Download WSET Level 2 Spirits questions and answers 2025 and more Exams Nursing in PDF only on Docsity!
answers 2025
What is the aim of processing the raw material? - To create a sugary liquid What happens during alcoholic fermentation? - Yeast eats sugars to create alcohol, congeners and carbon dioxide What system is used in the USA to express alcohol content? - Proof. Two degrees proof equals 1% abv What is the aim of distillation? - To select and concentrate parts of the alcoholic liquid (alcohol and congeners) and leave others behind What is the aim of post-distillation operations? - To ensure that when a spirit is put on sale it has the correct colour, aroma, sweetness and alcoholic strength What is the most important alcohol in a spirit? - Ethanol What type of aromas are created by esters? - Fruity aromas What is the appearance of a newly made spirit? - Water-white and colourless
answers 2025
Ethanol boils at a lower temperature than pure water. True or False? - TRUE What is the name of the section of the still between the pot and the head? - Swan neck What is the typical heat source for a pot still? - Steam What is the purpose of a condenser in a pot still? - Converts the vapours back to a liquid In pot still distillation, what happens in the first distillation? - Distil alcoholic liquid into low wines, discard watery waste In pot still distillation, what is the typical abv of the low wines? - 25-30% In pot still distillation, what happens in the second distillation? - Distil low wines with heads and tails of previous batch, separate heads, hearts and tails, discard watery waste
answers 2025
What is the function of the bubblecap on a plate? - Forces vapours through the layer of alcoholic liquid on the plate. The heat in the vapours means the liquid is kept boiling What is the function of the downcomer on a plate? - Allows water and less volatile fractions to overflow to the plate below Put the following post-distillation operations in the correct order: Finishing Adding other flavours Maturation Blending - Maturation Adding other flavours Blending Finishing What are the affects of oak maturation? - Adding colour and congeners Exposure to oxygen Evaporation of water and alcohol
answers 2025
Remove harshness What are the key considerations for oak barrels? - Barrel age Previous contents Warehouse temperature What materials are typically used for inert vessels? - Stainless steel or glass What will change in a spirit that is stored in an inert vessel for a number of months? - It becomes smooth and more mouthfilling What are the aims of blending a spirit? - Consistency and complexity What are the options for finishing a spirit? - Adding water Adding colour Adding sugar Filtration
answers 2025
What are the two relatively rare features of a pot still in Cognac? - Must be directly heated with flames, must use a 'worm tub' condenser What is the minimum length of maturation for a Cognac? - Two years Cognacs are typically slightly sweetened before bottling. True or False? - TRUE What are the three main grape varieties used for Armagnac? - Ugni Blanc, Baco Blanc, Folle Blanche Why type of still is typically used for Armagnac production? - Column still - short column with relatively few plates What is the name of an Armagnac aged for a minimum of 3 months in stainless steel? - Blanche Vintage spirits are produced in Cognac. True or False? - FALSE
answers 2025
What fruit is Calvados made from? - Apples and pears What is grappa made from? - Grape pomace What is grappa typically matured in? - Inert vessels What are the most important grains for whisky production? - Barley, corn, wheat, rye What needs to happen in grains to create sugar? - Convert the starch What are the two techniques to convert starch into sugar? - Malting and cooking Which is the grain that undergoes malting? - Barley What happens during malting? - Grains of barley are placed in a warm, damp room. As the grains grow the plant releases enzymes.
answers 2025
What is important about the barrels used for Bourbon maturation? - New charred oak. This will add vanilla, coconut and sweet spice flavours What does the term 'single barrel' mean on a bottle of Bourbon? - A Bourbon made from just one barrel that the distiller considers to be exceptional What does the term 'small batch' indicate on a bottle of Bourbon? - A higher quality product made from a small number of selected casks What does the term 'straight' indicate on a bottle of Bourbon? - The whiskey has been matured for at least two years in new oak barrels and that no colour or flavour has been added Where can Tennessee Whiskey be made? - Tennessee What is the additional process required for Tennessee Whiskey? - The Lincoln County Process - the newly made spirit is filtered through charcoal before it is aged
answers 2025
What does the term 'sour mash' indicate on a bottle of Tennessee Whiskey? - The acidic residue at the base of the column still from previous distillation has been added back to the fermenter What is the main grain used for Rye Whiskey production? - Rye - minimum 51% What are the flavours associated with Rye grains? - Spicy, lemon-zest, rye bread What is typically blended in Canadian Whisky? - Small amounts of pronounced whisky (flavouring whisky) made from Rye are blended with light-flavoured, high strength whisky made from corn What is important for the production of Single Malt Scotch Whisky? - Must be the product of one distillery, made using malted barley, distilled in a pot still, matured in oak for three years What is peat? - Partly decayed vegetation What part of the distillation process is peat used in? - As the fuel to heat the grains at the end of malting
answers 2025
What does the age indication on a bottle of Scotch Whisky indicate? - The youngest whisky used in the blend What does the term 'natural colour' mean on a bottle of Whisky? - The distiller has not used caramel to enhance the colour What does the term 'cask strength' mean on a Whisky? - The whisky has been bottled undiluted What is a feature of some Irish Whiskey? - Use of unmalted barley. Adds spice, fruit and oily aromas What type of whiskies are made in Japan? - Grain whiskies in column stills and malt whiskies in pot stills for both malt and blended whisky What is the raw material for rum? - Sugar cane What are the two main sugar cane products used for rum? - Sugar cane juice and molasses
answers 2025
What are the aromas associated with rums made from sugar cane juice? - Vegetal, grassy and fruity aromas What must happen to molasses before it can be used for rum production? - It must be diluted with water What is the term used to describe Jamaican rums with exaggerated fruity aromas?
- High-ester What does the term 'light mark' mean in rum production? - Rum that is distilled to relatively high strength (over 90% abv). They are made in column stills and have light intensity What does the term 'heavy mark' mean in rum production? - Rum that is distilled to a relatively low strength. They are normally made in pot stills, although there is a wide variety of stills used. What can be used to remove colour from short aged rums? - Activated charcoal
answers 2025
What are the typical aromas of agave based spirits? - Bell pepper, vegetable, black pepper What is the name of the central core of the agave plant? - Piña What are the traditional methods for cooking agave in Tequila and Mezcal production? - Agave is steam cooked for tequila, and roasted in stone-lined pits for Mezcal What is 'formulation' in Tequila and Mezcal production? - Making the sweet liquid for fermentation. Can include non-agave sugars for some Tequila. Can include fibres from the piña What type of stills are used in Tequila and Mezcal production? - Pot or column stills What strength are Tequila and Mezcal typically distilled to? - Low strength - can be below 60%
answers 2025
What are the options for maturation vessels for Tequila and Mezcal? - Inert vessels, large oak tanks or oak barrels What is the most important state for Tequila production? - Jalisco How long does the blue agave take to reach maturity? - 7 - 10 years What production choices would lead to a more pronounced Tequila? - The agave is cooked slowly in brick ovens, fermented with agave fibres, double distilled in pot still and collected at low strength What is the most important state for Mezcal production? - Oaxaca What does the technique of using stone-lined fire pits to cook the piña add to the taste of Mezcal? - A smoky aroma What are the requirements for Artisanal Mezcal? - Roasting pits or brick oven must be used to cook the piña, limits on mechanisation for crushing, metal or clay stills that are directly heated
answers 2025
What two techniques are widely used by vodka producers after distillation? - 1. Passing the spirit through activated charcoal to remove undesirable congeners
- Using additives to create the required texture What are the two main styles of unflavoured vodka? - 1. Neutral - these have the lightest possible flavour
- Characterful - these retain some flavour and can have a more mouthfilling texture, though will still be described as neutral Which countries are historically associated with vodka production? - Russia, Poland, Finland, Sweden What term can be used to refer to adding artificial flavouring to a spirit? - Cold compounding What two types of colouring can be added to spirits? - 1. Natural colour - from plant material. It can be unstable so often some artificial colouring is used as well
- Artificial colour - chemical dyes that have been approved for human consumption
answers 2025
What is the likely method for adding flavours to Spiced Rum? - Maceration What are some ingredients used in traditional flavoured vodka? - Honey, fruits, spices, bison grass What are some ingredients used in modern flavoured vodka? - Vanilla, fruits, pepper, chilli - anything can be used What botanical is legally required to be present in Gin production? - Juniper What are some other commonly used botanicals? - Coriander seeds, citrus peel, angelica root, orris root What type of spirit is legally required for gin production in the EU? - Neutral spirit What does the labelling term 'Distilled Gin' mean? - In EU it means flavours may have been added after re-distillation. In the USA it means all the flavours must come from re-distillation
