Spirits

Question 1

Definition of Spirit

Answer 1

A distillate of a fermented liquor (wash)

Question 2

2 types of distillation

Answer 2

• Pot Still
• Continuous Still

Question 3

Explain Pot Still

Answer 3

• fermented liquor is put into a closed vessel and heated
• alcohol boils at 78C = vapors pass along a closed pipe through cold water condensing into a liquid (the spirit)
• The Spirit contains high proportion of alcohol, gasses, flavouring oils and little water

Question 4

Continuous Still

Answer 4

Produces a purer spirit containing fewer impurities

2 tall columns:
- Analyser = where the Wash is vaporised by superheated steam
- Rectifier = where the vapors are condensed into spirit

Question 5

GIN

Answer 5

white spirit produced by distilling a wash from fermented grain, malted barley, maize or rye

flavoured either by passing vapours through the flavourings or by steeping them in a spirit and distilling them in a separate run (distillate is then used to flavour the spirit

Question 6

Types of Gin

Answer 6

• London dry gin = driest
• Plymouth Gin = less crisp, more aromatic (7 botanicals: juniper berries, coriander seeds, le,mon and orange peels, green cardamom, Angelica roots, Orris root)
• Sloe Gin = sweetened flavoured spirit (sloes = berries)
• Old Tom Gin = softer than LDG
• Dutch Gin / Genever Gin =
  oude = from malted barley, wheat, corn and rye
  Jonge = best drank neat

Question 7

Vodka

Answer 7

• distilled in a continuous still
• colourless neutral spirit at 96%
• re-distilled or filtered through charcoal filters to purify the flavour
• addition of distilled water to bring down the strength
• made from Rye, Molasses, a mixture of these or from other grains

Question 8

Whisky

Answer 8

made by distilling the fermented wash (wort) which is made from unmalted barley, malted barley, maize, or rye and water

Question 9

4 types of Scotch Whisky

Answer 9

• Single Malt: from malt / double distilled Pot Still
• Vatted Malt: blend of malts from 1 or more distilleries
• Blended: blend of malt and grain whisky
• Single grain: from 1 distillery / from unmalted barley, wheat or corn / distilled in a Continuous Still

Question 10

5 Scotch producing regions

Answer 10

• HIGHLANDS: 80% total production / 3 subregions: Perthshire / Speyside / Northern Highlands / light and refined, some slightly floral, some smoky, touch spice, full flavoured
• ISLANDS: considered a subregion of Highlands / Arran, Lewis, Mule, Jura, Orkney, Skye, Harris
  Stronger peat flavour, most pungent whisky, salty seaweed flavour
• CAMPBELTOWN: Considered the centre of whisky production in 1880’s / now just a small subregion of Highlands / light peatiness and saltiness from maturation in proximity to the ocean
• LOWLANDS: lighter, softer than other malt whiskies / slight sweetisdh taste
• ISLAY: most important Scottish Island for whisky / strong peaty and smoky flavour

Question 11

Malt Whisky production

Answer 11

• Barley is malted by steeping it in water then spread out on a concrete floor in a warm atmosphere
• Grains germinate = converts starches into sugar
• Germination stopped by heating grains over a peat fire = smokiness from peat fire
• Malt is cracked and added to boiling water in a mash tun = sugar and flavours are extracted
• Liquid (wort) is drawn off and fermented with addition of yeast
• Wash is then twice distilled in a Pot Still

Matured for min 3 years in cask / old sherry,barboun casks (also Madeira, port, Cognac, Bordeaux casks)

Question 12

Irish Whiskey

Answer 12

from a Wash of malted and unmalted barley and some grains

germination is stopped by heating in a closed kiln rather than over a peat fire

usually distilled 3 times (if made by the Pot Still method)

usually not sold until it’s 7 years old

Question 13

American Rye

Answer 13

min 51% Rye wash / continuous still / aged min 2 years (usually 4) in new charred oak casks / majority Produced in Maryland and Pennsylvania

Question 14

Canadian Rye

Answer 14

All whiskey is calle Rye Whiskey in Canada / no legal requirements to contain it though

min 3 years aging

Question 15

Bourbon Whiskey

Answer 15

takes name Bourbon county, Kentucky (95% of prod from kentucky)

min 51% Maize (corn) spirit + Rye, wheat or malted barley
continuous still fermentation
min 2 years maturation in new charred oak casks

Question 16

Corn Whiskey

Answer 16

USA / made from 80% maize mash

Question 17

Tennesse Whiskey

Answer 17

sour mash whiskey / made from 51% corn / matured in new charred oak casks / filtered through maple charcoal (only difference from Bourbon)

Question 18

RUM

Answer 18

spirit distilled from fermented Molasses (syrup byproduct of the sugar industry) or sugar cane

min 3 years aging / uncharred or charred oak casks

• White / Silver = continuous still / 1 year maturation in glass or steel / traditionally in Oak + charcoal filtration to remove colour
• Demerara = From Guyana / wood maturation / caramel added for colouring or filtered to make it lighter
• Dark / Black = fermentation started with Dunder (the lees from the previous year fermentation) / Jamaican
• Golden / Spiced = coloured from oak / spiced from spices or fruit

Question 19

Brandy

Answer 19

distillation of fermented juice of fresh grapes without the addition of any other spirit

EU law = cannot be distilled above 94.8%

Question 20

Cognac

Answer 20

• From delimited region of Cognac
• Double distilled / Pot Still
• 8 varieties but 90% must be from: St Emilion (Ugni Blanc), Folle Blanche (Picpul), Colombard

Question 21

Sub-regions of Cognac

Answer 21

• Grand Champagne *
• Petite Champagne *
• Bordories *
• Fins Bois
• Bons Bois
• Bois Ordinaire / Bois a Terroir
• best = highest chalk content in the soils

Question 22

Cognac Age Indications

Answer 22

3* or VS = min 2 years (3 in UK)
VSOP = min 4 years
Napoleon = min 6 years
XO = min 10 years
XXO = min 14 years

Question 23

Armagnac

Answer 23

from Armagnac delimited region / Gers department / south west france

3 subregions:
- Haut-Armagnac
- Bas-Armagnac
- Tenareze

Continuous Still (less plates than normal = less pure than Vodka,Gin)

Question 24

Armagnac Age Indications

Answer 24

3* = 1-3 years
VSOP = 4-9 years
Napoleon = 6-9 years
XO = min 10 years

Question 25

Calvados

Answer 25

Fruit spirit (Eaux de vie de Fruit) = Distilled fermented apple juice (cidre) and pear juice (Perry) Produced in the department of Calvados (Northern France) 3 delimited areas: - Calvados AOC (Continuous still) - Calvados Pays d'Auge AOC (double pot still / min 2 years oak age / 40-45% abv) - Calvados Domfrontais (continuos still / min 30% pears / min 3 years oak age)

Question 26

Calvados age indications

Answer 26

3* = 2 years Vieux and Reserve =. 3 years VO / Vielle Reserve = 4 years XO / Hors d'Age / Napoleon = 6 years Age Inconnu = 6 years, may be in excess of 20 years Vintage Calvados in exceptional years

Question 27

Mezcal

Answer 27

Mexico / from over 10 varieties of Agave (Maguey) Hearts of the maguey is baked into rock pits under very hot stones and covered with earth for 2/3 days. Ground to mash, added to water, fermented slowly in wooden vats , distilled twice Bottled and aged for 6 months, 1 or 3 years

Question 28

Tequila

Answer 28

produced only from Agave tequilana. (maguey azul, blue maguey) Agave matures over 6-8 years / chopped up and steamed / shredded and pressed for it's juice / sugar and yeast added = Tequila Mixto / no sugar added = 100% Tequila / Fermentation in stainless steel vats / double distilled in pot still to 52-53% abv / Filtered through charcoal / 8 months to 7 years oak aging ( the more it ages, the more golden colour it gets)

Question 29

Classification of Tequila

Answer 29

- Blanco, Joven, Plata (Silver Tequila) = clear, unaged, but may age for 60 days - Joven Abocado, Oro (Golden Tequila) = unaged Tequila Mixto + colorant (caramel) - Reposado = aged for 60 days to 1 year - Anejo, Extra aged = aged in wood barrels no larger than 600L for minn 1 year - Extra Anejo, Ultra aged = min 3 years aging Curado = flavoured Tequila

Question 30

Sake'

Answer 30

Brewed from fermented Rice / 15-18% abv Kura = japanese brewery Purity of the rice = higher quality Milled rice + water + Koji + yeats = fermentation Koji = agent that breaks down the starches in the rice into sugar Rice is washed to get moisture inside, steamed and spread out on tables then dusted with aspergillus oryzae mould powder. Mould will grow on rice grains which are turned periodically in the next 4 days. More rice is added and fermentation takes place over 2-4 weeks in large tanks. Shikomi = fermentation Additional alcohol added at the end of the fermentation Whole is pressed through sack cloth, filtered and pasturised Finished Sake is matured for 9-12 months

Question 31

2 quality levels for Sake

Answer 31

Futsuushi = non-premium, ordinary Sake' Tokutei meishoshu = special designation Sake'

Question 32

Types of Premium Sake' (Tokutei meishoshu)

Answer 32

- Junmai-shu = pure rice Sake' (rice + water + koji) seimaibuai (degree of polishing of the rice) = 70% of original size - Honjozo-shu = small amount of brewer's alcohol added seimaibuai = 70% - Ginjo-shu = fermented for a longer period at lower temperature, more complex flavour / seimaibuai = 60% can be made Junmai Ginjo or Honjozo Ginjo (with added alcohol) - Daiginjo-shu = highest quality / seimaibuai = 50% / can be made Junmai or Honjozo (added alcohol)

Question 33

Sake' label terms

Answer 33

Genshu = undiluted sake / may reach 22% abv Kimoto = produced using wild yeasts / hearty flavour Koshu = aged Sake' Namazake = unpasturised Sake' / to be stored chilled to prevent deterioration Nigorizake' = unfiltered Sake' / cloudy Shizzuku = liquor has been extracted by free running rather than pressing through sack cloth Taruzake = matured in cypress casks