By: Kris Bohm: Owner of Distillery Now Consulting LLC.
Ask a distiller this question and you will hear different answers from every person you talk to. Spend some time in Kentucky and you will hear that good bourbon is only made on continuous column stills. Step foot into a modern craft distillery and the distiller running the place may tell you that the best type of still is a hybrid batch still. Ask a distiller who distills using old world methods and their equipment of choice is often a pot still. Why this topic is eternally debated among distillers is that all three of these opinions are correct. What makes it so tough to sort out this debate is that just as great whiskey can be made on all types of stills. It is important to note that not so tasty whiskey can also be made on all 3 types of stills when not produced properly. Let’s weigh the pros and cons of each type of still and look at a few respected distilleries who are utilizing their preferred distillation method to produce world class whiskey.
How each type of still functions is an excellent starting point to unpack the debate. The design of a still plays a strong role in the profile and character of spirit it will produce. Each type of still utilizes a different design to extract the alcohol from the distillers beer. The difference is how the alcohol is distilled from the beer and rectified plays a strong role in the character of the spirit. This pronounced difference is subtle to the average person but the difference is distinct to a trained palette. This difference is so distinct that if a distiller were to take two identical batches of beer and distill it on two different types of still the difference in flavor can be remarkable.
Pot stills are the oldest and well known style of distillation equipment. Pot stills, while effective, are not very efficient at separating the chemical components of a distiller’s beer. When a beer is distilled in a pot still the spirit that is produced from the first distillation is known as low wines. These low wines are an unsavory spirit that is normally around 40% ABV and not suitable to be drunk nor barrel aged. To fully distill a whiskey on a pot still the low wines must be redistilled to fully separate the unwanted components from the spirit. During the second distillation the distiller makes their cuts to separate the heads, hearts and tails. The hearts which can be anywhere from 55 to 70% ABV are kept and then diluted a bit before being put into a barrel to age. When a distiller is working with a pot still they will typically double distill the spirits. When distilling using this type of equipment the decision of the distiller when to make their cuts plays a critical role in the overall profile of the spirit. Spirits that are pot distilled are often described as heavier, oily and more flavorful when compared to spirits distilled in other ways.
Hybrid batch stills share many similarities to pot stills in that both pots and hybrids are batch distillation systems in which a single batch of beer is distilled all at one time. A hybrid still differs from a pot still in that there are internal components in a hybrid still that increase rectification, which in turn increase the alcohol concentration that is produced by the still. Because of this design in hybrid stills they are operated by doing a single distillation to produce a spirit that is ready to be barreled. During this single distillation the distiller makes a heads and tails cut. The ABV of spirits from a Hybrid still is normally a bit higher than spirits from a pot still. This is due to the rectification that occurs on the plates of a hybrid still. The spirit that comes off a hybrid still tends to be a bit cleaner and more neutral when compared to pot distilled spirits.
Continuous Column stills are drastically different in operation and theory when compared to pot or hybrid stills. A continuous column still distills alcohol from a beer by continually injecting beer into a plated column that strips the alcohol from the beer and then continually rectifies the spirit while also removing a portion of the spirit which is referred to as the hearts. Continuous columns are known to produce spirits that are lighter in flavor and less oily when compared to pot distilled spirits. Continuous columns also have a very high output when compared to pot or hybrid stills. There is considerable rectification that occurs within a continuous column and as a result the spirit is noticeably different when compared to pot distilled spirits.
A wonderful example of all styles of distilled bourbon coming together is happening right in the heart ofTexas. The great folks who run the Milam and Greene Distillery in Blanco Texas have found a unique balance between pot distilled bourbon and column distilled bourbon. At their distillery the bourbon is being distilled using the old world method of double distillation utilizing a pair of Vendome Copper stills. The whiskey distilled by Milam and Greene is a bourbon that is rich and full of character emphasizing the grains in the spirit that stand out. While distilling flavor forward bourbon in house on pot stills Milam and Greene also brings in whiskey from other distilleries to blend. This outside bourbon comes from a distillery that runs a continuous column still, thus there is a distinct difference in the two types of bourbon that can be found aging in the Milam and Greene barrel warehouse. One of the popular and unique products offered at the distillery is their Triple Cask Bourbon. This creative whiskey is a blend of pot distilled bourbon from their own distillery that is blended with spirits from two other distilleries. The spirit is rich in character and stands proudly as a heavily awarded bourbon among its peers in Kentucky and Texas.
When it comes to selecting the best still for making whiskey there are many factors to consider. Output of the equipment and budget are two of the most important. Pot stills and hybrid stills such as those found in many craft distilleries have a smaller capacity to produce. Small still can only produce a few dozen barrels of whiskey per year. In comparison continuous column stills typically produce thousands of barrels per year. The cost to produce thousands of barrels annually can be beyond the budget of goals for many start ups. Which leads to the decision to do pot or hybrid distillation. If you are trying to make the decision on which still is right for you, drop us a line and we can help you make that decision. In the meantime have a sip of good bourbon and savor the years of hard work it took to make that spirit.
About the Author
Kris Bohm of Distillery Now Consulting. When Kris is not debating the merit of distillation methods you can find him traveling the world by bicycle.
