Whiskey

Question 1

Whisky (Scottish Gaelic: uisge-beatha), or whiskey (Irish: uisce beatha or fuisce),

Answer 1

A broad category of alcoholic beverages that are distilled from fermented grain mash and aged in wooden casks (generally oak).

Different grains are used for different varieties, including: barley, malted barley, rye, malted rye, wheat, and maize (corn). Whisky derives from the Gaelic word for “water” (uisce or uisge), and is called in full uisge-beatha (in Scotland) or uisce beatha (Ireland), meaning

“Water of Life”. It is related to the Latin aqua vitae, also meaning “water of life”. It is always Scotch whisky (plural: whiskies), and Irish whiskey (whiskeys).

The Irish and American distilleries adopted the spelling “whiskey”, with the extra “e”, to distinguish their higher quality product. Today, the spelling whisky (plural whiskies) is generally used for whiskies distilled in Scotland, Wales, Canada, and Japan, while whiskey is used for the spirits distilled in Ireland and America. Even though a 1968 directive of the

Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms specifies “whisky” as the official U.S. spelling, it allows labeling as “whiskey” in deference to tradition and most U.S. producers still use the historical spelling. Exceptions such as Early Times, Maker’s Mark, and George Dickel are usually indicative of a Scottish heritage.

“Scotch” is the internationally recognized term for “Scotch whisky” however it is rarely used in Scotland, where grain whisky is generally referred to as “whisky” and single malt whisky as “malt”.

Question 2

Whiskey Types

Answer 2

Malt is whisky made entirely from malted barley and distilled in an onion- shaped pot still.

• Grain is made from malted and unmalted barley along with other grains, usually in a continuous “patent” or “Coffey” still. Until recently it was only used in blends, but there are now some “Single Grain” scotches being marketed. 
Malts and Grains are combined in various ways
• Vatted malt is blended from malt whiskies from different distilleries. If a whisky is labelled “pure malt” or just “malt” it is almost certain to be a vatted whisky. This is also sometimes labelled as “Blended Malt” whisky.
• Single malt whisky is malt whisky from a single distillery. However, unless the whisky is described as “single-cask” it will contain whisky from many casks, and different years, so the blender can achieve a taste recognizable as typical of the distillery. In most cases, the name of a single malt will be that of the distillery (The Glenlivet, Bushmills, Yoichi), with an age statement and perhaps some indication of some special treatments such as maturation in a port wine cask.
• Pure pot still whiskey refers to a whiskey distilled in a pot-still (like single malt) from a mash of mixed malted and unmalted barley. It is exclusive to Ireland.
• Blended whiskies are made from a mixture of Malt and Grain whiskies. A whisky simply described as Scotch Whisky or Irish Whiskey is most likely to be a blend in this sense. A blend is usually from many distilleries so that the blender can produce a flavour consistent with the brand, and the brand name (e.g. Chivas Regal, Jameson Irish Whiskey, Canadian Club) will usually not therefore contain the name of a distillery. However, “Blend” can (less frequently) have other meanings. A mixture of malts (with no grain) from different distilleries (more usually called a vatted malt) may sometimes be referred to as a “Blended Malt”, and a mixture of grain whiskies with no malts will sometimes carry the designation “Blended Grain”.
• Cask strength whiskies are rare and usually only the very best whiskies are bottled in this way. They are bottled from the cask undiluted. Rather than diluting, the distiller is inviting the drinker to dilute to the level of potency most palatable. 
Whiskies do not mature in the bottle, only in the cask, so the “age” of a whisky is the time between distillation and bottling. This reflects how much the cask has interacted with the whisky, changing its chemical makeup and taste. Whiskies which have been in bottle for many years may have a rarity value, but are not “older” and will not necessarily be “better” than a more recently made whisky matured in wood for a similar time. Most whiskies are sold at or near an alcoholic strength of 40% abv.

Question 3

(Whiskey) Angel’s Share:

Answer 3

The portion of Bourbon in an aging barrel that’s lost to evaporation.

Question 4

(Whiskey) Barrel proof:

Answer 4

Whiskey bottled at the desired proof while aging in the barrel. No water is added before bottling, so these Bourbons are higher proof than others.

Question 5

(Whiskey) Bourbon (straight):

Answer 5

A whiskey made from a mash containing at least 51 percent corn, distilled out at a maximum of 160° proof, aged at no more than 125° proof for a minimum of two years in new charred oak barrels. If the whiskey is aged for less than four years, its age must be stated on the bottle. No coloring or flavoring may be added to any straight whiskey.

Question 6

(Whiskey) Charring:

Answer 6

The process that sets fire to the interior of barrels for less than one minute and creates a layer of charred wood. Distillers can choose from four levels of char.

Question 7

(Whiskey) Corn whiskey:

Answer 7

A whiskey made from a mash containing a minimum of 80 percent corn and, if it is aged at all, must be aged in used or uncharred oak barrels.

Question 8

(Whiskey) Fermentation:

Answer 8

The process by which yeast transforms sugar into alcohol and carbon dioxide.

Question 9

(Whiskey) Fermenter:

Answer 9

A giant tub made of metal or cypress in which the mash of cooked grains and water meet the yeast. They mingle, the yeast begins to act on sugars in the grain, and fermentation occurs over a few days. This produces alcohol within the mash and turns it into distiller’s beer.

Question 10

(Whiskey) Heads:

Answer 10

The first section of the high wines to exit the doubler or thumper; this spirit is high in impurities and sent back to the still for redistillation.

Question 11

(Whiskey) Malted barley:

Answer 11

Barley that has been partially germinated and then heated or roasted to stop the germination. Malted barley (or any malted grain) contains enzymes that convert starches into the fermentable sugars on which yeast feeds. These enzymes are not present in unmalted grains.

Question 12

(Whiskey) Mash:

Answer 12

The mixture of cooked grains and water before the yeast is added to start fermentation.

Question 13

(Whiskey) Mashbill:

Answer 13

The grain recipe used to make whiskey.

Question 14

(Whiskey) Nose:

Answer 14

The aroma of a whiskey.

Question 15

(Whiskey) Proof:

Answer 15

Measurement of beverage alcohol on a scale, in America, of 200. A 100° proof spirit contains 50 percent alcohol.

Question 16

(Whiskey) Rickhouse:

Answer 16

The building in which whiskey is aged, sometimes referred to as the “warehouse.”

Question 17

(Whiskey) Ricks:

Answer 17

The wooden structures on which barrels of whiskey rest during aging.

Question 18

(Whiskey) Rye whiskey (straight):

Answer 18

A whiskey made from a mash containing at least 51 percent rye, distilled out at a maximum of 160° proof, aged at no more than 125° proof for a minimum of two years in new charred oak barrels. If the whiskey is aged for less than four years, its age must be stated on the bottle. No coloring or flavoring may be added to any straight whiskey.

Question 19

(Whiskey) Single barrel whiskey:

Answer 19

Whiskey drawn from one barrel that has not been mingled with any other whiskeys.

Question 20

(Whiskey) Small batch whiskey:

Answer 20

A product of mingling select barrels of whiskey that have matured into a specific style.

Question 21

(Whiskey) Tails:

Answer 21

The last section of high wines to exit the doubler or thumper; this spirit is high in impurities and sent back to the still for redistillation.

Question 22

(Whiskey) Thief:

Answer 22

A tubular instrument for removing a sample from a barrel.

Question 23

(Whiskey) Wheated bourbon:

Answer 23

Bourbon made from a mashbill that contains wheat instead of rye grain.

Question 24

(Whiskey) Yeast:

Answer 24

A living organism that feeds on fermentable sugars, transforming them to beverage alcohol, congeners, carbon dioxide, and heat.

Question 25

Bourbon

Answer 25

Bourbon must be made of a grain mixture that is at least 51% corn.

• Bourbon must be distilled to no more than 160 (U.S.) proof (80% alcohol 
by volume).
• Bourbon must be 100% natural (nothing other than water added to the 
mixture).
• Bourbon must be aged in new, charred oak barrels.
• Bourbon which meets the above requirements and has been aged for a 
minimum of two years, may (but is not required to) be called Straight 
Bourbon.
• Bourbon aged for a period less than four years must be labeled with the 
duration of its aging. 
In practice, almost all bourbons marketed today are made from more than two- thirds corn, have been aged at least four years, and do qualify as “straight bourbon”—with or without the “straight bourbon” label. The exceptions are inexpensive commodity brands of bourbon aged only three years and pre-mixed cocktails made with bourbon aged the minimum two years.

The typical mashbill for bourbon is 70% corn — with the remainder being wheat and/or rye, and malted barley.

This spirit is placed in charred oak barrels for aging, which is what imparts color.

Consequently, bourbons that have been aged longer are generally darker in color. After aging, bourbon is withdrawn from the barrel, diluted with water and bottled. Bottling proof must be at least 80 proof (40% abv) and most whiskey is sold at 80 proof.

Bourbon may be produced anywhere in the United States where it is legal to distill spirits.

Currently most brands are produced in Kentucky, where Bourbon has a strong association. Estimates are that 95% of the world’s bourbon is distilled and aged in Kentucky. Other states producing bourbon include Tennessee, Virginia, Ohio, Missouri, Kansas, Indiana, New Jersey, and New York. In the past, bourbon has also been made in Illinois and Pennsylvania.

Question 26

Rye Whiskey

Answer 26

In the United States, “rye whiskey” is, by law, made from a mash of at least 51 percent rye.(The other ingredients of the mash are usually corn and malted barley.) It is distilled to no more than 160 (U.S.) proof (80% abv), and aged in charred, new oak barrels. The whiskey must be put into such barrels at not more than 125 (U.S.) proof (62.5% abv). Rye whiskey that has been so aged for at least two years may be further designated as “straight”, as in “straight rye whiskey”.

Rye whiskey was the prevalent whiskey of the northeastern states, especially Pennsylvania and Maryland. Pittsburgh was the epicenter of Rye Whiskey production in the late 1700 and early 1800s. By 1808, Allegheny County farmers were selling one half barrel for each man, woman and child in the country. Rye whiskey largely disappeared after Prohibition. A few brands, such as Old Overholt, survived it. Today, Heaven Hill, Sazerac Company, Jim Beam, and Wild Turkey, among others, also produce rye whiskeys, as does a distillery at Mount Vernon, the home of George Washington, which sells a version of the rye Washington made.

Rye is currently undergoing a small but growing revival in the United States. Jack Daniel’s has released an unaged rye product, and thus is not legally “whiskey”, though an aged version is planned.

Question 27

Scotch whiskies

Answer 27

International laws require anything bearing the label “Scotch” to be distilled in Scotland and matured for a minimum of three years and one day in oak casks, among other, more specific criteria. If Scotch whisky is from more than one cask, and if it includes an age statement on the bottle, it must reflect the age of the youngest whisky in the blend. Many cask-strength single malts omit the age as they use younger elements in minute amounts for flavouring and mellowing. The basic types of Scotch are Malt and Grain, which are combined to create blends. While the market is dominated by blends, the most highly prized of Scotch whiskies are the single malts. Scotch whiskies are divided into five main regions: Highland, Lowland, Islay, Speyside and Campbeltown.

Question 28

Scotch Malt Whiskies

Answer 28

The process of producing malt whisky has, in essence, changed little through the centuries, although in recent years, greater automation and computerisation in many distilleries has
reduced the level of individual skill and experience required by the operators.

Despite any amount of automation, however, the fact remains that the ‘make’ of no two distilleries is ever the same. While it is possible to copy production methods and equipment, use the same water source, barley and yeast, and mature spirit for the same duration in the same type of casks within apparently identical micro- climates, the result will always be distinctly different spirits. Vast sums of money have been invested in the search for a definitive scientific evaluation of the variables in malt whisky making, but despite the best efforts of the scientists, an element of mystery remains. By law, Scotch malt whisky must be distilled entirely from a mash of malted barley, and the business of making malt whisky begins by malting barley in order to induce germination. In traditional distillery-based floor maltings, the barley is steeped in water for two or three
days, then spread on a malting floor, where rootlets develop as germination begins. So that the malt retains the sugars essential for fermentation, the partially germinated ‘green malt’, as it is known, is transferred to a kiln for around seven days and dried over a fire or by jets of hot air, usually with some peat used in the furnace to impart flavour. The amount of peat introduced during kilning has a major influence on the character of the finished whisky.

Question 29

MAJOR REGIONS OF SCOTLAND WHISKY PRODUCTION:

Answer 29

Lowland: Lowlands is located at the southernmost part of Scotland, and is a flat region with no mountains. Scotch from this region are generally considered as the most light bodied of the Single Malts. There are only three operating distilleries remaining in the Lowlands:
Auchentoshan, Bladnoch, and Glenkinchie. Traditionally Lowland single malts are triple distilled (often giving them a lighter taste.

Highland: The Highlands is the largest of the whisky producing regions in Scotland and generally produces more full-bodies whiskies with deeper notes of peat and smoke. Due to the vastity of the region, Highland whiskies often taste very different from each other, from the extreme heathery, spicy character of Northern Highlands to the fruity whiskies of the Southern Highlands. Some Highland distilleries: Aberfeldy, Balblair, Ben Nevis, Dalmore,
Dalwhinnie, Glen Ord, Glenmorangie, Glenfarclas, Oban, and Old Pulteney.

Speyside: The undisputed center for whisky in Scotland, Speyside boasts the highest concentration of distilleries (more than half the distilleries in Scotland are located in Speyside). Although the Speyside region is geographically part of the Highlands, it is considered a separate region because of its unique characteristics. The region received its name from the river Spey, which cuts through the area. Many of the distilleries use water straight from the river Spey in their production process. Speyside scotch are thought to be the country’s most complex, and is known for their mellow sweetness and elegant flavors and aromas. Famous distilleries: Speyside has the largest number of distilleries, which includes: Aberlour, Balvenie, Cardhu, Cragganmore, Glenglassaugh, Glenfiddich, Speyburn, The Macallan, The Glenlivet, and The Glenrothes, and blends like Johnnie Walker and Chivas Regal.

• The Islands, an unrecognised sub-region of the Highlands and includes all of the whisky-producing islands (but excludes Islay): Arran, Jura, Mull, Orkney and Skye— with their respective distilleries: Arran, Jura, Tobermory, Highland Park and Scapa, Talisker.

Campbeltown, once home to over 30 distilleries, currently has only three distilleries operating: Glen Scotia, Glengyle and Springbank. The Scotch here is peaty, and has a salty hint and a briny character.

Islay /ˈaɪlə/ Pronunced “eye-luh”, Islay scotch is considered to be the smokiest andstrongest-flavored (some sayit tastes of the sea)of the single malts. Their strong flavor is believed to be due to the region’s exposure to the high winds and seas of the west coast. It has eight producing distilleries: Ardbeg, Bowmore, Bruichladdich, Bunnahabhain, Caol Ila, Kilchoman, Lagavulin and Laphroaig.

Question 30

Irish whiskeys

Answer 30

Most Irish whiskeys are distilled three times, although there are exceptions. Though traditionally distilled using the pot still method, in modern times a column still is used to produce the grain whiskey used in blends. By law, Irish whiskey must be produced in Ireland and aged in wooden casks for a period of not less than three years, although in practice it is usually three or four times that period. Unpeated malt is almost always used, the main exception being Connemara Peated Malt whiskey.

There are several types of whiskey common to Ireland: Single Malt, Single Grain, Blended Whiskey and uniquely to Ireland, pure pot still whiskey. The designation “pure pot still” as used in Ireland generally refers to whiskey made of 100% barley, mixed malted and unmalted, and distilled in a pot still made of copper. The “green” unmalted barley gives the traditional pure pot still whiskey a spicy, uniquely Irish quality. Like single malt, pure pot still is sold as such or blended with grain whiskey. Usually no real distinction is made
between whether a blended whiskey was made from single malt or pure pot still.

Question 31

Japanese whiskies

Answer 31

The model for Japanese whiskies is the single malt Scotch, although there are examples of Japanese blended whiskies. The base is a mash of malted barley, dried in kilns fired with a little peat (although considerably less than is the case in Scotland), and distilled using the pot still method. For some time it was believed by many that whisky made in the Scotch style, but not produced in Scotland, could not possibly measure up to the standards of the traditional Scotch distilleries. Because of this, until fairly recently, the market for Japanese whiskies was almost entirely domestic.

However, in recent years, a number of blind tastings have been organized by Whisky Magazine, which have included Japanese single malts in the lineup, along with malts from distilleries considered to be among the best in Scotland. On more than one occasion, the results have had Japanese single malts (particularly those of Yoichi and Yamazaki) scoring higher than their Scotch counterparts.

Question 32

Canadian whisky

Answer 32

Canadian whiskies are usually lighter and smoother than other whiskey styles. Another common characteristic of many Canadian whiskies is their use of rye that has been malted, which provides a fuller flavor and smoothness. By Canadian law, Canadian whiskies must be produced in Canada, be distilled from a fermented mash of cereal grain, be aged in small wooden barrels for no less than 3 years, and possess the aroma, taste and character generally attributed to Canadian whisky. The terms “Canadian Whisky”, “Canadian Rye Whisky” and “Rye Whisky” are legally indistinguishable in Canada and do not denote any particular proportion of rye or other grain used in production.