Whiskey General Flashcards
What word does whiskey derive from?
Uisgebeatha (water of life)
Who was the first bourbon producer?
Rev. Elijah Craig
What are the requirements for straight Bourbon?
At least 51% corn, aged in charred new American oak casks
aged for 2 years
-made without any added coloring or flavoring
What is Straight Whiskey (Bourbon, Rye, etc.)?
Whiskey aged in barrel for at least two years.
If an American whiskey does not list an age statement…
…then the whiskey is at least 4 years old.
What are the requirements for Tennessee Whiskey?
51% corn
Produced in Tennessee, filtered with maple charcoal prior to aging. It is a sour mash style.
aged in new charred oak barrels
What is a sour mash?
A style of whiskey where a portion of spent mash is incorporated into the fermenting mash.
Who are the two producers of Tennessee whiskey?
Jack Daniels (Brown Forman)
George Dickel (Diageo)
What are the requirements for rye?
Minimum 51% rye
-aged in new charred oak barrels for a minimum of 2 years
Name two Rye whiskies?
Sazerac
Rittenhouse
What are the requirements for corn whiskey?
Minimum 80% corn - may be aged unaged or aged in used or uncharred new barrels.
What term replaces the old Scottish term “Pure Malt?”
Blended Malt Scotch Whisky
What are the requirements for Scotch?
Produced in Scotland.
Distilled a minimum of two times.
Aged at least three years.
Distilled at a max 94.8% abv.
Bottled at minimum 40% abv.
It is allowed to include the year of distillation on a bottle of scotch?
Yes, as long as the year of bottling, period of maturation, or age (in years) is also included.
What are the 5 legal categories of Scotch?
Single malt scotch whisky
Single grain Scotch whiskey
Blended malt Scotch whisky
Blended grain Scotch whisky
Blended Scotch Whisky
Must all single malt whiskies be bottled in Scotland?
Yes
from 2012 onward
Requirements for single malt Scotch whisky
Distilled from malted barley in a pot still at a single distillery
bottled in Scotland
Requirements for single grain whisky
Produced at a single distillery
-may include unmalted barley and other grains such as wheat or corn
Requirements of Blended malt scotch whisky.
Produced from a blend of malt whiskies
Requirements of blended grain Scotch whiskey
Produced from tow or more grain whiskies
Requirements of blended Scotch whisky
Mixture of malt and grain whiskies produced at a number of different distilleries.
What is the “angel’s share”?
Evaporation overtime
What are the 5 regions of production in Scotland?
Highland
Lowland
Speyside
Islay
Campbeltown
What areas are included in the Highland?
Isles of
Mull
Jura
Skye
Orkney
What are 3 distilleries from Highland?
Oban
Glenmorangie
Dalwhinnie
Dalmore
What is the largest region in Scotland for Scotch?
Highland
What is the general style of Lowland Scotch?
The lightest
least smoky
ideal aperitif
3 distilleries located in Lowland?
Glenkinchie
Auchentoshan
Bladnoch
What region of production in Scotland is a former subzone of the Highland region?
Speyside
Name 3 distilleries from Speyside.
Glenlivet
Glenfiddich
Macallan
Where does the water come from for Speyside Scotch?
Water from the river of Spey
General style of Speyside Scotch?
Mild
Fruity
How many distilleries in Campbeltown? What are they?
3
Glen Scotia
Glengyle
Springbank
What is the general style of Cambeltown Scotch?
Pronounced peatiness and a toasted seawead character
What are the major Scotch-producing islands?
Skye
Jura
Mull
Arran
Orkney
Name a producer from Isle of Orkney
Highland Park
Name a producer from the Isle of Skye
Talisker
What islands produce the most peaty, smoky style of Scotch whisky.
Islay
Name 3 distilleries from Islay.
Ardbeg
Lagavulin
Laphroaig
What is a recent trend in Scotch whisky?
The wood-finished style
-the developing whisky is transferred to a different cask for the last 2-3 years of its aging period
-a single malt will be transferred from its cask to another that held port, sherry, Madeira, Burgundy or Sauternes
Who are pioneers of aging Scotch into different barrels? What style does this produce?
Glenmorangie
Balvenie
-softer, fruitier
What does burning peat produce?
An oily smoke that infuses the malted barley with its scent and character
-this peatiness transmits a dominant note in the finished whiskey, especially in those spirits produced at coastal or island distilleries
What is the 1725 tax that the English enacted?
A tax on malting barley
-Scottish responded by heating their barley at night - origin of moonshine
-Irish started using unmalted barkey - resulting in a lighter character
What are the requirements for Irish whiskey?
Traditionally distilled 3x in a pot still - may be distilled in a continuous still.
Aged at least three years.
In practice most whiskies are aged for at least seven years
What is Connemara?
A single-malt, peat-fired Irish whiskey produced by Cooley.
What are the requirements for Canadian whiskey?
Three years of aging.
Typically a high % of rye; all Canadian whiskey is referred to as “rye.”
Name a distillery from Nova Scotia in Canada whose malt whisky is distilled in the style of Scotch.
Glenora Distillery on Cape Breton Island
Who is the major producer of whisky in Japan?
Suntory
Japanese whisky is made typically in what style?
Style of Scotch
What are the four major operating distilleries in Ireland?
Kilbeggan & Cooley (Kilbeggan Company Distilling, owned by Beam)
Bushmills (Beam)
Midleton (Irish Distillers/Pernod Ricard)
What brands are distilled at Kilbeggan/Cooley?
Kilbeggan (Blended)
Kilbeggan 8 (8yo Corn Whiskey)
Connemara (Peated Single Malt)
Tyrconnell (Unpeated Single Malt)
2Gingers (Blended)
What brands are distilled at Midleton?
Jameson
Powers
Midleton
Red Breast
Green Spot
Paddy
What distilleries are owned by Brown Forman?
Shively (Old Forester)
Woodford Reserve
Jack Daniel’s
Name five major brands distilled at Buffalo Trace. Who owns the distillery?
Blanton’s
Eagle Rare
EH Taylor
George T. Stagg
Sazerac/Thomas H. Handy
Pappy Van Winkle
WL Weller
The distillery is owned by Sazerac Co.
Who owns Four Roses Distillery?
Kirin
What is the last family owned distillery in Kentucky?
Heaven Hill
Name five major brands distilled at Heaven Hill
Elijah Craig
Ean Williams
Parker’s Heritage
Old Fitzgerald
Rittenhouse
Bernheim Wheat Whiskey
Name five major brands distilled at Jim Beam. Who owns the distillery?
Baker’s
Basil Hayden
Booker’s
Knob Creek
Old Crow
Old Grand-Dad
Old Overholt
Owned by Beam Suntory
Who owns Maker’s Mark?
Beam Suntory
Who owns Wild Turkey?
Campari
