CBP Quality Assurance & Compliance 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What is the minimum aging requirement for a bourbon to be labeled 'Straight Bourbon Whiskey' if no age statement is present?
- 2 years (Correct answer)
- 4 years
- 1 year
- 3 years
Correct answer: 2 years
Straight bourbon must be aged at least 2 years; if aged less than 4 years, an age statement is required.
Question 2: Which analytical method is most commonly used to measure alcohol content in finished bourbon for compliance bottling?
- Digital density meter (oscillating U-tube) (Correct answer)
- Gas chromatography
- HPLC
- Titration
Correct answer: Digital density meter (oscillating U-tube)
Digital density meters provide fast, accurate proof measurements traceable to TTB-approved methods for bottling compliance.
Question 3: A distillery's water supply tests positive for elevated iron. What quality concern does this primarily raise for bourbon production?
- Iron can cause haze and off-flavors in the finished whiskey (Correct answer)
- Iron accelerates wood extraction during aging
- Iron increases fermentation efficiency
- Iron has no impact on bourbon quality
Correct answer: Iron can cause haze and off-flavors in the finished whiskey
Excess iron reacts with phenolic compounds in whiskey to produce dark hazes and metallic off-notes that affect quality.
Question 4: Under 27 CFR Part 5, what is the minimum bottling proof for bourbon?
- 80 proof (Correct answer)
- 90 proof
- 70 proof
- 100 proof
Correct answer: 80 proof
Federal regulations require that bourbon be bottled at no less than 80 proof (40% ABV).
Question 5: A QA manager discovers a bottling line error: 1,000 cases were filled at 78 proof instead of 80. What is the correct regulatory action?
- Halt sales, re-process or destroy the lot, and document the deviation for TTB records (Correct answer)
- Release the product and adjust the label claim to 78 proof
- Blend with higher proof stock at retail level to correct proof
- Report to OSHA as a workplace incident
Correct answer: Halt sales, re-process or destroy the lot, and document the deviation for TTB records
Product below the legal minimum proof cannot be sold as bourbon; it must be re-processed or destroyed with full TTB documentation.
Question 6: Which sensory defect in bourbon is typically caused by contaminated cooling water mixing with the distillate in a condenser?
- Sulfur or 'rotten egg' off-note combined with diluted spirit character (Correct answer)
- Excessive sweetness from grain carry-over
- Rancio notes from long aging
- Fusel oil burn on the finish
Correct answer: Sulfur or 'rotten egg' off-note combined with diluted spirit character
Condenser leaks introduce water and sometimes sulfur compounds from the cooling system directly into the product stream.
Question 7: What does 'Bottled in Bond' (BiB) require regarding the distillery of origin?
- All spirits in the bottle must come from one distillery in one distilling season (Correct answer)
- The spirits may be blended from multiple distilleries within the same state
- The spirits must be aged at a federally bonded warehouse regardless of distillery
- Any age is acceptable as long as proof is 100
Correct answer: All spirits in the bottle must come from one distillery in one distilling season
The Bottled in Bond Act of 1897 requires that BiB whiskey is the product of one distiller at one distillery during one distilling season.
CBP Quality Assurance & Compliance 3
What is the minimum aging requirement for a bourbon to be labeled 'Straight Bourbon Whiskey' if no age statement is present?