Spirits Breakdown Flashcards
(40 cards)
Vodka
A neutral spirit that can be made from just about anything. Most often made from grains, but also made from potatoes, grapes, milk, and more.
Vodka is originally from Poland or Russia, which one, is still a debate.
Vodka in the USA must be at least 40% ABV (80 proof), and is officially described as colorless, odorless, and tasteless. However, the nuances come in the texture, viscosity, and level of ethanol burn.
Being that Vodka doesn’t provide much, if any, flavor, the other ingredients in a vodka cocktail are all that is really being tasted.
Gin Part 1
A neutral spirit most often made from grains. It incorporates the flavors of different botanicals into the distillation process; most commonly juniper, but also ingredients such as coriander, cardamom, cassia, licorice, oris root, citrus peels, pine, and bay.
Gin is originally from Holland and England. The Dutch version is called Jenever, which means juniper in Dutch.
Gin Part 2
The original Jenevers were malty, full-bodied, and often aged, creating characteristics and flavor profile more similar to whiskey, than what we think of Gin today.
Gin is essentially flavored vodka (juniper flavored).
The process of making Gin is the same as making Vodka, where the impurities are distilled out to about 97.5% to get rid of almost all of the flavor. The only difference is at this point it is infused with the before mentioned botanicals, which add their unique flavors to the “vodka.” This is the same process for making flavored vodka.
That being said Gin is incredibly versatile, because takes on the flavors of what it is being mixed with, like vodka, but then provides the many accent flavors coming from the botanicals.
Styles of Gin
London Dry: What most people think of when they think of Gin. Majority of the flavor comes from Juniper. Very clean, light, and dry.
New Western Style: A more modern take on Gin making, still highlighting juniper, but not as the “main event,” like London Dry. Often softer with more robust flavor coming from the other botanicals, such as the citrus.
Plymouth: In style/flavor, a middle-ground between London Dry and New Western Style. Still mostly juniper, but earthier and with more body.
Genever: Juniper in Dutch. The first gin to be produced. Heavy and malty, more whiskey-like. Very different from what most people think of when they think of Gin.
Old Tom: The middle ground between London Dry and Genever. Old Tom is a fuller Gin, very mildly sweetened, and sometimes aged for a short period.
Whiskey Part 1
The umbrella category for any spirit distilled from cereal grains, and aged in barrels. Whiskey is produced in various places around the world, such as Scotland, Ireland, Japan, USA, and Canada, most commonly made from a combination of barley, wheat, rye, and/or corn, and usually aged in oak barrels.
Scotch, Bourbon, Rye, etc. are all different types of whiskey.
Whiskey Part 2
Originally from Scotland and Ireland. The Irish distilled barley beer, that the called Uisge Beatha, Gaelic for “water of life,” which eventually became the first whiskeys.
The Scottish spell whisky without the “e”, while the Irish and the rest spell whiskey.
The difference between corn whiskey and Tito’s Vodka, though they both are made from corn….
Whiskey is distilled up to 60-80%, the remaining 20-40% is what is providing the flavor. Vodka is often distilled to 95%, which is why it is so flavorless.
Whiskey is aged in oak barrels, which gives it the darker color. Caramel coloring is also used some whiskeys (many Scotch whiskeys).
Whiskey Regions / Descriptions Part 1
Scotland: Scotch Whisky. There is Single Malt Scotch, Vatted Malt Scotch, and Blended Scotch. Single Malt is 100% malted barley whiskey from a single distillery. Vatted Malt is 100% malt whisky from different distilleries. Blended is malt whiskey blended with neutral grain spirits. Scotch is sometimes peated, especially those from the Islay region, which provides the smoky flavor, characteristic of Scotch whisky.
Ireland: Irish Whiskey is made up of a blend of malt and neutral spirits made in both pot and column still. It is often very smooth and light.
Whiskey Regions / Descriptions Part 2
America: Bourbon is the umbrella category for American Whiskey. Within that there is Bourbon Bourbon (what we all call just “Bourbon”), which is made up of at least 51% corn, and Rye Bourbon (what we all call just “Rye” or “Rye Whiskey”), which is made up of at least 51% rye. Most American Whiskey is made of corn, rye, and some barley.
Japan: Japanese Whiskey is usually 100% malt, and is also sometimes peated. Japanese Whisky has very much in common with Scotch Whiskey, because the techniques used to make it were learned in Scotland. There are now also rice-based whiskies being produced in Japan.
Canada: Canadian whiskey is blended, usually with rye as the main ingredient. Mild and smooth in characteristic.
Bourbon Part 1
Bourbon is mostly made from corn, with barley, rye, and/or wheat added to it.
The Rules for Bourbon that distinguish it from Irish or Scotch etc.:
Bourbon must be aged in a new, charred, American oak barrel
The new oak combined with the temperature swings in Kentucky, give Bourbon its strong wood, vanilla, caramel, and spice flavors
Bourbon must be distilled to no more than 160 proof (80% ABV)
The higher the distillation the more flavor is being removed, so the 160 proof rule is to ensure that people are not trying to call aged vodka whiskey, and use the selling point of smoothness
Bourbon Part 2
Bourbon must be made up of at least 51% corn
The sweetness from bourbon comes from the fact that it is made from mostly corn. It is typically 70-80% corn
Bourbon must be put into the barrel at no higher than 125 proof
This is to ensure that distilleries don’t try to cut costs at the expense of a better tasting product. The spirit ages slower in the barrel if it is higher than 125 proof.
Bourbon must be made in the USA
Anywhere in the USA
Rye
Rye has the same rules as Bourbon, except that it has to be 51% or more rye rather than corn
Irish Whiskey
Irish Whiskey is a blend of barley and neutral grain spirit, which is what makes it so light. They use smokeless heat to stop the barley’s germination, so Irish Whiskey is not smoky. They usually blend column distilled (lighter whiskey) and pot distilled (heavier whiskey) to reach the perfect combination of flavor and smoothness.
Other Irish Whiskey Styles
Pot Still: means exclusively distilled in pot stills, usually means richer flavor
Pure Malt / Single Malt / Malt: means it is 100% malted barley, with no light neutral grain whiskey blended in
Peated / Smoked: Irish Whiskey made in the style of Scotch, will have a smoky flavor
Scotch Whisky
Scotch Whisky is made from barley malt, sometimes with grain added to it.
Scotch Styles / Terms Part 1
Single Malt: Made from 100% malted barley, and from only one distillery
Vatted Malt or Pure Malt: Made from 100% malted barley and mixed from many distilleries
Blended: a mix of whiskies from barley and other grains including wheat or rye. A mix of single malt and grain alcohol (vodka). Lighter product.
Scotch Styles / Terms Part 2
Peat: Comes from peat moss, which is a fragrant soil-like sponge that is formed from thousands of years of decaying plant growth, and is all over Scotland. The Scottish often use peat moss on the fires when they kiln-dry the barley for their whisky. The peat smoke then infuses with the grain, giving the medicinal, smoky flavor, characteristic of certain Scotch Whiskys.
Scotch Styles / Terms Part 3
Cask-Strength: Another term for barrel-proof. The proof that the whiskey was when it came from the barrel before any alteration.
Sherry: aromatized wine made in Spain, which is aged in barrels. After aging the Sherry, the empty barrels are sent to Scotland, and often used to age Scotch Whisky. Some characteristics of the Sherry, such as a darker color and dried/candied fruit flavors (date, raisin), become present in the whiskey.
Scottish Whisky Regions / Characteristics Part 1
The region in Scotland where the whisky was produced usually express different characteristics, and these regions are often printed on the bottle label.
Scottish Whisky Regions / Characteristics Part 2
Highland / Speyside: the easiest to drink Scotch Whisky, the best style for introducing someone to Scotch. Little to no peat / smoke flavor. High-toned and fruit flavors.
Lowland: Traditionally lighter whisky, often distilled 3 times rather than the 2 times more commonly done in the other parts of Scotland. Not many active Lowlands distilleries.
Islay: (eye-la) Comes from Orkney, Jura, or Skye, the islands around the Scottish coast. The peated Scotch Whiskys mostly all come from Islay. So almost always very smoky.
Japanese Whiskey
Japanese Whiskey, just like Scotch Whisky, is made from barley malt, sometimes with grain whiskey added to it. Also like Scotch Whisky, Japanese Whiskey utilizes peat moss for flavor, as well as is matured in many different types of barrels (ie. wine, sherry, bourbon etc. barrels). It is different from Scotch in that it is often more mild, and delicate in profile.
Agave Spirits Part 1
Tequila and Mezcal are from Mexico, and are both made by distilling pure agave nectar. There have been many changes in the legal vernacular used to describe Mexican distillate products. Originally all agave based distillates from Mexico were called Mezcal. Tequila was just a type of Mezcal. Overtime new laws have been enacted to protect Mexican heritage spirits, and evolved to create todays common understanding of the difference between Tequila and Mezcal.
Agave Spirits Part 2
The Aztecs already were fermenting agave nectar, and turning it into a beer, which was called Pulque. However, it was not until the Spanish came to Mexico that agave nectar was first distilled, and the first Tequila was made.
The first large distillery in Mexico was built near the Village of Santiago de Tequila, which surrounds the Tequila Volcano. When Mexico gained its independence from Spain in 1821, it took over production of distilled spirits in their own country, and towards the end of 19th century, Don Cenobio Sauza, who was from Santiago de Tequila, named the agave distillate Tequila, and was the first person legally bring it to the USA
Mezcal
Mezcal is an agave distillate that must be made from 1 of about 30 species of agave. Mezcal must be fermented, distilled, and bottled in 1 of 8 designated states of Mexico: Oaxaca, San Luis Potosi, Guanajuato, Guerrero, Durango, Zacatecas, Tamaulipas, and Michoacan. It is most often made from Espadin agave. The agave is cooked in underground conical pits, which is what causes the smoky flavor of Mezcal.
Categories of Mezcal Part 1
Blanco: Mezcal either unaged or aged for a maximum of 2 months. Previously called “joven.”
Madurado: (matured) Mezcal aged in glass for a minimum of 12 months. The exact amount of time it has been aged is often stated on the label.
Reposado: Mezcal aged in barrels from 2 to 12 months. The barrel does not have to be made of oak, rather other regional Mexican woods are often used. The exact amount of time it has been aged is often stated on the label.
