WSET Spirits Level 1 flashcards
WSET Spirits Level 1 · Build recall with a focused review session.
32 cards. Read the term and the definition here. The deck at the top of this page is optional.
- Fermentation
- Yeast consumes sugar and produces alcohol and carbon dioxide. The resulting low-alcohol liquid, made from grapes, grain, cane, agave or fruit, is the starting point for every spirit.
- Distillation
- Alcohol boils at a lower temperature (about 78°C) than water (100°C). Heating a fermented liquid turns alcohol into vapour, which is condensed to give a stronger spirit.
- Pot still
- A batch still that distils one load at a time. It produces lower-strength spirit with more character and is used for Cognac, Armagnac and single malt Scotch.
- Column still
- A continuous still in which vapour meets descending liquid repeatedly in a single run, producing high-strength, light, pure spirit such as vodka and most grain whisky.
- Heads, hearts and tails
- The three fractions of a distillation run. Only the middle hearts fraction is kept for the final spirit; heads and tails contain harsh compounds and are recycled or discarded.
- Oak maturation
- Storing new spirit in oak casks extracts colour, tannin and flavours such as vanilla and spice, and softens the alcohol. Maturation stops once the spirit is bottled.
- Bourbon
- An American whiskey made from at least 51% corn, distilled and matured in new charred oak containers; it is typically sweet, with vanilla, caramel and spice notes.
- Single malt Scotch
- Whisky made only from malted barley at one Scottish distillery and matured in oak for at least three years; styles range from light and fruity to smoky and peaty.
- Cognac
- A grape brandy from the Cognac region of France, distilled twice in pot stills and aged at least two years in oak; it is labelled VS, VSOP or XO by age.
- Tequila
- A Mexican spirit made from blue Weber agave in Jalisco. 100% agave bottlings taste sweeter and fruitier than mixtos, which may use other sugars.
- Rum
- A spirit distilled from sugar cane juice or molasses, mainly in the Caribbean. Styles range from light, unaged white rum to golden and richly flavoured dark rums.
- London Dry Gin
- A gin whose flavour comes only from botanicals used during distillation, with juniper dominant; nothing may be sweetened or coloured after distillation.
- Vodka
- A neutral spirit distilled from any sugar- or starch-rich material to very high strength, often filtered through charcoal, then reduced with water to about 40% abv.
- Serving temperature
- Light, unaged spirits such as vodka, gin and white rum are usually served chilled, while aged spirits such as Cognac and whisky are served at room temperature so their aromas show.
- Tumbler
- A short, wide, heavy-based glass used for spirits served neat or over ice; its open shape lets the drinker nose the spirit while holding the glass comfortably.
- Copita or tulip glass
- A small stemmed glass with a narrow rim that concentrates aromas; it is used for tasting and for serving aromatic or premium spirits such as single malt.
- Highball
- A tall glass filled with ice and used for long mixed drinks, where a measure of spirit is combined with a larger volume of mixer such as tonic or ginger ale.
- Ice and dilution
- Larger, colder ice cubes chill a drink quickly while melting slowly, so less water enters the glass; small or wet ice dilutes the spirit fast.
- Storing spirits
- Bottles should be kept upright, tightly closed and away from light and heat. Spirits do not improve in bottle and slowly lose aroma and alcohol once opened.
- Raw material flavour
- The plant fermented to make the spirit shapes its base character: cereal notes from grain, fruity notes from grapes, vegetal notes from agave, treacle notes from molasses.
- Cask type
- New charred oak gives strong vanilla, spice and tannin; used bourbon casks give gentler sweetness; ex-sherry casks add dried fruit and spice to the maturing spirit.
- Cask size
- Smaller casks have a higher wood-to-liquid ratio, so the spirit extracts colour and oak flavour faster and matures sooner than in a large cask.
- Peat smoke
- Burning peat to dry barley creates smoky, medicinal and earthy aromas that survive distillation and remain in the matured whisky, especially in Islay malts.
- Botanicals
- Juniper berries, coriander seed, citrus peel and many other plant materials are steeped in or vapour-passed through spirit during gin distillation; juniper must dominate.
- Temperature and flavour
- Chilling a spirit suppresses its aromas and sweetness, while warming it in the hand or adding a little water can release aroma compounds and soften the alcohol.
- Level 1 SAT structure
- The tasting method has four parts, always assessed in the same order: appearance, nose, palate and conclusions, each using a small fixed set of simple descriptors.
- Nose condition
- Judged as clean or unclean. A clean nose shows no faults such as vinegar, damp cardboard or rotten egg, which indicate a faulty or badly stored spirit.
- Nose intensity
- A measure of how strongly the aromas are detected, recorded as light, medium or pronounced; it is judged before tasting and separately from the spirit's condition.
- Palate sweetness
- Recorded as dry, off-dry, medium sweet or sweet. Most spirits are dry; noticeable sweetness usually comes from added sugar or from sweet oak-derived flavours.
- Palate alcohol
- Judged by the warming or burning sensation in the mouth and throat, recorded as low, medium or high relative to the spirit's overall flavour intensity.
- Finish
- The flavours and sensations that remain after swallowing, described by length as short, medium or long; longer finishes are generally associated with higher quality.
- Conclusions quality
- Quality is recorded as acceptable, good, very good or outstanding, based on balance, complexity, length of finish and how typical the spirit is of its style.