At Backwoods Distilling Co, we take pride in crafting exceptional single malt whisky. Ever wondered how it all comes together? Here's a sneak peek at our process from start to finish.
Quality Ingredients: We begin with the finest malted barley sourced from local maltsters, Voyager Craft Malt, known for their commitment to quality and sustainable practices. The barley undergoes a process called malting, where it's soaked, allowed to germinate, and then dried to develop the necessary enzymes for fermentation.
Mashing: The malted barley is mixed with hot water in a vessel called a mash tun. This mixture, known as wort, is heated to activate enzymes that convert starches into fermentable sugars.
Fermentation: The wort is transferred to fermentation vessels where yeast is added to begin the fermentation process. Over several days, the yeast converts sugars into alcohol, resulting in a liquid known as wash.
Distillation: The wash is then distilled in our 1250L copper pot still, where it undergoes a double distillation cycle to concentrate the alcohol and refine flavours. The result is a clear liquid known as new make spirit.
Maturation: The new make spirit is transferred to oak barrels (or our specialty native timber casks) for maturation. These barrels, often previously used for red and fortified wines, or corn whiskies, impart unique flavours to the whisky as it ages over several years.
Bottling: After our chosen maturation period (which really depends on the cask size, type and our climate) the whisky is hand bottled. Each bottle is carefully filled, labelled, and sealed, ensuring that only the highest quality whisky reaches our customers.
Crafting single malt whisky is a meticulous process that requires attention to detail and a passion for excellence. At Backwoods Distilling Co, we're dedicated to producing whisky of exceptional quality and flavour. We hope this glimpse into our process has deepened your appreciation for the artistry behind every bottle of our single malt whisky.