Aqua
Vitae : |
Latin term for "water of life".
|
Blending
: |
Term used for mixing malt or pot still
whiskey with grain whiskey |
Brewing
: |
The process of producing alcoholic
liquids aided by yeast from the sugars present in a solution of
fermented grains |
Cask : |
Wooden Barrel into which whiskey is
stored in order to mature |
Coffee
Still : |
Patent still invented by Irish man
Aeneas Coffee, a former Government Excise Official. His invention allows
the continuous distillation of wash. |
Draff : |
Spent solids of grain left over from
the brewing process. Removed from the mash tun these "wastes"
are normally sold as livestock feed. |
Feints
: |
Term applied to the impure spirit
produced from the end of the second distillation. |
Fermentation
: |
Active period during the brewing
process when yeast reacts with the sugar rich wort. |
Fermenters
: |
See Wash Backs |
Fillings
: |
The term applied to "new"
whiskey that has been filled into casks prior to being matured |
Foreshots
: |
Term applied to the oily spirit
produced at the start of each "run" from the stills |
Gauger
: |
Old name given to an exciseman whose
job was to assist in the prevention of illicit distillation notably
poteen in Ireland |
Grain
Whiskey : |
Whiskey produced from column stills,
normally made from wheat or maize wit a small quantity of malted barley
to aid fermentation. |
Grist : |
Name given to the crushed grains
mixture of malted and unmalted barley in the making of Irish pot still
whiskey |
Malt : |
Barley soaked in water then spread to
dry in order to promote germination. |
Marrying
: |
Term given to the process of mixing
whiskeys from more than one distillery in order to form a blend or
vatting. |
Mashing
: |
The process of adding the Grist to hot
water in order to dissolve the fermentable sugars |
Mash
Tun : |
Large container holding Grist and hot
water for mashing process. The product of which is known as wort |
Maturation
: |
Process of leaving whiskey in casks to
react over a period of years with the chemicals within the wood of the
cask. The longer whiskey is left at the maturation stage the greater
influence the chemicals within the wood will have. |
Peat : |
Term given to the material formed by
decaying matter found in bog land. May be used as a fuel also known as
Turf in Ireland. Traditionally used in Scotland as the fuel for during
the malted barley |
Poteen
: |
Irish term for illicit spirit made
form malted barley occasionally from potatoes but more commonly made
today from molasses. |
Pot
Still : |
Copper container in which the
distillation process is carried out. The heating of the contents of the
still produces vapors containing the alcohol which is separated from the
water. |
Pot
Still Whiskey : |
Traditional name for Irish Whiskey
produced from a mixture of malted and unmalted barley. |
Run : |
Clear
alcohol rich liquid produced by the distilling process |
Single
Malt : |
Malt whiskey made by a single
distillery and unmixed with either grain or pot still whiskeys. |
Uisce
Beatha : |
Celtic for "water of life"
also see Aqua vitae |
Vatting
: |
The mixing together of identical
whiskeys from a single distillery but from different casks in order to
maintain continuity of character for a particular brand of whiskey |
Wash : |
The term given to the fermented liquid
prior to being pumped into the wash still for the first distillation. |
Wash
Backs : |
Also referred to as fermenters in
Ireland, these are huge containers that hold the fermenting liquid as it
changes from wort to wash. |
Worm : |
Apparatus in which the vaporized
alcohol form the stills condense and are separated from the water.
Normally a coiled copper tube. |
Yeast : |
Organism which feeds of sugar forming
alcohol as a by product, added to the wort in the mash tuns to aid the
fermentation. |