Bartender Basics > Whiskey Basics > Flashcards

Whiskey Basics Flashcards

Do you know your way around a whiskey shelf? Start enjoying one of the finer pleasures of the Western liquor tradition and embark on the discovery of a lifetime. (79 cards)

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1
Q

What is the difference between “whisky” and “whiskey”?

A
  • Canada, Scotland, and Japan spell it “whisky”
  • The United States and Ireland spell it “whiskey”
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2
Q

Where did the word “whiskey” originate?

A

From the Irish Gaelic uisce beatha or Scottish Gaelic uisge beatha, meaning “water of life”

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3
Q

What does “malting” liquor mean?

A

Malting is a process whereby grains are soaked in water to begin germination, but then removed and either dried or heated to prevent further germination.

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4
Q

What are the defining characteristics of the following type of whiskey?

Malt whiskey

A
  • Made from malted barley
  • Distilled in an onion-shaped pot still
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5
Q

What are the defining characteristics of the following type of whiskey?

Grain whiskey

A
  • Made from malted and unmalted barley
  • Uses other grains in addition to barley
  • Distilled in a Coffey still
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6
Q

What are the defining characteristics of the following type of whiskey?

Vatted malt whiskey

A

A blend of malt whiskies from various distilleries

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7
Q

What are the defining characteristics of the following type of whiskey?

Single malt whiskey

A
  • Malt whiskey from one distillery
  • Usually from several casks and years
  • Meant for the taster to get a well-rounded taste of the distillery
  • Commonly named after the distillery
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8
Q

What are the defining characteristics of the following type of whiskey?

Blended whiskey

A
  • Made from a combination of malt and grain whiskies
  • Usually a blend of whiskies from many distilleries
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9
Q

What are the defining characteristics of the following type of whiskey?

Cask strength whiskey

A
  • Rare
  • Bottled from a single cask
  • Undiluted by water
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10
Q

How is the age of a whiskey determined?

A

The age of a whiskey is the amount of time spent in the cask before bottling.

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11
Q

What are the 6 types of American whiskey?

A
  1. Bourbon
  2. Rye
  3. Wheat
  4. Corn
  5. Tennessee
  6. Blended
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12
Q

What are the defining characteristics of the following type of whiskey?

Bourbon

A
  • Mostly produced in Kentucky
  • Must be made in the USA
  • Must contain at least 51% corn
  • Must be stored for at least two years in new, charred oak casks
  • Cannot be distilled to more than 80% alcohol by volume
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13
Q

What are some popular brands of the following type of whiskey?

Bourbon

A
  • Jim Beam
  • Buffalo Trace
  • Van Winkle
  • Maker’s Mark
  • Woodford Reserve
  • Wild Turkey
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14
Q

What are the defining characteristics of the following type of whiskey?

Tennessee whiskey

A
  • Must be produced in Tennessee
  • Always filtered with sugar-maple charcoal
  • Takes 10 days to filter
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15
Q

What are some popular brands of the following type of whiskey?

Tennessee whiskey

A
  • Jack Daniel’s
  • George Dickel Whiskey
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16
Q

What are the defining characteristics of the following type of whiskey?

Rye whiskey

A
  • Usually blended with other whiskies to add character
  • Must be at least 51% rye
  • Distilled at less than 80% alcohol by volume
  • Stored in new charred oak casks for at least two years
  • Made in Indiana and Kentucky
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17
Q

What are some popular brands of the following type of whiskey?

Rye whiskey

A
  • Wild Turkey Straight Rye Whiskey
  • Rittenhouse Rye Whiskey
  • Van Winkle Family Reserve Rye 13 Year
  • Sazerac Rye Whiskey 18 year
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18
Q

What are the defining characteristics of the following type of whiskey?

Corn whiskey

A
  • Must be at least 80% corn
  • Does not have to be aged in wood
  • Has to be aged in either un-charred or used bourbon barrels
  • One of the harshest, cheapest whiskey types
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19
Q

What are some popular brands of the following type of whiskey?

Corn whiskey

A
  • Bush Pilot’s
  • Shine On Georgia Moon
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20
Q

What are the four whiskey types common in Ireland?

A
  1. single malt
  2. single grain
  3. pure pot still
  4. blended
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21
Q

What are the defining characteristics of the following type of whiskey?

Irish whiskey

A
  • Uses barley as a main distilling ingredient
  • A mix of malted and unmalted grains
  • Contains grains distilled in a Coffey still
  • Distilled three times
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22
Q

What are some popular brands of the following type of whiskey?

Irish whiskey blends

A
  • Black Bush
  • Jameson
  • Bushmills Original
  • Inishowen
  • Locke’s Blend
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23
Q

What are some popular brands of the following type of whiskey?

Irish pure pot still whiskeys

A
  • Green Spot
  • Jameson 15 Year Old Pot Still
  • Redbreast
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24
Q

What are some popular brands of the following type of whiskey?

Irish single malt whiskeys

A
  • Bushmills (10, 16, and 21 Years)
  • Connemara Peated Malt (Regular, Cask Strength, and 12 Years)
  • Locke’s Single Malt (8 Year)
  • Tyrconnell
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25
# What is a popular brand of the following type of whiskey? Irish single grain whiskeys
Greenore (8 and 10 Years)
26
# What are the defining characteristics of the following type of whiskey? Scotch whiskey
* Must be distilled and matured in Scotland * Must mature in barrels not exceeding a 700 liter maximum * Must contain no additives other than water and spirit caramel to preserve the color * Must be distilled at less than 94.8% alcohol by volume
27
What are the 5 types of Scotch whiskey?
1. blended 2. single grain 3. single malt 4. single cask malt 5. vatted malt
28
# What are the defining characteristics of the following type of whiskey? Blended Scotch whisky
* The majority of Scotch sold worldwide is blended * Averages about 80% grain and 20% malts * Can have up to 20 different malts in one whisky * Each blend has its own distinguished taste
29
# What are the defining characteristics of the following type of whiskey? Single grain Scotch whisky
* Made from the whisky of one distillery * Contains unmalted barley, corn/wheat, water, and malted barley * Rare
30
# What smells and flavors should you detect in the following whiskey? Single malt scotch
* peat * smoky * hints of oak * citrus * hints of maple sugar and tea
31
# What are the defining characteristics of the following type of whiskey? Single cask scotch whisky
* Bottled from one cask * Very rare * Sometimes bottled without water dilution
32
# What are the defining characteristics of the following type of whiskey? Vatted malt scotch
* Made exclusively from malted barley * Contains several malt whiskies * Never contains any grain whisky
33
# What are the defining characteristics of the following type of whiskey? American whiskey
* Made from a grain mash * Distilled at 90% or less alcohol by volume * Bottled at 40% or more alcohol by volume
34
# What smells and flavors should you detect in the following whiskey? Bourbon
* fruity * sweet * peppery * nutty * woody
35
# What smells and flavors should you detect in the following whiskey? Tennessee whiskey
* smoky flavor * woody * fruity overtones * rich, sweet smell * licorice aroma
36
# What smells and flavors should you detect in the following whiskey? Rye whiskey
* molasses and hickory aroma * vanilla * spiced rum * charred oak * honey * toffee
37
# What smells and flavors should you detect in the following whiskey? Corn whiskey
* No "good" corn whiskey exists * Very harsh initial aroma * Reminiscent of moonshine * Light corn taste
38
# What are the defining characteristics of the following type of whiskey? Sour mash
* A process of distillation * When a previously fermented mash (grain, water, and malt) is added to provoke the fermentation of a new mash * This mash hybridization is used to manipulate the level of flavor-altering bacteria
39
# What are some popular brands of the following type of whiskey? Sour mash
* Jack Daniel's * Jim Beam * Knob Creek * Maker's Mark * Old Crow * Old Fitzgerald * Wild Turkey
40
# What smells and flavors should you detect in the following whiskey? Blended scotch
* smoky * flavorful * creamy * hint of dried fruit * cedar * leather * peat
41
# What are some popular brands of the following type of whiskey? Blended scotch
* Chivas Regal 12 Year Old * Johnnie Walker Gold * White Horse 12 Year Old * The Famous Grouse Finest * Cutty Sark Original
42
# What smells and flavors should you detect in the following whiskey? Single grain scotch
* citrus * notes of cut grass * woody bitterness * coconut aroma * peppery * hints of chocolate
43
# What are some popular brands of the following type of whiskey? Single grain scotch
* Black Barrel * Cameron Bridge * Carsebridge 45 Year Old * Compass Box Hedonism * Invergordon 42 Year Old * Loch Lomond Organic
44
# What are some popular brands of the following type of whiskey? Single malt scotch
* Aberlour * Balvenie * Glenfiddich * Glenkinchie * Glenlivet * Glenmorangie * Laphroaig * Talisker
45
# What smells and flavors should you detect in the following whiskey? Vatted malt scotch
* pungent * oaky * peppery * gentle smokiness * sweet
46
# What are some popular brands of the following type of whiskey? Vatted malt scotch
* Auld Reekie * Blaimhor * Glencoe * Hankey Bannister * Johnnie Walker Green Label * Monkey Shoulder * Old Elgin
47
In which regions of Scotland is whisky produced?
* Islay * Lowlands * Speyside * Highlands * Campbeltown * Islands
48
Where is Islay located in Scotland?
Islay is an island west of the Scottish mainland.
49
What distinguishes Islay whisky?
* smoky * peaty * salty * tangy
50
Where are Lowlands in Scotland?
southernmost part
51
What distinguishes Lowlands whisky?
* not very salty * flavorful * spicy * not peaty * smooth
52
Where is Speyside in Scotland?
northern
53
What distinguishes Speyside whisky?
* rich flavor * sweet * not peaty * hint of carnations * reminiscent of cream soda
54
Where are the Highlands in Scotland?
northernmost part
55
What distinguishes Highlands whisky?
* very smoky * spicy * fruity * have a dry finish
56
Where is Campbeltown in Scotland?
in the southern peninsula
57
What distinguishes Campbeltown whisky?
* nutty * crisp * creamy * salty * peaty * buttery
58
Where are the Islands in Scotland?
north of mainland Scotland
59
What distinguishes Islands whisky?
* marine flavors * peaty * smoky * milder version of Islay whiskies
60
What is "peat" in whisky production?
* Dead vegetation like moss, soil, and grass that has been compacted over thousands of years * Burned to heat up barley to stop germination during malting * Produces strong smoky flavor in whisky
61
# What are the distinguishing characteristics of the following type of whiskey? Aberlour Scotch
* Made in a Sherry cask * Sweet, smooth, and rich, without smoke * Dessert Scotch
62
# What are the distinguishing characteristics of the following type of whiskey? Balvenie Scotch
* single malt * single cask * rich and smooth * honey taste
63
# What are the distinguishing characteristics of the following type of whiskey? Edradour Scotch
* Single malt * Sherry cask * Tastes like sugared almonds * Smooth, creamy, and light * Hint of smokiness
64
# What are the distinguishing characteristics of the following type of whiskey? Glenfiddich Scotch
* single malt * fragrant * tastes like pear and oak
65
What are the types (colors of label) of Johnnie Walker whiskies in order of quality?
* Red Label (lowest) * Black Label * Gold Label * Green Label * Blue Label (highest)
66
# What are the distinguishing characteristics of the following type of whiskey? Johnnie Walker Red Label
* Rich, full-bodied blend * According to the Johnnie Walker website, it is a "combination of spicy, smoky malts and lingering, lighter grains"
67
# What are the distinguishing characteristics of the following type of whiskey? Johnnie Walker Black Label
* Blended with over 40 whiskies * Has a fruity, earthy, creamy, vanilla taste
68
# What are the distinguishing characteristics of the following type of whiskey? Johnnie Walker Green Label
* Fresh and distinctive blend of single-malt whiskies * Pepper, oak, and fruit flavors
69
# What are the distinguishing characteristics of the following type of whiskey? Johnnie Walker Blue Label
* Most exclusive Johnny Walker blend * Each bottle is individually numbered * Aromatic and smokey * Tastes like honey, rose petals, sandalwood, and chocolate
70
# What are the distinguishing characteristics of the following type of whiskey? Johnnie Walker Gold Label
* A blend of rare, aged malts from Scotland's best distilleries * Rich, creamy, honey taste
71
# What are the distinguishing characteristics of the following type of whiskey? Dalwhinnie Scotch
* Single malt * Water used in distilling Dalwhinnie is from an exclusive source which lies at a 2,000-foot elevation that no other distillery can use * Sweet, clean, malty, and smokey taste
72
# What are the distinguishing characteristics of the following type of whiskey? Chivas Regal Scotch
* A blend of single malt and grain whiskies * Rich, smooth, multifaceted, and displays harmony between flavors
73
# What are the distinguishing characteristics of the following type of whiskey? Clynelish Scotch
* single malt * crisp, salty, seaweed flavor * traces of pungent smokines
74
# What are the distinguishing characteristics of the following type of whiskey? Glenkinchie Scotch
* distilled in an Amontillado cask * sweetly dry * light and spicy * sherry-like finish
75
# What are the distinguishing characteristics of the following type of whiskey? Oban Scotch
* distilled in a Montilla cask * smooth and bold * zesty * fruity and sweet
76
# What are the distinguishing characteristics of the following type of whiskey? Cragganmore Scotch
* spicy * smoky * complex, yet clean
77
# What are the distinguishing characteristics of the following type of whiskey? Talisker Scotch
* unique and powerful character * spicy * peppery * peaty * smooth and smokey
78
# What are the distinguishing characteristics of the following type of whiskey? Caol Ila Scotch
* subtle peaty taste * robust * sweet * smoky
79
# What are the distinguishing characteristics of the following type of whiskey? Lagavulin Scotch
* dense * complex and powerful * Scotland's smokiest malt * peaty
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