“What are the different distillation cuts?” When distilling any spirit, there are parts of the distillate that you want to keep and others that you want to toss out. The distillation cuts are commonly referred to as the heads, hearts and tails and they condense off the still in that order. The hearts cut is what the distiller keeps, ages and bottles. Read about the composition of each distillation cut and more here!

“Do whiskeys have different pHs?” Yes! A whiskey’s pH is dependent on its age. I was so curious that I bought a pH meter and took measurements of my own. I discuss all of that data in this blog post!

“Is it common for distilleries that are just starting up to source whiskey from other distilleries?” Yes, sourcing is very common among new distilleries in the US, as well as established distilleries. We don’t realize that many of our favorite whiskey brands are sourced from other distilleries. This lack of transparency gives sourcing a stigma in the US. Read more about that here.

(Image of MGP by alcademics.com)

“What words are usually used to describe the mouthfeel of whiskey?” Mouthfeel is a big part in how we assess a whiskey and can vary from palate to palate. Describe how it feels in your mouth with whatever words feel appropriate to you. The words I use are hot, viscous, thin, creamy, silky, dry, tannic and astringent. Pro-tip: steer clear from using “smooth” as it’s not a precise descriptor. Read this to find out how I define these terms and to see what other terms are used by industry professionals.

“Why can’t I use 7 to score the whiskey during NEAT tastings?” If you’ve done a tasting with me, you’ll know that I ask you to rate the whiskeys 1-10, but you can’t use 7. If you’re also curious, here’s my answer.

“What words do I use to describe a whiskey’s color?” I will usually keep it simple and stick to words like straw, golden and caramel, tossing light or rich in front if I need to. Read this if you want even more descriptors and to know what the whiskey’s color is telling you.