WSET Spirits Level 1 cheat sheet

Spirits are made in four stages: ferment a sugar- or starch-rich raw material, distil the resulting liquid, mature it (optional), then dilute with water and bottle.

Yeast converts sugar into alcohol plus carbon dioxide; the fermented liquid is typically only about 5–15% abv, far below the strength of the finished spirit.

Alcohol boils at about 78°C and water at 100°C; distillation exploits this difference in boiling point to raise the alcohol concentration.

Pot stills distil in batches and give heavier, more characterful spirits (Cognac, single malt Scotch); column stills run continuously and give lighter, purer, higher-strength spirit (vodka, grain whisky).

The distillate is divided into heads, hearts and tails; only the hearts fraction is normally kept for the final product.

Oak casks add colour, tannin and flavours such as vanilla and spice, and soften the alcohol; the cask may be new or previously used.

Water is added before bottling to reduce strength, most commonly to 40% abv; 'cask strength' bottlings are not diluted.

Not all spirits are matured: vodka, most gin, blanco tequila and white rum are usually bottled unaged or only lightly aged.

Gin is made by flavouring a neutral spirit with botanicals, of which juniper must always be the dominant aroma.

Whisky is distilled from grain and matured in oak; bourbon must use a mash of at least 51% corn and new charred oak containers.

Scotch single malt = 100% malted barley, one distillery, minimum 3 years in oak; single grain Scotch may use other cereals.

Brandy is distilled from fruit, most often grapes: Cognac (double pot distillation, minimum 2 years in oak) and Armagnac are French; Pisco is unaged.

Cognac age labels: VS = minimum 2 years in cask, VSOP = minimum 4 years, XO = minimum 10 years.

Rum comes from sugar cane molasses or cane juice; the main styles are white (unaged or lightly aged), golden (some oak) and dark (long-aged or colour-adjusted).

Tequila must be made from blue Weber agave in Jalisco, Mexico: blanco (unaged), reposado (2 months–1 year in oak), añejo (1–3 years), extra añejo (3+ years).

Vodka is a neutral spirit distilled to very high strength, often charcoal filtered; the raw material is chosen for availability and cost rather than flavour.

Gin styles: London Dry (botanicals only during distillation, nothing sweetened or coloured afterwards), Old Tom (sweetened), Genever (malt-wine base).

Liqueurs are sweetened flavoured spirits, usually 15–30% abv and with a substantial sugar content; examples include Cointreau and Sambuca.

Serve chilled: vodka, gin, white rum, blanco tequila. Serve at room temperature: Cognac, Armagnac, aged whisky, añejo tequila.

Neat = spirit only, no ice; 'on the rocks' = poured over ice; 'long' or 'mixed' = spirit plus a larger volume of mixer in a tall glass.

Small tulip or copita glasses concentrate aromas for tasting; tumblers suit neat or iced serves; highballs suit mixed long drinks.

Larger, drier ice cubes chill a drink with slower dilution than small or crushed ice.

Standard measures (for example 25 ml or 50 ml) keep the strength and cost of each serve consistent; 25 ml of 40% abv spirit equals one UK unit of alcohol.

A splash of water added to cask-strength or high-alcohol spirits releases aroma and reduces the burning sensation.

Garnishes are functional: citrus twist adds aroma, olive or brine adds saltiness, mint adds freshness.

Store bottles upright, tightly closed, away from sunlight and heat; spirits do not improve in bottle and slowly lose aroma once opened.

Raw material shapes base flavour: grains give cereal notes, grapes give fruity and floral notes, agave gives vegetal notes, molasses gives caramel and treacle notes.

More distillations and higher still strength give a lighter, purer flavour; fewer distillations leave more congener character.

Cut points matter: a narrow hearts cut gives a cleaner spirit, a wider cut gives more complexity and heavier character.

Cask decisions change flavour: new charred oak gives vanilla, coconut and spice; used bourbon casks give gentle sweetness; ex-sherry casks give dried fruit and spice.

Smaller casks mature spirit faster because the wood-to-liquid ratio is higher.

Warm, humid climates speed up extraction from wood and increase evaporation ('the angels' share'); cool, damp cellars mature spirit more slowly.

Flavour is also added before or during distillation, for example peat smoke in Scotch, roasted agave in mezcal, and juniper-led botanicals in gin.

Flavour can be adjusted after maturation: sugar for sweetness, caramel for colour consistency, water for strength.

Serving conditions change perception: chilling suppresses aroma, warming releases it, and melting ice dilutes the spirit.

The Level 1 SAT has four parts, always assessed in the same order: Appearance, Nose, Palate, Conclusions.

Appearance: clarity (clear or hazy) and colour, for example water-white, lemon, gold, amber or brown, with intensity recorded as pale, medium or deep.

Nose: condition (clean or unclean), intensity (light, medium or pronounced), then aroma characteristics such as floral, citrus, vanilla or smoke.

Palate: sweetness (dry, off-dry, medium sweet, sweet), alcohol (low, medium, high by warming sensation), flavour intensity, flavour characteristics and finish.

Most spirits are dry; apparent sweetness usually comes from added sugar or from sweet oak-derived flavours rather than from residual sugar in the raw material.

Finish is described by length - short, medium or long - and long finishes generally indicate higher quality.

Conclusions record the quality level (acceptable, good, very good, outstanding) and a price category.

Use simple, consistent descriptors in a fixed order so that different spirits can be compared directly.