbon or Scots, what has to happen first in order for them to be distilled?
The grains + cereals have to have their starches converted into sugars so the yeast can ferment the sugars out
high levels of natural sugars already exist in fruits and plants, so do they have to have their sugars converted first, too, like cereals or grains?
No! Sugar levels are already so high in fruits and plants that their sugars can be directly fermented into alcohol – just add yeast!
if you think bout it, making beer and making a grain-based spirit share similar steps (germinating the grain to convert the starches into sugars, kilning it to make a malt, then brewing it). So why would you basically take a beer-like liquid and distill it?
To remove impurities and the diluting parts of the beverage (water) to acquire and concentrate the true character of the grain or cereal
What are the boiling points of alcohol and water? Which one is higher?
Water’s BP = 212ºF (100ºC) !
Alcohol’s BP = 173ºF (78ºC)
go through the general steps of making a spirit
- make your alcoholic liquid
- bring it to a boil
- as the water boils, the alcohol evaporates (because alcohol boils at a lower temp than water)
- those alcoholic vapours rise up the distillation still and are captured by a condenser
- the vapours collect and are cooled
- Bingo! New distillate / spirit
what are the 2 types of stills used in making spirits?
- pot still
2. continuous still
features + functions of a pot still:
- Are they used for fast or slow distillations?
- What spirit style is typically made in a pot still?
- What are used for small or large scale production?
- Are flavours of primary ingredient retained or lost?
Pot stills:
- Usually slower distillations
- used for rich, wooded spirits e.g. cognac + scotch
- small scale production
- aim to retain the flavours of primary ingredient
features + functions of a continuous still:
- are they used for fast or slow distillations?
- what spirit style is typically made in a pot still?
- are they used for small or large scale production?
- are flavours of primary ingredient retained or lost?
continuous still:
- faster distillation than a pot still
- best for neutral spirits such as vodka and many bourbons
- best for large scale production
- aim is to remove flavor + impurities
regardless of what type of still was used to make a spirit, what colour is a spirit when it comes out of a still?
clear
name some clear spirits that are bottled as soon as they come out of the still
- vodka
- gin
- blanco tequila
- light / white / silver rums
how is color added to new spirits?
- aged in oak
- coloured with caramel
what does ageing in oak do to a clear spirit?
- changes the colour
- changes the flavour + texture
what helps determine the depth of colour, flavour, and texture of a spirit aged in oak?
- char of the barrels
- size of the barrels
- how long the spirit remained in the oak
the spirits most often aged in oak include:
- brandies
- cognac
- whiskies
all whiskies are made from….
grains
name 5 different types of whiskey
- scotch whisky
- irish whiskey
- canadian whiskey
- bourbon whiskey
- Tennessee whiskey
what ingredients can be used to make Canadian whiskey?
What is the minimum ageing requirement?
- made from corn, wheat, rye, or barley
- must be aged minimum 3 years
what ingredient can be used to make Irish whiskey?
What is its minimum ageing requirement?
- made from barely grown in Ireland
- must be aged minimum 3 years in barrel
why is Irish whiskey lighter in style than other whiskies?
a portion of the barley Is unsalted, achieving a lighter style
what are the rules around making Bourbon?
- mus the made in the United States (most made in Kentucky)
- must be minimum 51% corn
- must be aged in brand new, charred, American white oak barrels
what are the rules around making Tennessee whiskey?
- must be made in TN
- must be minimum 51% corn
- must be filtered through charcoal made from the Tennessee sugar maple tree
where does a Scotch whisky have to come from in order to be called Scotch?
anywhere on the Scottish mainland or nay of its surrounding islands
what is the traditional fuel used to make scotch whisky?
peat
Peat is an organic material that looks like soil, but it’s made up of decomposed plants and vegetation matter. Peats comes from wet areas with acidic conditions, like bogs or mires, and it’s used as fuel or in gardening because of its high mineral content
the dominant flavor of Scotch comes from what?
the kilning of the malted barley (the more you kiln it, the deeper the flavour – much like in beer!)
what aromas + flavours does the peat add to scotch?
smoky notes from the peat fire
certain regions in Scotland are known for their Scotches to be heavily heated while other regions are known to be lightly heated.
Name a region known for its heavy-heated scotch and one for its light-heated Scotch
- heavy peat = Islay, speyside
- light peat = lowlands
what are the rules around making a Single Malt Scotch Whisky?
- distilled from 100% malted barley
- made in a pot still
- made at one, single distillery
- bottled in Scotland
what is a blended Scotch Whisky?
one that’s made from blending one or more single malt whiskies from different distilleries
name the 5 major areas in Scotland that produce scotch whisky
- orkney islands
- Isle of Skye
- Speyside
- Isle of Islay
- Lowlands
