Whisky - knowledge (c) Flashcards
Where do the most common whiskies sold come from?
Ireland, Scotland, America or Canada.
What is the least expensive way of making a whisky?
Blending
What are the most expensive ways of making whisky?
Single malt and Single cask
What are the flavours of Irish whisky usually like?
smooth texture and a more juicy, spicy and fruity profile. It’s never exposed to smoke so won’t have the smoky/peaty flavour that some of the Scottish whiskies have.
What are the 6 Scottish regions where whisky is made?
Highland
Lowland
Islay
Speyside
Campbeltown
Islands
What do Highland Scottish whiskies taste like?
the malts vary greatly in character as the area is huge - from dry to sweet and some even have a touch of smoke and peat.
What do Lowland Scottish whiskies taste like?
tend to be soft and light in character.
What do Islay Scottish whiskies taste like?
known for peaty tasting whisky.
What do Speyside Scottish whiskies taste like?
produces mellow, sweet and particularly fruity malt whiskies.
What do Campbeltown Scottish whiskies taste like?
tend to have a little peat and salt to them and are generally medium to full bodied.
What do islands Scottish whiskies taste like?
often a marked saltiness particularly in whiskies from the Isle of Jura. Talisker, made on the Isle of Skye, has a smell of peat and a rich dried fruit flavour with strong malt barley flavours and a smoky finish.
What do American whiskies usually taste like?
distinctive spicy-oak firmness and Tennessee whiskey in particular has a caramel flavour and a long, clean and very smooth finish.
What is Bourbon?
A specific type of American whisky
What does bourbon whisky taste like?
flavours such as toffee, vanilla and dried fruit are often used to describe the taste.
What does Canadian whisky taste like?
lightest example from the major whisky distilling countries. Its lighter style makes it appealing year round - good for mixing.
Who spells it “Whiskey?”
Irish and Americans
Who spells it “Whisky”?
Canadians and Scots
How is whisky made?
through distillation of fermented grain which is then aged in oak casks to give it both colour and flavour.
How much flavour can a whisky gain from the cask used in the ageing process?
As much as 60%
What is Malt whisky made from?
made from only malted barley.
What is grain whisky made from?
Grain whisky is made using unmalted cereals, usually a combination of wheat, oats, corn and barley, with no fixed rules as to the proportions or combination.
What is malting?
the grain is allowed to germinate (grow) before being cooked, this releases sugar which gives the whisky more flavour.
What is distilled?
the process of concentrating the alcohol is distillation (boiling the liquid and condensing its vapours).
What is still?
what the whisky is distilled (made) in.
What is a cask?
what it’s aged in (the barrel), which gives a lot of the flavour and colour.
How is Irish pot still whiskey made?
uses both malted and unmalted barley, which gives a spiciness known as ‘pot still character’ - a term distinct to Ireland.
How is Irish malt whiskey made?
made only with malted barley, dried in closed ovens and never exposed to smoke - unlike Scottish malt whisky.
How long is the ageing process for Irish pot still and malt whiskey?
Aged at least three years in oak casks.
How does the process of making Irish whiskey define its taste?
The absence of smoking and a triple distillation means it generally has a smooth texture and a more juicy, spicy and fruity profile.
How is Scotch malt whiskey made?
made with malted barley which is often dried over a peat fire, giving a characteristic smoky flavour which many people associate with Scotch.
