Maturation and Post-Distillation

Question 1

Is French or American oak tighter grained?

Answer 1

French oak.

Question 2

What is Quercus Alba?

Answer 2

The species name for American oak.

Question 3

What is the genus for oak?

Answer 3

Quercus.

Question 4

What is the name of the process included in oak aging the adds aromas of chocolate, butterscotch and caramel to the spirit?

Answer 4

Extraction

Question 5

What is the part of oak aging that occurs due to the semiporous character of the wood?

Answer 5

Oxidation and concentration.

Question 6

What part of oak aging occurs due to the presence of charcoal from charring?

Answer 6

Filtration

Question 7

What process during oak aging results in the “angel’s share”?

Answer 7

Evaporation.

Question 8

What occurs during the oak aging process due to the degrading of the tannins of the wood?

Answer 8

Coloration.

Question 9

What is the typical annual loss of liquid due to oak aging?

Answer 9

Approximately 3% per year, higher in warmer climates.

Question 10

What is the effect of a humid climate on evaporation during the oak aging process?

Answer 10

In areas of high humidity, the spirit evaporates faster than the water, resulting in lower proof.

Question 11

What is the effect of a dry climate on evaporation during the oak aging process?

Answer 11

In drier regions, the water loss is greater than the spirit loss, resulting in higher proofs.

Question 12

What are the burn times for the four main levels of char?

Answer 12

Level 1 - 15-second burn
Level 2 - 30-second burn
Level 3 - 45 second burn
Level 4 - 55 second burn

Question 13

What is the term sometimes applied for a level 4 char?

Answer 13

Alligator char.

Question 14

What is thermal degrading?

Answer 14

The term used for the toasting and charring of the inside of wood barrels.

Question 15

How many bottles will come from a single barrel or cask?

Answer 15

100-300, depending on barrel size.

Question 16

What are some of the benefits of using American Oak for aging spirits?

Answer 16

Strength
Resiliency
Ability to bend
High tannin content (resistant to insects/fungus)
Leak proof yet breathable.

Question 17

What are the processes involved in oak maturation?

Answer 17

Extraction
Evaporation
Oxidation
Concentration
Filtration
Coloration

Question 18

What is a Demijohn?

Answer 18

A glass or plastic container that may be used to hold wine or spirits at some point during the maturation process. Also called a bonbonne.

Question 19

What is a Bonbonne?

Answer 19

A glass or plastic container that may be used to hold wine or spirits at some point during the maturation process. Also called a demijohn.

Question 20

What are two ways staves are dried before being made into barrels?

Answer 20

Outdoors (can take 1-3 years)
In a kiln.

Question 21

What is the difference between toasting and charring?

Answer 21

Toasting is heating gently for several minutes. Charring involves heating the barrel until it catches fire, and allowed to burn for a very short time.

Question 22

What are the main effects of a spirit’s interaction with oak?

Answer 22

Added Color
Added Aroma
Adding texture
Removing coarse textures.

Question 23

What are some of the aromas added from oak?

Answer 23

Vanilla
Coconut
Clove
Sweet spices

Question 24

What textures are added to a spirit from oak?

Answer 24

Bitterness, astringency, and drying of the mouth. Caused by the tannins in oak.

Question 25

How are coarse textures removed from a spirit during maturation in wood?

Answer 25

If the barrel is charred, the irregular surface traps some of the coarse textured components (such as fusel alcohols) from the spirit.

Question 26

What are the effects on a spirit of the interaction with the environment during maturation in wood?

Answer 26

Added aromas and flavors Evaporation Concentration

Question 27

What are some of the aromas and flavors added to a spirit during prolonged wood maturation?

Answer 27

"Rancio" characteristics, such as wood polish, earth, leather, tobacco, wet leave, forest floor.

Question 28

What undesirable fractions may be lost during maturation in wood due to evaporation?

Answer 28

Group 1 fractions.

Question 29

What are the two most important species of European oak?

Answer 29

Quercus petraea Quercus robur

Question 30

What aromas are more prevalent in French oak than American oak?

Answer 30

Wood polish Sweet spices

Question 31

What textural characteristic is more common to spirits aged in French oak over American oak?

Answer 31

Higher level of tannins.

Question 32

What is the size of an American Standard Barrel?

Answer 32

180-200 L (48-53 gallons)

Question 33

What is the size of a Hogshead?

Answer 33

250 L (66 gallons)

Question 34

What is the size of a Cognac barrique?

Answer 34

300 L (79 gallons)

Question 35

What is the size of a Sherry Butt?

Answer 35

500 L (132 gallons)

Question 36

What is the size of a Foudre?

Answer 36

1,000-10,000 L (264-2642 gallons)

Question 37

What is the size of a Pipon?

Answer 37

20,000 L (5283 gallons)

Question 38

What is a danger of using barrels that have not been dried out with wine absorbed into the staves?

Answer 38

Sulfur taint.

Question 39

What can be a problem if distillers fill barrels with spirits at distillation strength?

Answer 39

The abv can be so high that the amount of compounds extracted from the oak has a negative impact on the flavor and texture of the spirit.

Question 40

To what abv are most spirits reduced prior to maturation in wood?

Answer 40

60-64% abv

Question 41

What is unique about Maker's Mark's barrel storage?

Answer 41

The barrels are rotated between warm and cool floors to even out the differences in storage.

Question 42

What is esterification?

Answer 42

A change where the fatty acids and alcohols continue to react with each other to form new esters.

Question 43

Why might a distiller include more Group 3 fractions in a spirit destined for long ageing?

Answer 43

To add character to some longer aged spirits such as XO cognacs and long-aged rums.

Question 44

What are the four main considerations when deciding the type of barrel for the maturation of spirits?

Answer 44

Type of oak Barrel size Heat treatment (charred or toasted) Barrel age

Question 45

Why is there a more dynamic approach to barrel decision making in Cognac production?

Answer 45

Since production only occurs once a year, distillers have more time to make such decisions. A variety of spirits are made as well, requiring variations in maturation.

Question 46

Why is there a more dynamic approach to barrel decision making at the Middleton distillery in Ireland?

Answer 46

Since a wide variety of spirits are made, they must have a large number of different types, ages, and barrels to blend.

Question 47

What are four common formats for oak alternatives?

Answer 47

Chips Cubes Mini staves Full staves

Question 48

What do some distillers do to increase the reaction with oxygen of a newly made spirit when placed in an inert vessel?

Answer 48

Leave a small amount of space at the top so that oxygen can react with the spirit.

Question 49

What flavors and textures can change and develop when a spirit is stored in an inert vessel?

Answer 49

Esterification Textures can become smoother and more mouth-filling.

Question 50

Where is the storage of spirits in inert vessels to stop further development most commonly used?

Answer 50

Cognac and Armagnac

Question 51

What are the four main phases of post-distillation operations?

Answer 51

Blending Removals (visual imperfections, texture, colors) Additions (Color, aroma, texture, sweetness, water) Packaging.

Question 52

When does blending occur for most spirits?

Answer 52

Immediately after storage or maturation.

Question 53

What are the two main reason for blending spirits?

Answer 53

Creating style and complexity Managing consistency.

Question 54

When are adjustments to color, clarity, sweetness, texture or abv of a spirit usually made?

Answer 54

After blending.

Question 55

What are the two main methods to remove visual imperfections?

Answer 55

Coarse filtration Chill filtration.

Question 56

How are char fragments from inside of the barrel generally filtered out from matured spirits.

Answer 56

Coarse filtration (most common) Gravity - occasionally

Question 57

During chill filtration, what temperature are the spirits chilled at?

Answer 57

14-39 degrees F (-10-4 degrees celcius)

Question 58

How are textural imperfections removed from spirits?

Answer 58

Carbon (char inside barrels, activated) Lincoln County Process.

Question 59

How is color removed from spirits?

Answer 59

Activated carbon.

Question 60

What are some reasons color is added to some spirits?

Answer 60

To achieve consistancy To give customers a specific impression of a spirit. By-product of technique (eg oak aging)

Question 61

What is another name for the caramel color added to some spirits?

Answer 61

E150a

Question 62

Does E150a (caramel color) add sweetness to a spirit?

Answer 62

No. It is actually bitter.

Question 63

How is sweetness generally added to spirits?

Answer 63

Pure sugar products (eg corn, grapes, other plant sources) Syrup barrels.

Question 64

What are syrup barrels?

Answer 64

Sweetening materials prepared by distillers, basically a very sweet simple syrup.

Question 65

What might be added to a spirit to produce a smoother texture?

Answer 65

Glycerol and a small amount of sugar.

Question 66

What are the two ways that distillers reduce their abv prior to bottling?

Answer 66

Water Faibles/petites eaux (aged, low-strength spirit)

Question 67

What is Faibles/petites eaux?

Answer 67

An aged, low-strength spirit. These are spirits that are diluted to less than 30% abv before being matured in barrels, and are then blended with spirits with higher abvs.

Question 68

Does the Lincoln County Process happen before or after maturation?

Answer 68

Before maturation

Question 69

What are the main post-distillation processes?

Answer 69

Adding coloring/other additives Filtration Batching or Blending Bottling.

Question 70

What does filtration by activated carbon do?

Answer 70

Removes the harsher characteristics of the spirit.

Question 71

What is chill filtration?

Answer 71

A spirit is chilled, which causes a haze to form that can then be removed.

Question 72

What are other terms for blending barrels of a spirit?

Answer 72

Batching Vatting

Question 73

What is lignin?

Answer 73

A "glue-like" substance in oak that helps cement the fiber cells in the wood together. Also the source of methoxyphenols in oak that provides vanilla and smoke aromas.

Question 74

What is Hemicellulose in oak?

Answer 74

An organic compound responsible for the red layer that forms in charred barrels. It contains many different sugars easily soluble in alcohol.

Question 75

What does cellulose provide in oak?

Answer 75

Structural integrity and chemical resistance. Sometimes called the skeleton.

Question 76

What are extractives in oak?

Answer 76

Organic compounds present in wood in tiny amounts, including gums, resins, waxes and tannins.

Question 77

What percentage of oak is made up of extractives?

Answer 77

5-10%.

Question 78

What are some extractives found in oak?

Answer 78

Gums, fats, resins, waxes, oils, starches, coconut-scented lactones, volatile phenolic acids, tannins.

Question 79

What percentage of oak is lignon?

Answer 79

25-30%

Question 80

What percentage of oak is hemicellulose?

Answer 80

20-30%

Question 81

What percentage of oak heartwood is cellulose?

Answer 81

40%

Question 82

What are the three main structural component of oak?

Answer 82

Cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin.