Whiskey Production and Flavors Quiz

Whisky is a distilled alcoholic beverage made from fermented grain mash, typically aged in wooden casks. The word "whisky" comes from the Classical Gaelic word uisce meaning "water". It is a strictly regulated spirit worldwide with many classes and types. Whisky made in Scotland is commonly called Scotch whisky. The art of distillation spread to Ireland and Scotland in the 15th century. During the Prohibition era in the United States, all alcohol sales were banned in the country. Most whiskies are sold at or near an alcoholic strength of 40% abv. Whisky is one of Scotland's manufactured products and contributes over £4.25 billion to the UK economy, making up a quarter of all its food and drink revenues. American whiskey is distilled from a fermented mash of cereal grain and must have the taste, aroma, and other characteristics commonly attributed to whiskey. There is no minimum aging period required for a spirit to legally be called whiskey. US regulations recognize other whiskey categories, including rye whiskey, wheat whiskey, and corn whiskey. Tennessee whiskey is defined as bourbon under NAFTA and at least 51% of the product must be fermented in Tennessee.Overview of Whisky Production and Types

• Whisky is produced in many countries around the world, including Scotland, Ireland, the United States, Japan, Canada, Australia, and India.

• Production methods and legal requirements vary by country, but most whiskies are made from fermented grain mash, distilled, and aged in wooden barrels.

• Scotch whisky must be distilled and aged in Scotland for a minimum of three years, while Irish whiskey must be distilled in Ireland and aged for a minimum of three years in wooden casks.

• American bourbon must be made from at least 51% corn, distilled at no more than 80% ABV, and aged in new, charred oak barrels for a minimum of two years.

• Canadian whisky must be produced and aged in Canada, distilled from a fermented mash of cereal grain, aged in wood barrels for at least three years, and possess the aroma, taste, and character generally attributed to Canadian whisky.

• Japanese whisky has gained popularity in recent years, with many award-winning single malts and blends.

• Other countries producing whisky include Australia, Denmark, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Mexico, Sweden, Taiwan, and Wales.

• Whiskies contain a vast range of flavouring compounds, including carbonyl compounds, alcohols, carboxylic acids and their esters, nitrogen- and sulfur-containing compounds, tannins, and other polyphenolic compounds, terpenes, and oxygen-containing, heterocyclic compounds.

• The smoky flavour found in some whiskies, especially Scotch, is due to the use of peat smoke to treat the malt.Flavors of Whiskey: Congeners, Fusel Oils, Acetals, and Diketones

• Congeners and fusel oils are higher alcohols than ethanol, mildly toxic, and have a strong, disagreeable smell and taste.

• An excess of fusel oils in whiskey is considered a defect, and various methods are employed in the distillation process to remove unwanted fusel oils.

• Acetals are formed rapidly in distillates and are found in distilled beverages, with the highest levels associated with malt whiskey.

• The diketone diacetyl is present in almost all distilled beverages, with whiskies and cognacs containing more than vodkas, but less than rums or brandies.

• Polysulfides and thiophenes enter whiskey through the distillation process and contribute to its roasted flavor.

• Whisky that has been aged in oak barrels absorbs substances from the wood, including cis-3-methyl-4-octanolide, known as the "whisky lactone" or "quercus lactone," which has a strong coconut aroma.

• Commercially charred oaks are rich in phenolic compounds, with one study identifying 40 different phenolic compounds.

• The coumarin scopoletin is present in whisky, with the highest level reported in Bourbon whiskey.

• Whiskey aged for three years in orbit on the International Space Station tasted and measured significantly different from similar test subjects in gravity on Earth, with wood extractives being more present in the space samples.

• Depending on local regulations, additional flavorings and coloring compounds may be added to whiskey, with Canadian whiskey containing caramel and flavoring in addition to the distilled mash spirits and Scotch whiskey containing added (E150A) caramel coloring but no other additives.

• Whiskey is often "chill filtered," or chilled to precipitate out fatty acid esters and then filtered to remove them, primarily for cosmetic reasons.

• Unchillfiltered whiskies often turn cloudy when stored at cool temperatures or when cool water is added to them, and this is perfectly normal.