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16 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
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It is widely thought that the first whiskey was made in... |
Ireland brought to Scotland by monks. |
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What is poitin? |
1661 British gov intros excise tax lead to Illegal Irish whiskey production (moonshine). Although rural distillers in Scotland went legal in 1823, Irish did not. |
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Why are there so few distilleries left in Ireland today when there were hundreds at one time? |
After independence from England (1919), British government imposed high taxes (1921) on Irish whiskey which forced many out of business. Export market to commonwealth countries also collapsed US market collapsed during Prohibition (1919-1933) General restriction on trade during both world wars (1914, 1939)
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How has this progressed up to today? |
- remaining distillers (Jameson, Power, Cork) - merged in 1966 to form Irish Distillers Ltd (IDL) (now owned by Pernod Ricard) - Mid 70's built a joint distillery in Midleton - 1986 bought bushmills - turned to lighter, blended, triple distilled whiskey to survive - right move forward became able to diversify - grew out of a monopoly |
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Which distilleries are left in Ireland? |
Bushmills in the north (owned by Diageo),
Cooley in the east (independent)
Midleton in the south (owned by Pernod Ricard (1988) and includes multiple brands).
Tullamore Dew 100km west of Dublin, owned by William Grant and Sons. |
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IDL/Midleton has been so dominant, that it's style has set the standard for Irish whiskey production. What is that standard? |
-Triple distillation (as long as it is Midleton or Bushmills) -a percentage of unmalted barley in pot still whiskies (if it is Midleton single pot still) -unpeated malt.(as long as it is NOT Cooleys peated Connemara whiskey) - Irish whiskey is blended, except when it is bushmills single, tullamore single, or redbreast (unpeated pot still) |
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Irish whiskey is therefore... |
whiskey made in Ireland |
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What are the main differences between Irish whiskey and other whiskies? |
- much larger stills, when midleton was built, largest still on record was installed in 1825 33,000L - lighter flavour - originally to address volume - unmalted barley to dodge tax
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What does unmalted barley do to the flavor profile? |
- Spicy, fruity and oily.
- Firmness to the palate
- green character, apples peaches pears
- balancing softness of malt. |
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How did the use of unmalted barley originate? |
Middle 1800s tax was imposed on malted barley. unmalted barley used to avoid tax. also gave higher yields of alcohol. |
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How much unmalted barley does IDL/Midleton use in its pot still whiskies? |
Ratio varies, never less than 20% never more than 60%. |
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IDL/Midleton and wood management |
- before 1970's, were using whatever casks were around since they were 'just a container' - pioneers in wood research, knew that eventually barrels would have nothing left to give - now use a wide variety new 'bourbon' casks (built/charred to bourbon specs) sherry port madiera etc - gave the diversity scotch whisky producers had by trading |
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IDL/Midleton pot still distillation. |
First run: 2 pot stills (Wash stills) create low wines of 22-50% Second run (Feints still): low wines go into feints still to produce pot feints of 50-78% abv. Third run (Spirit still): pot feints go into spirits still where it is separated into foreshots, new make and feints - Different cut points and strengths large base to blend from. - wash still fitted with cyclone to remove all solids from vapour, also a small recifying colum and reflux pipe leading back into the body
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IDL/Midleton column distillation |
corn or wheat, occasionally unmalted barley
3 stage distillation: 1 beer column 2 hydroselector 3 rectifying column |
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Bushmills distillation (25 miles from islay) |
- single malt whiskeys - 100% malted barley, (25 miles from Islay) - triple distilled 4 wash stills used to create low wines 3 feint stills, result split into strong (70%, charge for final 2 spirits stills) and weak feints, (retained, recycled, mixed in to the low wines for the next round) last distillation with two stills to separate heads and tails (back into low wines for next round too)
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Cooley distillation |
est 1987 scottish method malts double distilled in pot stills grain whisky (wheat and corn) in column stills Coonemara uses peat |
