From Still to Barrel: The Art and Science of Whisky Distillation

Following the mashing and fermentation stages, our "distiller's beer" sits at around 10% ABV. Now comes the moment we’ve all been waiting for: distillation! This fascinating process is how we transform our liquid wash into a pure, complex spirit, ready to stand the test of time.

Here is how the magic happens inside our copper stills.

What is Distillation?

The principle of distillation relies on a simple scientific fact: alcohol has a lower boiling point than water.

By heating our distiller's beer inside the still, the alcohol evaporates before the water does. These alcohol vapors rise through the still and then enter a condenser, which cools them back down into a crystal-clear liquid that is highly concentrated in both alcohol and rich flavors.

A Tale of Two Stills: The Double Distillation Process

To achieve the precise purity and flavor profile we look for, our spirit undergoes a successive two-step process in our two stills, which work hand in hand:

1. The First Distillation: The wash is first run through our first still. This initial distillation brings the alcohol level up from 10% to about 35% ABV.

2. The Second Distillation: This liquid is then transferred to our second still for its final run. This second pass further refines the spirit, bringing it up to an optimal strength of around 70% ABV.

   
   

With each single batch, our pair of stills produces enough spirit to fill about 5 to 6 barrels.

The Art of Patience: Barreling and Aging

Once the final distillation is complete, the spirit at 70% ABV is a bit too strong to go directly into the wood. We carefully adjust the alcohol level by adding pure water, cutting it down to around 50% to 60% ABV, depending on the specific requirements of our recipe.

Finally, the spirit is filled into our wooden barrels. From this exact moment, the countdown begins. To legally be called a whisky in Canada, the spirit must mature in barrels for a minimum of 3 years. It is during this long, quiet sleep that the wood imparts its beautiful amber color and its rich, complex character to the whisky.