Spirits and distillation

Question 1

Fractional Distillation

Answer 1

The separation of alcoholic vapors from liquid water that is collected in a still.
- This relies on alcohol having a lower billing point than water (alcohol bills at approx. 173 degrees F).

Question 2

Pot Still

Answer 2

A closed vessel that a fermented liquid (The Wash) is placed into that is directly heated, thus vaporizing the alcohol.
- The vapors travel up through the vessel into a condensing coil.
- Vapors are cooled, condensed into a liquid and collected into a serrate vessel.
- Resulting spirit is impure and must be filtered to discard the foreshots.

Question 3

Continuous Still

Answer 3

• Has 2 columns (analyzer & Rectifier) that uses steam instead of hat to vaporize alcohol. In this method, alcohol vapors are more condensed in a purer fashion, stripping the spirit of excess toxins and creates a higher ABV spirit.

Question 4

Importance of Percolation and Infusion

Answer 4

• base spirit is pumped thru a flavoring material, or flavored via maceration or infusion.
• All spirits are colorless after distillation. brown spirits rely on oak aging/coloring for additional color and flavor.
• many spirits depend on base fermented material (and oak) for their final flavor.

Question 5

Basics of Vodka

Answer 5

• comes from Russian word for “water”.
• Can be distilled from wide variety of raw materials (potatoes, corn, rye, grapes, beets, molasses… etc). If it can be fermented, it can be made into vodka.
• The Wash for vodka is usually distilled in a continuous still and filtered w/ charcoal to make the spirit ultra clean.
• Premium vodka producers usually preform related distillations; the more distillations, the stronger and purer the vodka.

Question 6

Basics of Aqauvit

Answer 6

• A Scandinavian Liquor, which is a neutral grain spirit (basically vodka) with some added flavors, usually caraway root and other botanicals.

Question 7

Basics of Gin

Answer 7

• A neutral grain spirit that is flavored/infused with various botanicals, such as Juniper berries (most important component), then is re-distilled.

Question 8

Main Types of Gin

Answer 8

1. London Dry Gin: A method of gin making by blending different botanicals such as juniper, citrus, spices, Angelica root, nutmeg… etc. It is a method NOT a geographical origin.
2. Plymouth Gin: only produced by Plymouth and coats & co in England. Its a more full bodied version of London Dry and much more aromatic. Plymouth is a historically protected style only produced in Plymouth, England.
3. Old Tom Gin: A sweeter style often containing licorice or sugar.
4. Genever: a Malt forward whiskey like precursor to modern gin. It originated in the Netherlands.
5. American/Contemporary Gin: Modern Gin that emphasizes more diverse botanicals over a dominant juniper profile.

Question 9

Basics of Whiskey

Answer 9

• The distilled product of fermented grains, including unsalted and malted barley, rye, oats, wheat… etc.
  -The three core ingredients are water, yeast and grain. Most whiskeys are aged in wooden casks.
• “Whisky” refers to Scotch.

Question 10

Main Types of Whiskey

Answer 10

1.Bourbon: Whiskey w/ a minimum of 51% corn in Mash and aged only in new American Oak casks. Created by Rev. Elijah Craig when American distillers moved away from the north after the whiskey rebellion to hide from the federal government. no coloring or additives are allowed.

2. Tennessee Whiskey (Jack Daniels/George Dickel): A Sour MashWhiskey (part of previous batch fermented mash that is added to a new batch) that must be filtered w/ maple charcoal prior to aging and must be made in Tennessee. Must be 51% corn and aged in new charred oak barrels.
3. Rye Whiskey: Whiskey that must be 51% rye minimum and aged in new charred oak barrels for a minimum of two years. Rye is typically more powerful and bitter than Bourbon.
4. Irish Whiskey: Whiskey that uses dried malted barley and malted barley and is crushed into a course flour or “grist”. The wash is heated in a copper pot still, vaporizing the alcohol. It is then distilled three times in a pot still or continuous still.
5. Scotch Whisky: relies on used casks (bourbon or sherry casks) for a more subtle effect on spirit. Scotch is derived from wood burning or “Peat” that produces an oily smoke that infuses the barley w/ its scent.

Question 11

Basic Steps of Making Scotch

Answer 11

1. Malting: Barley is stepped in water to germinate, converting starch to sugar.
2. Peat smoke: wood burning to give a smokey scent.
3. Mashing: dried barley malt is mixed w/ hot water to extract sugars, called the “wort”.
4. Fermentation: Yeast converts sugar to alcholol, creating the “Wash”.
5. Distillation: wash is twice distilled in copper pot still.
6. Maturation: aged in used oak casks for at least 2 years.

Question 12

Main Types of Scotch

Answer 12

1. Single Malt: distilled from malted barley in a pot still at a single distillery.
2. Blended Malt: Produced from a blend of malt whisky’s
3. Blended Grain: produced from 2 or more grain whiskies
4. Blended Scotch: Blend of grain and malt whisky from a number of different distilleries.

Question 13

Scotch Main Geographic Locations and Producers

Answer 13

1. Highland Scotch: largest region (Oban, glenmorangie, Dalwhinnie, Dalmore)
2. Lowland Scotch: lightest and least smoky (glenkinchie, Bladnach, Auchentoshan)
3. Speyside Scotch: uses water from river spey (glenlivet, Glenfiddich, MaCallan)
4. Islay Scotch: produces the most peaty/smoky scotch (Laphroaig, Lagavulin, Ardbeg)
5. Campbelltown Scotch: pronounced pettiness and toasted seaweed character; only three distilleries. (Springbank, glenscotia, Glengyle)

Question 14

Basics of Brandy and Cognac

Answer 14

• Brandy starts w/ wine as its base raw material. Brandy in France is referred to as “Eau-de-vie” or Water of life of grapes.
• cognac: brandy from cognac region’ from the grapes Ugni Blanc, Colombard and some Folle Blanche. Minimum 6 months oak aging requirement.

Question 15

Sub-Regions of Cognac

Answer 15

• Grande Champagne (high % of chalky soils)
• Petit Champagne(high % of chalky soils)
• Borderies
• Fins Bois
• Bons Bois

“Champagne” in Cognac refers to the chalky soils of Grande and Petite Champagne.

Question 16

Aging Labelling in Cognac

Answer 16

VS (Very Special): at least 2 years in oak

VSOP (very special old pale): 4 years in oak

XO (Extra Old): at least 10 years in oak

Question 17

Basics of Armagnac

Answer 17

• Brandy from Armagnac region
• grapes are Ugni Blanc, Colombard, Folle Blanche.
• produced more frequently from a blend of these grapes instead of a single grape.
• Armagnac is twice distilled in a charentais pot still and 95% undergoes single distillation in continuous pot still. (this still is a simpler version of Aeneas Coffey 1831 model)

Question 18

Aging Labeling in armagnac

Answer 18

VS (Very Special): at least 1 to 3 years in oak

VSOP (very special old pale): 4 to 9 years in oak

XO (Extra Old): at least 10 years in oak

Question 19

Basics of Rum

Answer 19

• A distilled spirit from fermented sugarcane or molasses, a byproduct of processing sugarcane into sugar.
• The style of Rum originated in the Caribbean in the 19th century and spread to Central and South America.

Question 20

Main Styles of Rum

Answer 20

1. Light rum: distilled by the continuous still method and filtered w/ charcoal to remove color. It is best suited for mixing sand has little character. “gold Rum” is light rum that is mellowed in oak barrels for a short period.
2. Dark Rum/Black Rum: Fuller in body and darker in color. Typically distilled twice and aged for a number of years prior to release. final color is typically achieved by adding caramel color.
3. Demerera Rum: distilled rum from molasses, aged for over a decade and only coming from Guyana.
4. Rhum Arigicole: French style w/ AOC status, produced on Martinique in Caribbean. It is produced from sugarcane juice and distilled in columns, as required on Martinique.
5. Cachaca: Brazilian version of light rum and the base spirit for the Caipirinha cocktail.

Question 21

Tequila versus Mezcal

Answer 21

• Tequila: produced primarily in Jalisco, Mexico. Tequila is produced from fermented juice of the cooked “Pina” (pineapple), which is the heart of the agave plant. Most tequila must be 51% blue agave (w/ other sugars making up the remainder for fermentation). High quality tequila is 100% blue agave.

Mezcal: can be produced from over 30 different agave species, but the most common is Espadin and is primarily from Oaxaca, Mexico. The Pina or heart of the agave plant is roasted in underground pit ovens for days, creating the smokey character.