Whiskey

Question 1

Scotch regions of production

Answer 1

Lowlands, Highlands, Speyside, Campletown, Islay, and the Islands: Orkney, Skye, Mull, Jura and Arran

Question 2

Lowlands

Answer 2

Southern Scotlands, bordering England, includes the major cities of Glasgow and Edinburgh. Lighter malts w/ subtle aromas, often triple distilled, very little peatiness.

Question 3

Lowlands producers

Answer 3

Only 3 today: Glenkinchie, Bladnoch, Auchentoshan

Question 4

Highlands

Answer 4

Northern Scotland mainland, the largest region, can be further separated into Speyside, Eastern, Central & Southern, Western and Northern

Question 5

Blended Scotch producers

Answer 5

Dewar’s, Cutty Sark, Chivas, Johnny Walker, J &B

Question 6

Highlands producers

Answer 6

Oban (western), Dalwhinnie (central/southern), Glenmorangie (Northern), Dalmore (Northern)

Question 7

Speyside

Answer 7

A former subzone of the Highlands on the mainland. The largest number of distilleries. Mild fruity flavor, elegant, balanced, round, finesse, peat is held back a bit

Question 8

Speyside producers

Answer 8

Macallan, Glenlivet, Glenfiddich

Question 9

Cambletown

Answer 9

Scotch region, covering the Kintyre peninsula on the mainland west side. Pre-prohibition Whiskey megacenter but only 2 producers remain today

Question 10

Cambletown producers

Answer 10

Springbank (lightly peated style), Glen Scotia, and Glengyle

Question 11

Islay

Answer 11

The most important of the Scotch Islands, on the westside. The most peaty, smoky style

Question 12

Islay producers

Answer 12

Ardbeg, Lagavulin, Laphroaig

Question 13

The Scotland Islands

Answer 13

Orkney, Skye, Mull, Jura, Arran. Broadly speaking, peaty and smoky in style

Question 14

The Scotland Islands producers

Answer 14

Highland Park (Orkney), Talisker (Syke), Tobermory (Mull), Isle of Jura (Jura)

Question 15

Bourbon rules

Answer 15

Grain mixture of min 51% corn, aged in charred, new american oak barrels. May legally be produced anywhere in the US (but 95% of bourbon comes from Kentucky)

Question 16

Straight bourbon

Answer 16

Min 2 years aging in oak, no added color of flavoring, If aged less than 4years, the age must be listed on the bottle.

Question 17

Tennessee Whiskey rules

Answer 17

Actually a bourbon. TN legislation passed in 2013: Must be made in the state of TN, min 51% corn, must be filtered with sugar maple charcoal prior to aging, aged in new, charred oak. a sour mash whiskey, a style utilized by many Bourbon distillers, in which a portion of spent mash is incorporated into a newly fermenting mash barrels

Question 18

American Rye Whiskey rules

Answer 18

min 51 % Rye, aged in new charred oak barrels for a minimum of two years

Question 19

American Corn Whiskey ruled

Answer 19

min 80% corn but may be unaged or aged in used or uncharred new barrels

Question 20

Bourbon Producers

Answer 20

Booker’s, Elijah Craig, Four Roses, Knob Creek, Maker’s Mark, Wild Turkey, Eagle Rare, Woodford Reserve

Question 21

Rye Producers

Answer 21

Sazeraz, Bulleit, Whistle Pig, Rittenhouse

Question 22

American blended Whiskey Rules

Answer 22

min 20% whiskey, blended w/ neutral, 95% grain spirit

Question 23

American blended Whiskey producers

Answer 23

Kessler, Seagram’s 7

Question 24

What is Scotch Whisky usually aged in used

Answer 24

Used bourbon or sherry casks fora more subtle interaction w/ oak. Wood finished styles are increasingly popular: A single malt may be transferred and age it’s final 2-3 yrs in Port, Sherry, Madeira, Burgundy, or Sauternes casks, resulting in a fruitier, softer style. Glenmorangie and Balvenie are pioneers of the style

Question 25

Why are coastal and Island Scotch distilleries typically of a more smoky style

Answer 25

Peat bogs are readily available on the coast/islands and a cheaper alternative to wood to malt the barley, but burning peat produces an oily smoke that imparts a distinctive and dominate smoky note to the malt

Question 26

Scotch Whisky rules

Answer 26

The 2009 Scotch Whisky Regulations established five legal categories of Scotch: Single Malt Scotch Whisky, Single Grain Scotch Whisky, Blended Malt Scotch Whisky, Blended Grain Scotch Whisky and Blended Scotch Whisky. All Scotch must list a category on the label, the term pure malt is banned. Must be made in Scotland, min twice distilled, min 3yrs aging, min 40% abv. Age indications on the label indicate the youngest whisky used in the blend

Question 27

How long are single malt scotch whiskys typically aged

Answer 27

legally 3 yrs, over at least 10 yrs is typical with some aged 25-30 yrs. Can’t really be aged must past that because evaporation would lead the whisky to fall below the required min. 40% abv after that amount of time

Question 28

Single Malt Scotch Whisky

Answer 28

The highest quality category of Scotch Whiskey. Must be made from 100% malted barley in a pot still from a single distillery bottled in Scotland. small portion of the market, 90% of Scotch is sold as blends

Question 29

Single Grain Scotch Whiskey

Answer 29

produced at a single distillery, from unmalted barley, wheat, and/or corn

Question 30

Blended Malt Scotch Whiskey

Answer 30

produced from a blend of malt whiskies from two or more distilleries

Question 31

Blended Grain Scotch Whiskey

Answer 31

produced from a blend of one or more grain types of whisky from two or more distilleries

Question 32

Blended Scotch Whiskey

Answer 32

produced from a blend of grain and malt whiskies from different distilleries

Question 33

How and and why do Irish and Scotch Whisky differ

Answer 33

Scotch Whisky is usually made from malted barley and often with distinct peaty notes, Irish Whiskey is not. England enacted a tax on malting barley in 1725. The Scottish reacted by simply hiding the process by malting at night (moonshine origin) and the Irish by using unmalted grain. Also, the Irish don’t use peat in the malting process

Question 34

Irish whiskey rules and tradition

Answer 34

Traditionally triple pot distilled, some use continuous still. min 3 yrs aging in oak casks, most are aged at least 7 yrs.

Question 35

Irish Whiskey producers

Answer 35

Old Bushmills, Cooley (Coonemara: a peated single malt), Midleton (Jamesone, Red Breast, Powers, Paddy)

Question 36

Japanese Whiskey producers

Answer 36

Suntory is the most famous producer making scotch style blended and single malt whiskies

Question 37

Canadian Whiskey rules and tradition

Answer 37

Less restrictive rules than US, Scotland or Ireland. min 3 yrs aging but cask type is not determined, pre-used bourbon is the norm. Generally blended often w/ a high % rye.

Question 38

Canadian Whiskey producers

Answer 38

Crown Royal, Hiram Walker & Sons (Canadian Club), Glenora (Scotch style single malts), Kittling Ridge Distillery (Forty Creek)