- copper pot-shaped vessel - batch process - successive distillations required to get high-strength spirit - components (in order of boiling, first to last) • heads (highly volatile) • heart (spirit) • tails (least volatile)

- tall, vertically structures column - continuous process - internally divided into plates - mini-distillations on each plate increases alcohol at each level - high-strength, almost pure ethanol

- oak-aged grape brandy - region: delimited Cognac region, Bordeaux - must be double-distilled in copper pot still - fruity (grapes), floral (perfume), light to medium-bodied, smooth alcohol

- region: delimited area south of Bordeaux - Armagnac column still (low strength, characterful spirit) - dried fruit (prune, raisin, fig), medium to full-bodied

- Malted Barley - Copper pot still - peat - can be a defining flavour - other flavour a may include: floral, honey, fruit, dried fruit, nutty, medicinal, spicy, cereal, woody - comes from just one distillery

- second kind of scotch - made from a mixture of grains including corn, wheat and malted barley - column still - smooth and light in flavour

Spirits Flashcards by Kim Rathwell

Pot Stills

copper pot-shaped vessel
batch process
successive distillations required to get high-strength spirit
components (in order of boiling, first to last)
• heads (highly volatile)
• heart (spirit)
• tails (least volatile)

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Pot Stills Final Spirit

characterful

- low strength

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Column Stills

tall, vertically structures column
continuous process
internally divided into plates
mini-distillations on each plate increases alcohol at each level
high-strength, almost pure ethanol

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Column Still Final Spirit

smooth, light character

- high-strength

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Column Still Post Distillation

Maturation
- unaged (stainless steel tanks)
- aged (oak vessels)
Oak
- softens alcohol
- adds tannins, colour and flavour
Sweetened
- eg sugar or oak
Colour
- eg caramel or oak, or removed by charcoal filtration
Water
- reduced to bottling strength 40% abv with de-mineralized water

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Brandy

Distilled wine

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Types of Brandy

Cognac

Armagnac

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Cognac

oak-aged grape brandy
region: delimited Cognac region, Bordeaux
must be double-distilled in copper pot still
fruity (grapes), floral (perfume), light to medium-bodied, smooth alcohol

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Armagnac

region: delimited area south of Bordeaux
Armagnac column still (low strength, characterful spirit)
dried fruit (prune, raisin, fig), medium to full-bodied

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Brandy Maturation

Oak Maturation

Smoother, wood (vanilla, toast, nuts, sweet spice, fruitcake, dried fruit)

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Brandy Labelling Terms

VS
VSOP
XO (Napoléon)

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Whiskey

Characterful oak-ages spirit.

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Whiskey Process

Grains (barley, rye, corn)

Starch converted into fermentable sugar

Fermentation

Distillation

Maturation

Whiskey

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Types of Whiskey

Scotch whiskey
Malt Whiskey
Single Malt Whiskey
Grain Whiskey
Blended scotch whiskey
Irish whiskey
North American whiskey
(Bourbon, Tennessee whiskey)

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Scotch Whiskey

Must be distilled and aged in Scotland for a minimum of three years

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The Distillation Process

Alcoholic Liquid

Heated (boiling temp for alcohol = 78.3 C)

Liquid boils, alcohol evaporates

Alcoholic vapor travels up the still to condenser

Cooled

Vapor condenses

New Make Spirit

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Malt Whiskey

Made using malted barley.

Distillation must take place in a copper pot still.

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Single Malt Scotch

Malted Barley
Copper pot still
peat - can be a defining flavour
other flavour a may include: floral, honey, fruit, dried fruit, nutty, medicinal, spicy, cereal, woody
comes from just one distillery

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Grain Whiskey

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second kind of scotch
made from a mixture of grains including corn, wheat and malted barley
column still
smooth and light in flavour

Blended Scotch Whiskey

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grain and malt whiskey blended

- best blended whiskeys have a smooth spirit component and a well-balanced combination of flavours.

Irish Whiskey

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generally made from a mixture of malted and unmalted barley
usually unpeated
pot, column or combination of stills
tends to be smoother and lighter in flavour than scotch whiskey, soft and mellow flavours of fruit, honey, flowers and oak

Bourbon

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North American Whiskey

mixture of grains but must contain 51% corn
relatively low strength spirit
aged in heavily charred new American oak barrels
majority is produced in Kentuckey

Tennessee Whiskey

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new make spirit is filtered through sugar maple charcoal before put into barrel
mellows whiskey, resulting in smoother spirit.

Rum Process

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Sugar Cane product (molasses must be diluted prior to fermentation)

Fermentation

Distillation (pot or column)

Maturation (optional)

Rum

Rum Styles

White Rum Golden and Spiced Rum Dark Rum

Golden and Spiced Rum

- usually dry or off-dry | - spiced rums are typically golden runs that have had spice flavouring added

Dark Rum

- generally full-bodied, sweet in style - may have caramel added for their colour - may be harsh and spirity - best are aged for several years and can be very smooth, intense and complex

White Rum

- most popular style - some distilled to lower strength, very flavoursome with intense tropical fruit flavours - majority distilled to high strength, dry and neutral in character - may be aged in oak and colour removed with charcoal filtration

Tequila Process

Agave harvested (must be produced from 51% blue agave) Hard core is Cooked (sugars extracted) Fermentation Distillation (typically double pot distilled) Maturation (optional) Tequila

Tequila Styles

Blanco/Silver Joven/ Oro/ Gold Reposado (rested) Añejo (aged)

Blanco/ Silver Tequila

- purist, most authentic expression | - dry with intense vegetal and spicy flavours

Joven/ Oro/ Golf

- Unaged | - caramel added

Reposado

- Rested | - aged in oak for short time

Añejo

- Aged for much longer period

Vodka Process

Any raw material (grains, potato, grapes) Distilled to a high strength (95-96%abv) Charcoal filtration (optional) Reduced to bottling strength Vodka

Vodka

- light, neutral character - some more characterful - popular, versatile (cocktails and mixers) - some flavoured

Flavoured Spirits

High-strength neutral based spirit. | Includes flavoured vodkas, find and liqueurs.

Flavour Spirits Flavouring Techniques

- Maceration - Re-distillation - Essences

Maceration

Soaking the flavour in ingredients in the spirit.

Re-Distillation

Re-distilling the spirit with the flavour ingredients.

Essences

Adding artificial flavours to the spirit.

Gin

- Neutral base spirit flavoured with botanicals - Must use juniper as main botanical - All typically Unaged

London Dry Gin

Re-distillation in a pot still | No flavourings added after distillation.

Distilled Gin

Same as London Dry | Flavourings can be added after distillation.

Liqueurs

A sweetened, flavoured and coloured distilled spirit.

Liqueurs Process

Base neutral or flavoursome (eg rum, brandy, whiskey) Flavoured Sweetened Coloured (optional) Liqueur

Liqueur Categories

Dairy Fruit Herb Seed/ Nut

Spirits Flashcards

(47 cards)