WE DO THINGS DIFFERENTLY
We challenge conventions by rethinking how spirits are made. Our choice of equipment and our way of using it is based as much on a pursuit of product quality, as on a desire to change and develop.
We use modern technology and knowledge, together with curiosity and ambition, to shape the future of spirits.
VACUUM DISTILLATION
By lowering the pressure in our copper stills, we also lower the boiling point of the liquid. This allows us to distil at lower temperatures, using a method known as vacuum distillation.
The lower temperature results in a gentler distillation process and helps preserve the flavour compounds we want to retain. By carefully controlling the pressure, we can steer the process with great precision and create a cleaner distillate in which the flavours are expressed more clearly.
TWO PAIRS OF STILLS
We have four copper stills: one tall pair with high reflux and one shorter pair with low reflux. Each pair consists of a wash still and a spirit still.
The character of the spirit is shaped by how we operate the stills, including the speed of distillation. The different heights of the stills also help us create distinct flavour profiles. The taller stills are used to produce a lighter and fruitier spirit, while the shorter stills create a more malt-driven, oily and smoky character. Together, they give us a broader palette of flavours to work with within a single distillation process.
Milling
Most distilleries mill their malt dry, but we use a wet milling process instead. The malt is steeped and then crushed together with warm water to create the mash. The temperature is carefully controlled to ensure that the starches in the malt are converted into sugars, which are then needed for fermentation. The process is automated and provides us with consistent conditions from batch to batch.
MASHING
From the mill, the mash is pumped into the mash tun. There, it is stirred and filtered, separating the solid malt particles from the sweet liquid known as wort.
Many distilleries rinse the malt with water in three stages. We do it in seven to extract as much sugar as possible. By the time mashing is complete, 1,450 kilograms of malt have been transformed into 5,600 litres of wort, ready for fermentation.
FERMENTATION
During fermentation, yeast converts sugar into alcohol and carbon dioxide. This is also where many of the spirit’s flavours begin to take shape. The choice of yeast and the length of fermentation therefore play a significant role in determining the character of the final spirit.
We use different yeast strains depending on the style we want to create. Some contribute fruity notes, while others add a spicier character. In some of our recipes, for example, we combine distiller’s yeast with saison yeast, which can impart notes of clove and plum.
When producing whisky, we allow fermentation to continue for 168 hours, or seven full days. This is unusually long for whisky production and allows for a higher concentration of esters to develop. These esters carry through the distillation process and contribute to the spirit’s fruity character.
MATURATION
We mature several different types of spirits in casks. The type of wood, the cask’s previous contents, and the treatment of its interior all influence both the flavour and the colour of the spirit.
For our whisky, we primarily use 200-litre ex-bourbon casks and casks made from new American oak. When the casks are filled, the spirit has an alcohol content of 55% ABV, which is lower than is customary in Scotch whisky production. The higher proportion of water influences which flavour compounds are extracted from the wood and contributes to the whisky’s character.
Chestnut casks are a recurring feature in the maturation of both our whisky and other spirits. We also use casks with a grooved interior, where the ridges create a larger surface area between the wood and the spirit, allowing the spirit to extract flavour from the wood more quickly.
Some of our casks have previously held other beverages, such as ice cider, orange wine, rum, mezcal or triple sec. Traces of the cask’s previous contents provide us with additional layers of flavour to work with, regardless of the type of spirit being matured.
We are affiliated with Näringslivets Producentansvar and pay packaging fees that help finance the collection and recycling of packaging materials. In doing so, we fulfil our producer responsibility obligations for packaging. Read more at www.npa.se."