WSET Diploma - unit 4 Spirit exercise for theory questions

離考試兩個星期多d, 做下D題目先, 但我而家open book做都唔易, 而且冇咩idea 10分鐘寫幾多, 而且我下面係寫20分鐘的長度來的。anyway，俾大家參考下先。

Armagnac

Armagnac is the France’s first brandy. Today, its volume is about 18000 hL, but when the period of Phylloxera, volume has dropped to 5000 in 1937 and the reputation Is ruined at that time and now have already recovered.

Unlike Cognac, which have 4 main distilleries, Armagnac has many small merchant house and estate producers but without any dominant distilleries. The label terms are similar to Congac, which consists of VS, VSOP, Napolean, XO and vintage, of which XO and vintage consists of 40% of sales. The ageing requirement in oak barrels are 1, 4, 6, 10 years respectively.

For the grape variety, total 10 are permitted and 4 are playing the important roles: Ugni Blanc (Terbbiano in Italian): 55% plantings, with good disease resistant, low sugar and high in acid therefore low in alcohol. It gives grapy and floral character.

Baco: 32% plantings, with rich, earthy, prune-like character

Folle Blanche: mainly floral

Colombard: spicy, peppery edge

For the crus of Armagnac, the majority planting is Bas Armaganc, and then comes to Tenereze and Haut Armaganc. However, it is hard to pinpoint the role of the style of given cru, as very varied landscape across the region. For the winemaking process, addition of SO2 and must enrichment is prohibited, and fermentation Is made separately for different grapes, and is about 8 – 10% abv.

For the distillation process, although either pot stills or continuous still is used, a unique column still called alembic Armagnacais is used. It is made up of a burner, a column, a wine heater and condenser. Wine is flow through to the condenser by gravity, goes to heater when heated, and then passed into the still. Vapours will pass back into the serpentine in the wine heater and condenser before collected as new spirit. The column still is at 17 plates maximum. Grape varieties are distilled separately, as the still is not stopped, when the first grape variety is used up , it switches over to the second immediately. It may result to a barrels for both wines are collected.

For the maturation, it is spent to new oak barrels for the short period and then goes to old. European oak is preferred but black oak from Monlezun forest is also use.

WSET Diploma - Spirits Tasting (2nd trial - part 1)

接著的另一晚，總共寫了13支tasting notes，好艱苦，但唔做唔得。其實讀這一課真的有點痛苦，因為任何spirit都要試，包括你鐘意同唔鐘意的。

WSET Diploma - Spirits Tasting (1st trial)

為了6月10日unit 4 exam spirit exam的緣故，考試三人組又再出動，之前搜索過的liqueurs剛好也大派用場。我就借用這裡，讓大家分享一下先前寫的tasting note。這次的課題主要是rum，再加兩支大家平日不常見的。

Restaurant LE MiDi （レストラン ル・ミディ）(日本中部旅行 - 美食篇)

當日由飛驒古川坐Benz順風車回高山，之後慢慢走過來就是為了食好野。真的不講笑，這一些也算是整個旅程吃得最賞心的一餐。

中國名粥

這次把場景搬去澳門，這家算是最近吃得最為滿意的一家食店。去的時候已經想試，不過沒有機會，所以就趁著今次早一點去，未到人家的午市時間光顧，而且還可以在街市買現成的海鮮吃，保證是最新鮮的。

銖記海鮮飯店

記得好多年前來過，不過剛剛上個月去完馬場試wine，之後順路過來到跑馬地熟食檔啦。其實夜晚熟食檔有兩家店在營業，一家是嫦記而另一家是銖記，哪一家好食點我不太清楚，不過剛巧兩次都是去銖記的。兩次都吃得好滿意。

Tea Saloon By Anotherfineday

是日清明假期，不過落在星期六，即係對我來說沒有任何著數。但唔緊要，最緊要還是有好東西吃，這次還特意上了半山。這回做懶人，走上半山要花長長的時間，倒不如坐的士去。

一杯屋

唔，這一間餐廳我都有一段時間沒有來啦，地點是澳門逸園中心八樓，而且幾年間數次來過都是午飯時間，晚餐的串燒也未試過。想著想著，好啦，都有一段時間沒有來過，而且又未試過晚飯時間的真章如何，所以也來一次啦。當然，水準是一貫的沒有變過，之前都有擔心過，但一聽到裡面的一大堆日文對話，相信擔心也是多餘的。上面的開頭點的上炭燒牛舌，開店到現在都沒兩樣啊，但我喜歡極上的啊，因為與仙台的有八成水準。

Mango Tree

 是日出遊之後，不經不覺已到晚飯時間，在Elements行了大半個圈之後，肚餓也總要找個地方落腳吃個飯。本應打算走上去podium那層open area的，但神推鬼撞之下走了去ICC方面的LV Gucci附近，就順便去了Mango Tree，幸好客人不太多，不然好可能要等位啦。

Jack's Terrazza & Oyster Lounge

為了慶祝K小姐趕deadline搞掂份paper，加上又算係慶祝我行緊運啦，特地找這一個來吃個飯。選西灣河鯉景灣的原因，大概是因為很久沒有來過，而且這裡人不多的緣故啦。不過真正的原因可能是很單純的，就是純粹這裡有oyster吃。又由於是oyster，所以又特地去買支Chablis，它的minerals與海鮮和生蠔是非常合襯的。不過，由於這一日較夜下班，到了這裡已經是八時半，附近又風大，吹到頭都甩埋。