After drying, steeping, kilning and mashing the Barley (processes which are harder to personalise), the wort - a sugary liquid of broken down barley starch - is passed into the Washback. We have two at Kingsbarns distillery to increase production and they are stainless steel.

This is important as a stainless steel washback means we have more consistency in our spirit and a cleaner product. The Kingsbarns spirit is naturally very fruity and light and so we compliment this in our process.

This part of the process is where the alcohol is refined, tapped off and analysed.

The shape of the stills is often overlooked but plays a vital role in developing the character of the final spirit; from depth, to height, to angle of that top arm (called the lyne arm) it all matters!

We analyse our spirit in the Spirit Safe (the box you can see in the middle of these two graphics) and is tapped off with precision in and around 60-70% ABV.

Whisky must be aged in oak casks for a minimum duration of 3 years and a day to be classed as whisky. There are a few different kinds of oak used in the industry and these impart different flavours onto the spirit. However, the prior use of the cask (for bourbon, for sherry etc) normally has the greatest effect on the final taste of the spirit.

For our Flagship Single Malt Doocot for example, we have used 90% ex-Bourbon American Oak Barrels and 10% STR (Shaved, Toasted and Re-charred) American Oak Barrels. This is just one of the many personalisations we have made to create our independent and unique whisky.

Our other Single Malts mature in all kinds of casks, big and small, to create subtle differences in flavour.

Remember: the method of making whisky is not complex, it is through the art of balance, technique and finish that harmonious and exciting malts are created.