Distillation concentrates the level of Ethanol in alcoholic liquid after Fermentation. This is the stage that creates a Spirit.
Distillation involves boiling an alcoholic liquid into vapor, collecting, and then condensing these vapors back into a liquid. This creates a more alcoholic liquid compared to the original.
Because ethanol boils at a lower temperature than pure water you can use this process to create a liquid that has a higher proportion of alcohol.
Newly made spirits vary in strength from 60% to 96% ABV. The lower the strength of the spirit the higher the intensity of the aroma. Vice versa, the higher the strength of the spirit, the lower the intensity of the aroma.
At 96% abv the spirit has so little aroma it’s described as Neutral.
Distillation takes place in one of two types of stills.
Despite hundreds of different designs, there are some features that each still type have in common.