How are distilled spirits created?
They are created from fermented beverages which then go through a physical process to concentrate.
What are the three groups of spirits?
- Distilled beverages
- Liquors
- Amari
What are the characteristics of a distilled beverage?
- 36% minimum alcohol
- only obtained through distillation
- 2% sugar minimum
What are the characteristics of liquors?
- sweet tatse
- 10% minimum sugar
- 15% minimum alcohol
- addition of aromas and alcohol
What are the characteristics of Amari?
- bitter taste
* addition of bitter aromas (herbs)
What are the components of distilled beverages?
First 98%:
- water
- alcohol
Other 2%
- Acids (from original fermented beverage)
- sugar (very minimal)
- aromatic components (from original fermented beverage)
What are the steps of the distillation process?
- base preparation
- fermented beverage/fermentation
- distillation (cooking/heating fermented beverage)
- aging
- packaging
What is the head in the distillation process?
The first thing to evaporate when the beverage is heated. It turns to gas and back to liquid in another container and is discarded.
What is the concept of distillation?
Elimination of the heads and tails, and retaining the core/
What are the components of the distillation process?
- Heads - methyl alcohol
- Core - ethyl alcohol, aromas
- Tails - acids
What are the two methods of distillation?
- Pot still (discontinuous)
2. Continuous (lower quality)
What are the classifications of spirits?
- Wine (cognac, Armagnac, brandy, pis I)
- Pomace/grapes (grappa, Marc)
- Malts or Spices (gin, whiskey (US), whisky (Scotland), vodka, steinhager)
- Sugar plants (rum, tequila, cachaca)
- Rice (chum, kapay, sura, arak) saki or rice beer
- Fruits (framboise, kakshe, kirsch, calvados)
What are the classifications of grappa?
- Grappa young (Giovane): without aging
- Grappa old vecchia: minimum 1 year aged in barrel
- Grappa very old riserva: minimum 18 months aged in barrel
What are the aging requirements for cognac or brandy?
Distilled wine must be aged in barrels a minimum of 2 years.
What beverage is the base of cognac?
Wine
What beverage is the base for whiskey?
Beer
What cereal is used to produce Scottish whisky?
Smoked barley
What cereal must be used to produce US whiskey (bourbon)?
Corn (minimum 51%)
What is meant by single malt whisky?
Considered to be the best whisky, it is produced from a single distillate batch.
What is meant by a blended whisky?
It is blended from multiple distillation batches.
What are production characteristics for bourbon whisky (US)?
- It is made with at least 51 % corn
- The balance of the mixture is made with barley
- It is aged in new American oak barrels
T or F: Scottish whisky is made using continuous distillation.
False. Scottish Whisky is only made with discontinuous distillation, producing a superior product.
What are the primary production areas for Scotch whisky?
- Islay (peaty, smoky character)
- Speyside (more than half of Scotland’s distilleries are here)
- Highlands (whiskies have very expressive aromas)
- Lowlands (lighter style)
- Campbeltown
T or F: Scotch whisky must age in the barrel for 3 years.
True
