WE DO THINGS DIFFERENTLY
We challenge the conventions by rethinking the way we make whisky. 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 employ modern technology and knowledge, coupled with curiosity and a willingness, to develop the whisky of the future. None of the things we do are worth anything unless the result is a good whisky.
VACUUM DISTILLATION
Agitator’s stills are made to withstand vacuum distillation, a unique capability in the world of malt whisky. The lower pressure means a lower boiling temperature: the reduced pressure lowers the boiling point by ~30°C in the wash stills and ~10 °C in the spirit stills.
The lower temperature provides a gentler treatment of the raw materials, avoiding the risk of burning or over-boiling, and eventually produces cleaner, richer and more natural flavours. Plus, the bonus of using far less energy in the process. Happy drinkers, happy climate.
DOUBLE PAIR OF STILLS
A crucial flavour factor in the distillation process is the design of the stills. To increase the production range and to be able to be more precise in the products’ flavour profiles,
we have built our distillery with double stills: two wash stills and two spirit stills.
Milling
Most distilleries mill dry, but we use wet milling instead for more efficient flavour creation. The malt is soaked before milling and then crushed with warm brewing water. The malt and water mixture are then collected at the bottom of the mill as a mash. By a precise regulation of temperature, the mash acquires ideal conditions for converting starch into sugars. The entire process is fully automated, resulting in a far more consistent quality than if it were done manually. More flavours, more efficiently.
MASHING
The soaked, crushed malt, having been mixed with brewing water in the mill, is pumped over to our mash tun where the sparging continues. The grist is spread out and stirred, later to be strained, to separate the solids from the sugary wort.
Normally, a distillery will add water three times to sparge the sugary wort. We add sparge water seven times, to extract all the aromas and sugars from the malt, without compromising on quality. 1 350 kilos of malt will yield, once the mashing is completed, 5 400 litres of wort.
FERMENTATION
Converting sugar into alcohol, or fermentation in distillery lingo, is the first major step in creating a whisky’s flavour. Yeast and fermentation time have a huge impact on the final product.
We adopt the yeast cultures and their flavour profiles depending on the style of the whisky. For example, a distiller’s yeast that produces fruity notes can be mixed with
a Saison yeast, which produces spicier notes with hints of cloves and plum.
The fermentation proceeds for 168 hours (seven days), which is an exceptionally long time by whisky standards. This allows the yeast to produce more esters, which contributes to the fruity flavours in our distillate.
MATURATION
Our most used casks are 200 litres ex-bourbon casks and American virgin oak casks. Some have heavily toasted insides while other casks have the classical type with a smooth inside.
But we love to experiment. For example, we fill all casks with a 55% ABV distillate, which is lower than the Scottish standard. It dilutes the liquid more, but it renders far more flavours. And we frequently use chestnut casks which have been shown to yield marvellous results in flavour as well as colour. Other casks have grooves milled on the inside, which increases the surface of the wood and helps the spirit mature quickly. We also mature on casks that have held many different wines or distillates: casks that have held anything from ice cider or orange wine to casks that have held rum, mezcal, or triple sec.
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