Notes on The Casual Dram:19
Notes on the lineup…
Bunnahabhain 12 years old 2023 Cask Strength Edition 60.1%
Casks - sherry casks
Region - Islay
Whiskybase score - 87.27
Distillery key features
i) Large stills filled low to maximise copper contact.
ii) Long ferments of 50 to 100 hours.
iii) Purifier pipes on the spirit stills and shell and tube condensers for a lighter style.
iv) Standard double distillation as shown below.
Double distillation at Bunnahabhain
Standard double distillation with feints and foreshots recycled from the spirit still.
An example of triple distillation at Middleton distillery in Ireland
Benrinnes Adelphi 2006 / 13 years old 55.5%
Cask - 1st Fill Oloroso Sherry Hogshead
Region - Speyside
Whiskybase score - 88.19
Distillery key features
i) Worm tub condensers.
ii) Prior to 2007 - Benrinnes practiced partial triple distillation. This involved 2 set of three stills - with a wash still, an intermediate still and a spirit still in each set.
Partial triple distilation at Benrinnes prior to 2007
iii) Only the foreshots and hearts from the first distillation go directly through to the spirit still. Feints from the first distillation are passed to an intermediate still - and then on top of this - all further feints (from the intermediate and spirit still) are passed back to the intermediate/low wines still.
Image from http://www.daveswhiskyreviews.com/
Mortlach 'Signatory Symington's Choice' 2007 / 17 years old #205 56.6%
Cask - 1st Fill Oloroso Sherry Butt Finish
Region - Speyside
Whiskybase score - 88.23
Distillery key features
i) Partial triple distillation (claimed to be 2.81x distillation).
ii) Worm tubs for condensers on all stills.
iii) Water cooled lyne arms to increase reflux.
Partil triple distillation at Mortlach
iv) Three pairs of stills with one running typical double distillation, whilst the other pair work in tandem. A squat spirit still known as ‘Wee Withchie’ receives the last 20% of the first distillation from wash stills 1 and 2 - then triple distils this element, only taking the heart cut after three distillations (with two dud runs). Some argue the procedure is closer to quadruple distillation.
Image from http://www.daveswhiskyreviews.com/
Amrut Triparva Triple Distilled 50%
Cask - New American oak and ex-bourbon casks.
Region - Bengaluru, India
Whiskybase score - 87.19
Distillery key features
i) Amrut typically practices double distillation and has one wash still and one spirit still.
ii) The spirit still has a boil ball (a bulge or bulb in the neck of the still) to increase reflux.
iii) Slow distillations of 14 hours - more copper contact and more reflux.
Triple distillation at Amrut
With only two stills - triple distillation is achieved by doing two runs on the spirit still, similarly to BenRiach, which occasionally makes triple distilled expressions. See diagram.
Image from https://whiskyadvocate.com/
Mystery whisky
Whiskybase score - 88.11
