Whisky Fundamentals
Pot stills in whisky
Published 12/08/2025
Pot stills are the classic, batch distillation vessels that shape many of the world’s most characterful whiskies. If column stills are about efficiency and consistency, pot stills are about selective concentration-using copper, heat, and time to gather congeners (flavour compounds) into a style. What is a pot still? A pot still is a closed copper kettle that boils a fermented wash (or beer) so alcohol-rich vapour rises, travels through a neck and arm, and is condensed back to liquid.
Pot stills in whisky
Spirit caramel (E150a) in whisky
Published 11/08/2025
Most Scotch, and many Irish whiskies, are coloured with E150a (often called spirit caramel or plain caramel). This isn’t limited to blends-plenty of single malts use it too-making caramel colour one of the most debated topics among whisky fans alongside No Age Statement releases and chill-filtration. Within the caramel-colour family (E150a-d), E150a is Class I “plain caramel”-produced by heating sugars without ammonia or sulfites. Why are whiskies coloured? Whiskies are generally coloured for 2 reasons, for normalisation between batches and for marketing reasons.
Spirit caramel (E150a) in whisky
What is single cask whisky?
Published 13/07/2025
A Single cask, or single barrel whisky, is any whisky produced from aging in a single barrel without blending. Confusingly the name single cask whisky is also given to whiskies that mature over several barrels sequentially. Which is to say what a whisky may be aged in and seasoned by several casks and still be called a single cask, so long as it is not the result of mixing the content of different casks together.
What is single cask whisky?
Whisky and Food Pairing: A Match Made in Heaven
Published 15/09/2023
Whisky, a beverage rich in nuances and flavors, offers a wide array of pairing possibilities with various foods, transforming ordinary meals into gourmet experiences. Whether you are a whisky aficionado or a newcomer eager to explore, this guide will help you navigate the delightful world of whisky and food pairings. The most important thing to consider before you get started is how each course must balance but also fall on to each subsequent dram.
Whisky and Food Pairing: A Match Made in Heaven
Phenols
Published 14/09/2023
What are phenols? Phenols are chemical compounds that are of great importance for flavoring and flavor enhancement in the whisky industry, more commonly known as peat. Phenols are given on a technical scale in parts per million (PPM). This is a millionth unit that is also used in technical devices such as smoke extraction systems to check the air quality. These substances are important flavor carriers in the whisky industry, in particular distilleries from the Island of Islay and the Scottish Highlands known for their intense smoke note.
Phenols