The stillhouse, known as the heart of a distillery, is where the magic happens after milling, mashing and fermenting. Copper plays a crucial role here, not just because it’s durable and easy to work with, but also because it helps create and remove flavours. It gets rid of unwanted sulphur compounds and helps form fruity esters, making it a key player in the flavour game.

The flavour journey doesn’t stop with the copper stills; it also involves worm tub condensers. These old-school cooling systems use long, coiled copper tubes submerged in cold water to condense vapour back into liquid. Worm tubs give the spirit a rich, robust character, often described as meaty or dirty, by letting heavier, flavourful compounds stay in the liquid. In contrast, modern shell and tube condensers cool more efficiently and produce a lighter, cleaner spirit. That’s why distillers who want a more complex and intense flavour profile love worm tubs.

Ready to delve deeper into this flavourful adventure? Join us as we explore the insights shared by Gavin D Smith in our latest feature on flavour-focused distillation.

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