Whiskies

Question 1

Whiskies

Answer 1

• Scotch Malt
• Scotch Grain
• Irish
• American
• Canadian
• Japanese
• Indian

Question 2

Scotch Malt

Answer 2

malted barley

batch dist

Question 3

Scotch Grain

Answer 3

Malted barley +unmalted cereal

cont dist

Question 4

Irish

Answer 4

Malt whiskies produced by triple pot dist.

large stills

Question 5

American

Answer 5

bourbon, rye, wheat, corn

different dist practices.

Question 6

Canadian

Answer 6

Rye ( major source of grain)

exogenous enzymes maybe used

Question 7

Japanes

Answer 7

CLosely modelled on Scotch whisky industry

Question 8

Indian

Answer 8

Fundamentally based on spirit from fermented molasses

Question 9

IRISH

Answer 9

bushmill, middleton and cooley ( 3 centres)

brley, maize and other grains

pot and cont. either

aged in small oak casks

mixture of malted and unmalted barley and other unmalted cereals ( unmalted? cost purposes, more easily available, not available in suitable conditions for distilling in terms of distatic power )

often triple distilled - wash still, low wine still and a spirit still.

30% stronger from scotch

also, smoother and lighter – this is due to the fact they remove low volatility congeners ( these are availble in heavy spirits) –> why is this so ? because a greater level of rectification is being carried out because of the additional stage of the dist. )

wash strength higher ( OG 1090) , 13% abv

large stills - so produces sulphery and heavy because of limited SA to vol ratio. reflux needs to be increased for more palatable spirit

because of big stills produce large volumes but less contact with copper , so purifier is added

Question 10

Irish Whisky Act 1980

Answer 10

• distilled in state / NI from mash of cereal which have been sacrified by malt.
• Fermented by action of yeast
• distilled at alcoholic strength no less than 97.4 - 98
• flavour and aroma from material used
• warehoused in NI or state for at least 3 years

state - republic of ireland
NI- Northern Ireland

Question 11

AMERICAN

Answer 11

min 51% corn, rye, wheat and malted barley

Distilled at no more than 80% abv

new oak casks ( charred) - tannins from oak.

Makes 13% of spirit consumption in the USA

Question 12

Corn whiskey

Answer 12

at least 80% corn

distilled to no more than 80% abv ( need congeners, hence character)

new uncharred or used casks

min 2 years

Question 13

Backsets of American whiskey

Answer 13

pot ale from still added to fermentor to create sour mash

exogenous enzymes permitted

matured in freshly charred bourbon casks for approx 4 yrs

Depth of char determines the colour and flavour

Question 14

Why do we char a cask that is new?

Answer 14

Breakdown the lignin (polymer of cellulose hence is chemically inert)

we want to break down these long chains down ( can use ligninase but it’s a powerful enzyme)

charring breaks down ligninans and releases vanillins.

oak has many sugars in it !

Question 15

Corn

Answer 15

kentucky and tennessee ( because of vast corn production)

Question 16

Rye

Answer 16

Maryland and Pennsylvania

Why choose rye? It grows better in some places. Problem with growing rye? B-glutans and ergot (fungus) that contains phyto toxin that contains LSD

Question 17

Bourbon

Answer 17

51% maize

2 years mat in oak casks to strength below 62.5%

Distillers tend to maintain their own yeast strains and innoculate into sterile sour mash

Slow and temp controlled fermentation

Double distilled ( cont then pot) - with the doubler

Question 18

Light whiskey

Answer 18

Distilled at 80-95%

matured in used casks ( min 2 years )

Question 19

Tennessee whisky

Answer 19

cleaner spirit

regulations as per other american whiskies but must be produced in Tennessee.

filtration done through maple charcoal ( cannot consume in Tennessee) - charcoal used to remove congeners

Question 20

Canadian Whisky

Answer 20

mostly rye malt, minor proportion of cereal used,

cont dist.

mashing with malt and/or microbial enzymes ( permitted)

sour mash fermem
enzymes can be added during fermentation.

sour mash fermentation - pot ale from prev dist to fermentation process. Why? Nutrition. Best thing to feed yeast cell is yeast cell. pot ale has all the nutrients that the yeast needs.

cont and batch.

maturation in bourbon casks ( first or second filled ) no longer than 150 gallons and for no less than 3 years.

light bodied grain whiskies are blended with heavier flavoured whiskies

MAY CONTAIN UPTO 9.09% FLAVOURING ADDITIVES , LIKE WINES, SHERRIES, RUMS, BOURBON AND MALT WHISKY.

pROCESS ( THE ONE WITH WATER IS ADDED LATER TO reduce abv by using city water this is done to eliminate some of the high alcohol soluable congeners

Question 21

Legislation of Canadian whisky

Answer 21

• potable alcoholic distillate
• mixture of potable alc distillate from mash of cereal grain or cereal grain products saccharified by the diastase of malt or other enzymes

yeast / mixture of yeast and other organisms for ferm

aged in small wood

no less than 3 years

possess taste aroma and character generally attributed to candian whisky

manufactured in accordance with the requirements of the excise act and the regulations made thereunder

must be mashed, distilled and aged in canada

not more thab 40% abv ( limiting congeners)

caramel and flavouring permitted

Question 22

Japanese whisky

Answer 22

fourth largest whisky producer

second largest single malt producer

suntory and nikka ( two main companies)

prodn similar to scotch whisky but not restricted by scotch whisky regulation

longer ageing - results in inc conc of phenols which hence contribute to smoother mouthfeel

Question 23

Indian Whisky

Answer 23

-primarily based on neutrl spirit from cont dist of fermented molasses

categories : regular/medium and premium/prestige and super premium

flavour : smooth and light to complex and colourful ( depends on the run)

gradually increasing malt whisky production to comete internationally