WSET LEVEL 1 SPIRITS EXAM 2025| ACTUAL LATEST
EXAM VERSION WITH 170 QUESTIONS AND CORRECT
DETAILED ANSWERS (VERIFIED ANSWERS)|ALREADY
GRADED A+
How does fermentation happen - CORRECT ANS✔✔ Yeast eats sugar
to create the alcohol and carbon dioxide gas. After fermentation the
alcoholic liquid is typically around 10% abv. Fermentation also creates
extra flavours, in particular fruity flavours are created by yeast
What is the aim of distillation - CORRECT ANS✔✔ To concentrate
the level of alcohol in the fermented alcoholic liquid
What happens during distillation? - CORRECT ANS✔✔ An alcoholic
liquid is boiled and turned into vapor. The vapors are then collected and
condensed into a new liquid which is more alcoholic than the original
one.
Outline the process of distillation - CORRECT ANS✔✔ 1. Distillation
starts with a fermented alcoholic liquid
2. the liquid is heated and brought to boil
3. in order to separate the alcohol from the rest of the liquid a distiller
can take advantage of the fact that pure ethanol (the most common
alcohol in alcoholic beverages) boils at a lower temp than pure water.
As a result when an alcoholic liquid boils, the vapors that are created
contain a higher proportion of alcohol than the boiling liquid.
4. The hot vapors created by boiling the alcoholic liquid are collected
and condensed back to a liquid that has a higher alcoholic strength
than the original liquid.
,If a spirit has a low distillation strength, does it have high or low flavor
intensity - CORRECT ANS✔✔ High flavour intensity
If a spirit has a high distillation strength does it have high or low flavor
intensity - CORRECT ANS✔✔ Low flavor intensity
What is the definition of a neutral spirit? - CORRECT ANS✔✔ A spirit
that is distilled to 95-96% abv with virtually no flavour left
What often happens to spirits after distillation? - CORRECT ANS✔✔
Adjustment of the color, aromas, sweetness and alcoholic strength as
required for the style of spirit being made
Identify the 2 aims of blending and what each aim intends to achieve -
CORRECT ANS✔✔ Overall a blender has 2 aims:
1. Consistency. Most consumers expect their spirit to be consistent
from one bottle to the net.
2. Complexity. Some individual barrels can be extraordinarily
complex, the easiest way of creating complexity and depth is by
blending spirits with different characteristics.
Why would a blender choose to use caramel coloring? - CORRECT
ANS✔✔ The color of oak ages spirits can vary considerably from
one barrel to
, another this is a problem for blenders who are striving for consistency.
Therefore, when they blend the contents of the barrels together to make
up their batches they sometimes use very small amounts of a coloring
material called caramel to ensure that each batch has the correct color.
In a column still, which plate has the highest abv - CORRECT ANS✔✔
the top plate
Which distillation process can produce a neutral spirit - CORRECT
ANS✔✔ a column still
in a pot still what is the name of the part that holds the liquid that is
going to be distilled - CORRECT ANS✔✔ Pot
T/F column stills cannot be used to produce a neutral spirit - ANSWER-
-False
What strength and aroma intensity does a newly made spirit produced
via pot distillation have - CORRECT ANS✔✔ low strength and a
pronounced (high) intensity
What is Cognac - CORRECT ANS✔✔ a grape brandy is a wine that has
been distilled. Cognac is a well known grape brandy that must be made
from grapes grown in a specific part of south west France north of the
town of
EXAM VERSION WITH 170 QUESTIONS AND CORRECT
DETAILED ANSWERS (VERIFIED ANSWERS)|ALREADY
GRADED A+
How does fermentation happen - CORRECT ANS✔✔ Yeast eats sugar
to create the alcohol and carbon dioxide gas. After fermentation the
alcoholic liquid is typically around 10% abv. Fermentation also creates
extra flavours, in particular fruity flavours are created by yeast
What is the aim of distillation - CORRECT ANS✔✔ To concentrate
the level of alcohol in the fermented alcoholic liquid
What happens during distillation? - CORRECT ANS✔✔ An alcoholic
liquid is boiled and turned into vapor. The vapors are then collected and
condensed into a new liquid which is more alcoholic than the original
one.
Outline the process of distillation - CORRECT ANS✔✔ 1. Distillation
starts with a fermented alcoholic liquid
2. the liquid is heated and brought to boil
3. in order to separate the alcohol from the rest of the liquid a distiller
can take advantage of the fact that pure ethanol (the most common
alcohol in alcoholic beverages) boils at a lower temp than pure water.
As a result when an alcoholic liquid boils, the vapors that are created
contain a higher proportion of alcohol than the boiling liquid.
4. The hot vapors created by boiling the alcoholic liquid are collected
and condensed back to a liquid that has a higher alcoholic strength
than the original liquid.
,If a spirit has a low distillation strength, does it have high or low flavor
intensity - CORRECT ANS✔✔ High flavour intensity
If a spirit has a high distillation strength does it have high or low flavor
intensity - CORRECT ANS✔✔ Low flavor intensity
What is the definition of a neutral spirit? - CORRECT ANS✔✔ A spirit
that is distilled to 95-96% abv with virtually no flavour left
What often happens to spirits after distillation? - CORRECT ANS✔✔
Adjustment of the color, aromas, sweetness and alcoholic strength as
required for the style of spirit being made
Identify the 2 aims of blending and what each aim intends to achieve -
CORRECT ANS✔✔ Overall a blender has 2 aims:
1. Consistency. Most consumers expect their spirit to be consistent
from one bottle to the net.
2. Complexity. Some individual barrels can be extraordinarily
complex, the easiest way of creating complexity and depth is by
blending spirits with different characteristics.
Why would a blender choose to use caramel coloring? - CORRECT
ANS✔✔ The color of oak ages spirits can vary considerably from
one barrel to
, another this is a problem for blenders who are striving for consistency.
Therefore, when they blend the contents of the barrels together to make
up their batches they sometimes use very small amounts of a coloring
material called caramel to ensure that each batch has the correct color.
In a column still, which plate has the highest abv - CORRECT ANS✔✔
the top plate
Which distillation process can produce a neutral spirit - CORRECT
ANS✔✔ a column still
in a pot still what is the name of the part that holds the liquid that is
going to be distilled - CORRECT ANS✔✔ Pot
T/F column stills cannot be used to produce a neutral spirit - ANSWER-
-False
What strength and aroma intensity does a newly made spirit produced
via pot distillation have - CORRECT ANS✔✔ low strength and a
pronounced (high) intensity
What is Cognac - CORRECT ANS✔✔ a grape brandy is a wine that has
been distilled. Cognac is a well known grape brandy that must be made
from grapes grown in a specific part of south west France north of the
town of
