Quality Assurance & Compliance Flashcards

What is the minimum aging requirement for a bourbon to be labeled 'Straight Bourbon Whiskey' if no age statement is present?

Answer: 2 years

Straight bourbon must be aged at least 2 years; if aged less than 4 years, an age statement is required.

Which analytical method is most commonly used to measure alcohol content in finished bourbon for compliance bottling?

Answer: Digital density meter (oscillating U-tube)

Digital density meters provide fast, accurate proof measurements traceable to TTB-approved methods for bottling compliance.

A distillery's water supply tests positive for elevated iron. What quality concern does this primarily raise for bourbon production?

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.

Under 27 CFR Part 5, what is the minimum bottling proof for bourbon?

Answer: 80 proof

Federal regulations require that bourbon be bottled at no less than 80 proof (40% ABV).

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?

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.

Which sensory defect in bourbon is typically caused by contaminated cooling water mixing with the distillate in a condenser?

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.

What does 'Bottled in Bond' (BiB) require regarding the distillery of origin?

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.