Whisky Fundamentals
Double distillation
Published 15/08/2025
New to the basics of making whisky? Start with Whisky production, then see hardware primers on Pot stills, Condensors, and the Spirit safe. For contrasts, compare with Triple distillation, Mortlach’s selective triple stream in The Wee Witchie & 2.81, and plate columns under Continuous distillation and What is a Coffey still?. What is double distillation? In batch (pot-still) whisky-making, distillation sits between fermentation and maturation. A conventional double distillation has two main runs:
Double distillation
Mortlach’s ‘2.81 times’: the Wee Witchie and an old-school Speyside distillation
Published 15/08/2025
New to the production steps? Start with Whisky production and the basics of Pot stills. For how condensers change texture, see Condensors. Curious how this differs from plate columns? Compare with Continuous distillation. The headline: what does “2.81 times” distillation mean? At Mortlach the spirit isn’t simply double distilled in a neat wash-then-spirit sequence. Instead, the stillhouse splits the output of the wash stills into multiple streams, redistills them on different spirit stills, and then recombines them.
Mortlach’s ‘2.81 times’: the Wee Witchie and an old-school Speyside distillation
Triple distillation: What are triple distilled whiskies?
Published 15/08/2025
New to the basics of making whisky? See our overview of the Whisky Production Process. If you’re comparing batch (pot) runs to columns, read our guide to Continuous distillation for how reflux and plate count “dial in” purity. What is triple distillation? In batch (pot-still) whisky-making, distillation sits between fermentation and maturation. A conventional double distillation has two main runs: Wash still: Fermented wash (~7-10% ABV) is distilled to low wines (~20-30% ABV).
Triple distillation: What are triple distilled whiskies?
Continuous distillation
Published 12/08/2025
Columns are the workhorses of modern spirits: fast, steady, and tunable. While pot stills craft character in batches, continuous distillation separates components in a steady state, giving producers precise control of purity and flavour all day, every day. New to the basics of making whisky? See our overview of the Whisky Production Process. What is continuous distillation? Continuous distillation feeds fermented wash/beer into a heated column while vapour rises and liquid flows downward.
Continuous distillation
Slàinte Mhath - Pronunciation, Definition & Meaning
Published 12/08/2025
The Scottish Gaelic language (Gàidhlig) is one of the Celtic languages. Today it’s used mainly in the Hebrides, parts of the Highlands, and pockets of Glasgow. It’s closely related to Irish (Gaeilge) and Manx (Gaelg). Along with English and Scots, Gaelic is one of the official languages of Scotland. Spend any time around Scotch whisky and you’ll hear the toast Slàinte mhath sooner or later. Short answer: Slàinte mhath means good health.
Slàinte Mhath - Pronunciation, Definition & Meaning