When producers claim to distill their product some fractional number of times, they’re not referring to running the still halfway, then pumping the brakes just as the going’s getting good. Instead, they’re usually talking about one of two things: the re-distillation of some portion of the feints or heads at some point during their production process; or the splitting of the spirit into different batches, distilling each a different number of times, and then combining them into a single batch at the end.
An example of a distillery employing that first strategy is Springbank. Springbank has a direct fire wash still and two spirits stills. They take the feints (tails) of the first spirit still and combine them with a portion of the low wines obtained during the initial stripping run. That mixture is then distilled again on the second spirit still; for the feints, it’s their third trip through the still. That means a portion of the finished distillate has been distilled three times, while another portion has been distilled twice—voila, 2.5 times distillation.
Signup now to make sure you don't miss out on the latest whiskey news and deals.
By Signing up, you accept and agree to our Terms of Services and you acknowledge our Privacy Statement. The Whiskey Wash is protected by reCAPTCHA, and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
Signup now to make sure you don't miss out on the latest whiskey news and deals.
By Signing up, you accept and agree to our Terms of Services and you acknowledge our Privacy Statement. The Whiskey Wash is protected by reCAPTCHA, and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
Mortlach takes a different route to arrive at a fractional number of distillations. One of the oldest distilleries in Scotland, Mortlach has six different stills, all different shapes and sizes. Some of Mortlach’s spirit is distilled conventionally: one pass through the wash still, and then one through the spirit still.
But a small portion of the low wines are reserved and directed through a small, strange little still Mortlach calls the “Wee Witchie,” where it’s distilled three more times, with only the hearts added to the final whisky. The resulting whisky is said to be distilled 2.81 times, to be precise – just don’t ask us to explain the math.
Trending Content
