Blog #24 3 of 3 on Distillation – The Rise of the Column Still: A Historical Overview While pot stills shaped the soul of early spirits, the column still revolutionized the scale, purity, and consistency of whiskey production. Its story is one of industrial ingenuity meeting sensory ambition. Early Innovations: From Batch to Continuous Before the 19th century, all distillation was batch-based—slow, labor-intensive, and variable. The pot still reigned supreme, but it had limit

Blog 23: Column Stills Explained A column (continuous) still separates a fermented wash into vapor and liquid across a tall packed or tray/plate column. The still creates repeated equilibrium stages between rising vapors and descending liquid (reflux). Each stage behaves like a mini‑distillation, progressively enriching the vapor in ethanol and selectively carrying or rejecting congeners (aroma and flavor compounds). Operators tune product character by changing the number of

Blog # 22 – Pot Distillation – Time to consider “The Pot” Distillation can be a complex topic. I encourage you to contact me with any questions you may have.  I have chosen to cover this topic in 3 parts.  First, Pot distillation, Second Column Distillation and finally to compare the two.  Covering these topics in this order is sort of a chicken or the egg thing. I guess you could consider it historical in design. In this blog I also cover what distillation is or the rest of

History, Science and Sensory Impact of adding Water (liquid or solid) to Whiskey Adding water to whiskey is one of the most talked about issues when people gather at tasting activities, club meetings, etc.  This blog attempts to give some background on the topic but as always, you must determine what works best for you! Water has been intrinsic to whiskey from its earliest days — not only as the solvent used in mashing, fermentation, cooling and proofing, but also as a cultur

🥃 Blog 20: Olde Raleigh Distillery — Blending Heritage with Innovation – Another Revisit. Location : Zebulon, NC Website : olderaleighdistillery.com A Masterclass in Blending Founded by Brandon McCraney, a former Air Force captain and NC State alum, Olde Raleigh Distillery has quickly earned national acclaim. Opened in 2021, it’s a microdistillery with a macro impact—distributing to over 40 states and crowned Best Micro Distillery in the U.S. by the International Whisky Com

Where Moonshine Meets Modern Craft Location: Benson, NC - Website: broadslabdistillery.com A Legacy Reborn Broadslab is North Carolina’s first farm distillery since Prohibition, founded by Jeremy Norris—a fifth-generation moonshiner. Located just off I-95, it’s a true grain-to-glass operation rooted in Southern tradition and elevated by innovation. What Sets It Apart ·       Tobacco Barn Aging: Whiskey barrels rest in curing barns, absorbing heat and tobacco essence—a pa