WSET II Chapter 5 Flashcards
What are two things whiskey have in common
made from grains
matured in oak
Grains are seeds produced from
grass
Each grain has the potential to grow into
its own plant
As the grain starts to grow, each plant feeds on starch
until it grows its own leaves
What are the important grains for whiskey
barley
corn
wheat
rye
Distillers are interested in the
store of starch in each grain that needs to be converted to sugar
Two techniques to convert grain starch into sugar
malting
cooking
Barley is typically
malted and other grains are cooked to be mixed with malted barley
How does malting occur
barley is placed in a warm damp room and starts to grow. New plants release enzymes. After a few days green malt is stopped by heating the grains. This kills the baby plants and is now known as malted barley
Malted barley is
crushed into a flour and mixed with water
what is wort
enzymes created by barley convert starch into sugar
Corn, rye and wheat are
crushed, mixed with water and cooked at a high temperature converting into a starch and then mixed with malted barley
Barley converts
starch into sugar
wort is fermented and distilled to produce
a spirit
Bourbon can be made
anywhere in the USA but most are made in KY
Bourbon must be made with a minimum of
51% corn
What do bourbon distillers use to bring extra character to their whiskey?
Flavoring grains
In bourbon, malted barley is used
for its enzymes but used in small amounts
What is the mash bill
the combinations of grains used
In bourbon, once the grains are malted or cooked,
they are mixed together for starch conversion
Most bourbons are distilled in
column stills
Bourbon must be matured in
new charred oak barrels
What is the maximum proof for bourbon
80%
Tennessee whiskey must be made from
51% corn
Tennessee whiskey must be matured in
new charred oak
Tennessee whiskey must be filtered through
maple-wood charcoal before it goes into a barrel
What is Tennessee whiskeys charcoal method called
Lincoln County Process
Rye whiskey must contain
51% rye grains
Rye grain gives what type of flavor
spicy
Tennessee whiskey is a straight
bourbon that has been made and matured in tennessee
What does Sour Mash mean
the acidic residue at the base of the still has been added back into the fermenter
Canadian whiskey is dominated by
blends
Canadian whiskey is usually distilled to
a high strength
Canadian whiskey is usually blended with a
flavoring whiskey and a light flavored whiskey
What are the most important Scotch whisky?
Single Malt Scotch
Blended Scotch
Single Malt Scotch can only be made using
malted barley and a pot still
Single Malt scotch must be matured
minimum 3 years in oak
Single Malt must be a product of
one distillery
What are the five regions of Scotland
Islay Highland Campbeltown Speyside Lowland
Most peated whiskies come from
Islay
In Scotch, what does the age statement mean?
youngest whiskey used in the blend
What does cask strength mean
bottled undiluted with water
What does single barrel mean
it came from one barrel that the distiller chose
what does small batch mean
blended from a small number of selected casks
What is considered small batch
cannot be legally defined
In bourbon, what does straight mean
the whiskey has been matured for at least 2 years in new oak and no color or flavor has been added
If a bourbon has been made using a whiskey less than 4 years old
an age statement must be present
What is peat
damp, partly decayed vegetation that is cut from the ground
Once peat is dried
it can be burnt to produced an aromatic smoke
Peat is used to heat
grains at the end of malting
short stills produce
a lighter spirit
What kind of barrels are used in Scotland?
mostly used bourbon barrels
What is blended scotch whiskey
blend of malt whiskey and grain whiskey from different distilleries
What is grain whiskey
made from grains and distilled in tall column stills
grain whiskeys are rarely
sold on their own
How many times is Irish whiskey mainly distilled
three
A common feature in irish whiskey is
unmalted barley
Japanese whiskey is styled after
Scotch
