Whisky/Whiskey Spirits of the World

A comprehensive set of vocabulary flashcards covering the production processes, legal definitions, and regional variations of world whiskies as described in the lecture notes.

Whisky/Whiskey

A spirit made from grains and matured in oak, with variations in distillation strength and barrels producing a varied range of styles.

Grains

Seeds produced by species of grass, such as barley, corn, wheat, and rye, which serve as the raw material for whisky.

Starch

A large molecule made of thousands of glucose (sugar) molecules bonded together and stored in granules within the grain.

Malting

A process where barley grains are placed in a warm, damp room to start growth, triggering the release of enzymes to unpack starch granules.

Green malt

Barley grain that has started to grow but has its growth stopped by heating with hot air.

Mashing

The process of mixing crushed malted barley with warm water to allow enzymes to convert starch into glucose.

Wort

The sweet liquid produced during mashing once the enzymes have converted starch into fermentable glucose.

Mash bill

The specific combination of grains chosen by a distiller to influence the style and flavor of the spirit.

Bourbon

An American whiskey made with at least $51\%$ corn, distilled to no more than $80\%$ abv (160 proof), and matured in new charred-oak barrels.

Lincoln County Process

A legal requirement for Tennessee Whiskey where the newly made spirit is filtered through maple-wood charcoal before entering the barrel.

Rye whiskey

A whiskey made in an almost identical way to Bourbon, but with at least $51\%$ of the grains being rye, giving a spicy flavor.

Straight Whiskey

A labelling term indicating the whiskey has been matured for at least $2 \text{ years}$ in new oak barrels with no added color or flavor.

Proof

A US system for alcohol content where $2 \text{ proof} = 1\% \text{ abv}$ (e.g., 100 proof is $50\% \text{ abv}$).

Bottled in Bond (BiB)

A spirit made at one distillery in one year, aged for at least $4 \text{ years}$, bottled at 100 proof, and containing no additives except water.

Single Malt Scotch Whisky

Whisky made only from malted barley, distilled in pot stills at a single distillery, and matured in Scotland for at least $3 \text{ years}$ in oak.

Peat

Damp, partly decayed vegetation that can be burnt to create smoke, adding smoky aromas to malted barley during the drying process.

Reflux

A process in a pot still where vapors condense into liquid and fall back, often increased by taller stills to produce a lighter style of spirit.

Wood finishing

The technique of moving whisky into a different barrel (such as Port or Sherry) for a short period at the end of maturation to add extra flavor and color.

Blended Scotch Whisky

A blend of at least one Single Malt Scotch Whisky and at least one Single Grain Scotch Whisky.

Irish Pot Still Whiskey

A style of Irish whiskey made using a mash bill that includes unmalted barley, which provides a nutty and oily character.

JSLMA

The Japan Spirits and Liqueurs Makers Association, which established a 2021 definition requiring Japanese whisky to be both made and matured in Japan.