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Abstract
Whisk(e)y is a major global distilled spirit beverage. Whiskies are produced from cereal starches that are saccharified, fermented and distilled prior to spirit maturation. The strain of Saccharomyces cerevisiae employed in whisky fermentations is crucially important not only in terms of ethanol yields, but also for production of minor yeast metabolites which collectively contribute to development of spirit flavour and aroma characteristics. Distillers must therefore pay very careful attention to the strain of yeast exploited to ensure consistency of fermentation performance and spirit congener profiles. In the Scotch whisky industry, initiatives to address sustainability issues facing the industry (for example, reduced energy and water usage) have resulted in a growing awareness regarding criteria for selecting new distilling yeasts with improved efficiency. For example, there is now a desire for Scotch whisky distilling yeasts to perform under more challenging conditions such as high gravity wort fermentations. This article highlights the important roles of S. cerevisiae strains in whisky production (with particular emphasis on Scotch) and describes key fermentation performance attributes sought in distiller’s yeast, such as high alcohol yields, stress tolerance and desirable congener profiles. We hope that the information herein will be useful for whisky producers and yeast suppliers in selecting new distilling strains of S. cerevisiae, and for the scientific community to stimulate further research in this area.
Highlights
Scotch grain whisky is produced in a Patent or Coffey Still in a continuous process
The grain whisky distiller’s aim is to produce the maximum quantity of alcohol from the raw materials, within the confines of the legal definition of Scotch whisky production. This can be facilitated by fermenting cereal-derived worts in larger batches, but with less yeast, and in grain distilleries yeast pitching rates are generally much lower compared with that used for malt whisky production
Modern analytical techniques in molecular genetics are available to look at the characteristics of promising new S. cerevisiae yeasts in much more detail, and to conduct directed strain engineering protocols
Summary
Whisky is a widely consumed global distilled spirit and is one of the highest revenue alcoholic beverages. “Corn whisky” is whiskey produced at alcohol strengths not exceeding 160 ̋ proof from from a fermented mash of not less than 80% corn grain, and if stored in oak containers stored at not a fermented mash of not less than 80% corn grain, and if stored in oak containers stored at not more more than 125° proof in used or uncharred new oak containers and not subjected in any manner to than 125 ̋ proof in used or uncharred new oak containers and not subjected in any manner to treatment treatment with charred wood. The mash may be from “cereal grain or cereal grain products saccharified by the diastase of malt or by other enzymes and fermented by the action of yeast or a mixture of yeast and other micro-organisms” This contrasts with Scotch whisky production where only enzymes derived from endogenous enzyme systems (e.g., malted barley) may be used
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