WSET L2 Study Guide, Exam Questions
with accurate answers, Graded A+
In what order are the four key production steps common to nearly all spirits completed?
1. Alcoholic fermentation
2. Distillation
3. Post-Distill
...
WSET L2 Study Guide, Exam Questions
with accurate answers, Graded A+
In what order are the four key production steps common to nearly all spirits completed?
1. Alcoholic fermentation
2. Distillation
3. Post-Distillation
4. Processing a raw material - ✔✔-4,1,2,3
What happens during distillation? - ✔✔-Ethanol and water are separated.
What is the boiling point of ethanol? - ✔✔-173 F / 78 C
Which one of the following "cuts" do distillers use to make their final spirit? - ✔✔-Hearts
Which one of the following can be used as a raw material for the production of spirits?
1. Grapes
2. Apples
3. Water
4. Corn - ✔✔-1,2 and 4 only
Which of the following can a distiller alter post-distillation?
1. Sweetness
2. Alcohol
3. Colour - ✔✔-All
What process does a raw material containing starch need to undergo first? - ✔✔-Conversion
Which of the following do yeasts produce in the greatest volume? - ✔✔-Ethanol
The aroma intensity of a spirit produced in a column still can be
1. Light
2. Medium
3. Pronounced - ✔✔-All
A boiling mixture of ethanol and water releases vapour. How does the concentration of both water and
ethanol in the vapour compared to the concentration of both in the liquid?
ETHANOL WATER
a. higher higher
b. higher lower
c. lower lower
d. lower higher - ✔✔-B
In the US, a neutral spirit must be distilled to
a. 94% abv
b. 95% abv or more
c. 96% abv or more
d. 97% abv - ✔✔-B
Which of the characteristics of a spirit can be adjusted after distillation?
1. Colour
2. Flavour
3. Sweetness
4. Alcoholic strength - ✔✔-All
What is the main aim of the distiller when processing a raw material?
a. To create alcohol
b. To select flavours
c. To create a sugary liquid
d. To concentrate the alcohol - ✔✔-C
The product of the first distillation in a pot still is typically
a. 10-15% abv
b. 25-30% abv
c. 35-40% abv
d. 45-50% abv - ✔✔-B
Just as in wine tasting, swirling is necessary to release the volatile aromas for assessing the nose of a
spirit.
True/False - ✔✔-False
The following can be discerned from assessing the appearance of a spirit:
1. its colour
2. its alcoholic content
3. the use of oak aging in its production
4. its aromas and flavours
5. its raw materials
6. the intensity of its aromas and flavours
7. its clarity - ✔✔-1, 6, 7
When water is added to aniseed spirits, a reaction called louching occurs and is considered a fault.
True/False - ✔✔-False
In most cases, a hazy spirit would be considered to be faulty.
True/False - ✔✔-True
During a spirit tasting, a spirit is diluted 50/50 with water to ensure better access to a spirit's aromas and
flavours.
True/ False - ✔✔-True
The presence of overt solvent aromas in a spirit indicate that the distiller may have included too much of
the ______ in the final spirit. - ✔✔-Heads
The presence of overt plastic, cheesy, and/or sweaty aromas indicates that the distiller may have
included too much of the ______ in the final spirit. - ✔✔-Tails
Vodka is one of the few spirits whose aroma, flavour, and intensity assessments could be specified as
"neutral."
True/ False - ✔✔-True
Which one of the following statements is true?
1. The plate at the bottom of a column still has the highest concentration of ethanol.
2. Liquid flows up a column still.
3. It is possible to have three simultaneous collection points from a column still.
4. Fermented alcoholic liquid is never preheated before entering a column still. - ✔✔-3
Which of the following can be removed using an oak barrel?
Color
Oxygen
Congeners
Sugar - ✔✔-Congeners
Which of the following is commonly used to adjust the colour of oak-aged spirits?
Molasses
Sugar
Caramel
Cane Juice - ✔✔-Caramel
Which one of the following statements is true?
-VSOP Cognac has to be aged longer than XO Cognac.
-Baco is an important grape variety used to make Cognac.
-Cognac is typically made from Ugni Blanc.
-Most Cognac is made in a column still. - ✔✔-Cognac is typically made from Ugni Blanc.
What does the term "Fine Champagne" indicate when it appears on a bottle of Cognac? - ✔✔-At least
51% of the grapes used were grown in the sub-region of Grande Champagne.
What is rhum agricole? - ✔✔-A rum made from sugar cane juice grown and produced in Martinique or
Guadaloupe.
What is the minimum age of a VSOP Cognac? - ✔✔-4 years
Which of the following processes can be used in rum production post-distillation?
1. Adding sugar
2. Adding caramel
3. Removing colour - ✔✔-1, 2 and 3
A spirit with raisin, floral, oak, and rancio aromas with a smooth mouthfeel best describes a _______. -
✔✔-XO Cognac
In which one of the following countries can Pisco be made? - ✔✔-Peru
Light and heavy marks are terms used in the production of which spirit? - ✔✔-Rum
Which one of the following statements is true?
-A distiller does not need to dilute molasses with water before distillation.
-Spanish styles of rum are typically light-medium bodied with a smooth mouthfeel.
-Rums must be distilled in pot stills.
-A spirit that was distilled to 96% abv can be called a rum. - ✔✔-Spanish styles of rum are typically lightmedium bodied with a smooth mouthfeel.
The raw materials used to make rum are derived from sugar cane, primarily molasses and juice, in that
order.
T/F - ✔✔-True
There are several labeling terms used for rum products that are universally agreed-to and legally
supported.
T/F - ✔✔-False
Golden/amber and dark rums always gain their colour from maturation time in oak.
T/F - ✔✔-False
Of all styles of rum, the Jamaican style is known for being one of the most characterful, with a heavy
mark high-ester fruitiness.
T/F - ✔✔-True
The British Navy was instrumental in creating, and solidying the popularity of, a heavy mark rum blend
of Jamaican and Guyanan spirits.
T/F - ✔✔-True
Cuba and the Bacardi family are credited with making the first modern Spanish-style Caribbean rum,
which has become the world's most popular of this white style.
T/F - ✔✔-True
Cachaça is a molasses-based rum made in Brazil, the production of which is greater than the global
production of vodka.
T/F - ✔✔-False
Which of the following are among the reasons why fruit spirits are so popular with both producers and
consumers?
1. The world's fruits are quite diverse, produce a myriad of flavors, and can be grown in many places and
climates.
2. All fruits contain a sugar-rich, juicy flesh and seeds, the former providing an easily processed raw
material for spirits.
3. Due to their tendency to deteriorate quickly, fruits are grown and their spirits produced locally, which
supports both a "buy local" and an "experience that part
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