Spirits 101
RUM. Rum is distilled from the fermented
juice of sugar cane, sugar cane syrup, sugar cane molasses or other sugar cane byproducts.
Yeast is added to the sugar cane juice or molasses,
which converts the sucrose to alcohol during fermentation. To concentrate
the alcohol in the sugar cane wine, the wine is boiled. The vapor is collected
and condensed – distilled.
When distillation is complete, the fresh spirits are
aged in oak barrels that once held whiskey or Bourbon. Aging can take one year –
or 30 years - depending on the maker. As the rum ages, it acquires a golden color
that deepens to a dark brown with time.
Rum is then blended and bottled for consumption.
SCOTCH WHISKEY. In order to earn
the name “Scotch Whiskey”, the liquor must be distilled and matured in Scotland.
There are two kinds of Scotch whisky: malt whiskey and grain whiskey. Grain
whisky is combined with malt whisky to produce the famous blends.
Scotch malt whiskey is made from malted barley, water
and yeast. The malted barley is dried in a kiln fired by peat. Once dried,
the barley is ground up and mixed with hot water to convert the starch in the barley
into a sugary liquid. The sugary liquid is fermented into crude alcohol. Malt whiskey
is distilled twice and the high quality of the whiskey is dependent on the skill
of the ‘stillman’ – who judges when the Scotch Malt is ready to be collected.
Scotch Grain whiskey is made from wheat or maize that
is cooked first to break down the starches into fermentable sugars. The resulting
substance is combined with a portion of malted barley, mixed with hot water and
fermented. Finally, the spirit is distilled.
Both Scotch malt whiskey and grain whiskey are allowed
to mature in oak casks placed in cool, dark warehouses. Three years of aging is
required for the spirit to be legally defined as Scotch Whiskey, but most Scotch
whiskey matures longer – five to fifteen years – and even longer.
Most Scotch whiskey is consumed in blended form. The blending decisions are the
responsibility of the Master Blender, whose goal is to create a blended Scotch Whiskey
that is different from all the others. Blending can require from fifteen to fifty
single whiskeys of varying ages, and is of course a highly secret process. The finished
blend is returned to casks to rest for six to eight months. Finally, the Scotch
is ready for bottling.
One special note – if the bottle of Scotch whiskey
you are buying gives an age statement on the label, this is the age of the youngest
whiskey in the blend. It is not the average age of the whiskeys.
BOURBON WHISKEY. Whiskey made in
Kentucky, mostly from corn, aged for at least two years in new, white-oak barrels
that have been charred earns the label “Bourbon Whiskey.” While other whiskeys
are produced essentially the same way in other states, they are whiskeys – not Bourbon
Whiskeys.
Kentucky regulations require that at least 51% of the grain
used to produce the whiskey must be corn, but most Kentucky distillers use 65 to
75% corn. The regulations also state that nothing can be added during bottling to
enhance flavor, add sweetness or alter color. Bourbon is not blended with neutral
whiskey or spirits.
The rare single-barrel Bourbon is a whiskey taken
and bottled from a single barrel. Small-batch Bourbon takes whiskey from a limited
number of barrels – maybe 20 or less – and mingles the whiskeys together. A common
brand Bourbon could be the result of mingling whiskey from 200 or more barrels.
Fermentation takes three or four days, then the Bourbon
will be double-distilled and transferred into white oak barrels that have been charred.
During the aging process, the Bourbon will take on both color and flavor from the
oak.
Single-barrel and small-batch Bourbons age for at
least six years, and some are held for as long as 12 years.
TEQUILA. Tequila can only be produced
in Mexico, in the Tequila Region. It is distilled from fermented juices from the
heats of blue agave plants. The blue agave has long spiny leaves with sharp points
that are blue-green in color. Blue agave is not a member of the cactus family.
The blue agave juices ferment for 30 to 48 hours before
they are distilled twice. The distilled tequila is blended before it is bottled.
The Mexican government regulates tequila production
and defines two tequila categories:
-
Tequila 100% Agave. Must be made with 100% blue agave
juice and must be bottled at the Mexican distillery.
-
Tequila. Must be made with at least 51% blue agave
juices and can be exported in bulk to be bottled in other countries following the
Mexican Standard (NOM).
Within the categories, there are four types of tequila:
-
Blanco or Silver. This is the traditional
tequila. Clear tequila is bottled immediately after distillation.
-
Oro or Gold. Tequila Blanco that has been mellowed
through the addition of flavorings, most commonly caramel. Tequila Oro is
the typical choice for frozen Margaritas.
-
Reposado or Rested. Tequila Blanco that
has rested in white oak casks or vats for more than 2 months, but less than one
year. The oak barrels mellow the taste of the tequila.
-
Anejo or Aged. Tequila Blanco that has
aged in white oak casks for more than one year. The oak imparts an amber color and
woody flavor to the tequila. A special Anejo tequila, called Reserva, is created
by aging tequila for up to 8 years.
Curious about the fabled worm found in tequila?
It is fable – this famous worm graces bottles of Mescal – a related but completely
different beverage produced in another region of Mexico. The worm is the Agave worm,
and it is found on blue agave plants, but it is not found in tequila. The
worm’s introduction into the bottle of Mescal was the brainstorm of an entrepreneur
– the worm is a marketing device.
VODKA. Vodka is a colorless and relatively
tasteless liquid that is distilled from cereal grains - wheat, barley or rye.
Occasionally potatoes or corn could be used, but rye and barley are deemed to be
the best.
The name vodka is derived from the Russian word ‘voda’,
meaning water.
The spirit goes through a complex distillation and
filtration process and the resulting vodka is over 90% alcohol. Distilled water
is added to the vodka before bottling, in order to lower the alcohol content to
accepted standards. Vodka does not go through an aging process before bottling.
|