Hand crafting spirits is not a new idea; distillation of grain has existed since at least the fifteenth century. In what is now Poland, monks began distilling grains in the fifteenth century. Prior to prohibition, America had a strong tradition of family owned local distilleries, each with a local character. Beginning in the early 1990’s, micro brewing became popular in America. It is with this history in mind that micro distilleries are beginning to make a comeback.
Technique
After years of research, Rabish decided to purchase a 16 plate, 1200 liter pot still from Arnold Holstein in Germany. Craft distillation is about quality, not quantity. Using world class rye grown in the TC area and pure glacial waters, our distiller strives for quality. Nothing is more important. Craft distillation means hand made one small batch at a time. The distiller decides when to make the cuts, from heads to the heart of the run and from the heart to the tails. These cuts are made not based on technology or automated instruments but to the taste and aromas as determined by a singe person, our distiller. The result is the elimination of undesirable characteristics that can produce a harsh spirit. No automated equipment can do the task better than the individual. We decide everyday the characteristics of our vodka using our senses, once batch at a time.
Fine tuning comes from the distiller. He draws from his past distilling experience, the ingredients, and the goal to always produce a higher and higher quality spirit. Micro-distilleries attract people who really strive to make a better product and the quality shows itself in every bottle we release.
Our still with the 2 rectifying columns are made from approximately 6000 pounds of copper. Copper is superior to other metals for distilling because unwanted impurities will bind to the copper and are removed from the distillate. Our still is the perfect blend of a traditional pot still and world class technology which allows the distiller to have fine control over the distillation process. The 16 bubble plates as well as the ability to control the reflux rate allows us to retail the delicate aromatics, congeners, and flavor elements from the rye while pulling out the undesirable characteristics that are created in the fermentation process.
Mechanics
Making a good mash is critical to produce great vodka. We begin by selecting the finest ingredients available. World class rye from Northern Michigan and glacial waters are a good start. We first mill our rye into the reaction tank. It is here that the starches are broken down into glucose or sugar. We use some malted grain and enzymes to break the starch down to simple sugar. Our 2400 liter reaction tank is continually stirred while we take care to control the ph and temperature. Once the starch conversion is completed the mash is cooled and transferred into one of three 2400 liter fermentation tanks where the yeast is added. These fermentation tanks are temperature controlled so the mash does not overheat. After 3 to 5 days of fermentation the yeast have converted all the sugar into alcohol and the by product carbon dioxide.
We will now transfer 1200 liters of the mash into the kettle of the still. It is here that we separate the alcohol from the mash. In later distillations we will concentrate and purify the alcohol. The advanced technology offered in our reflux still allows us to slow down the distillation process by increasing the reflux. Reflux is a method of heating the liquid so alcohol vapors are formed then condensed back into a liquid. Each time the alcohol evaporates then condenses it will leave impurities behind. With our 16 plate still it is estimated each drop of alcohol will evaporate and condense about 1,600 times. We collect this alcohol and repeat the process several times until we have alcohol that comes out of the still above 190 proof. The vapors also have to pass through a catalytic converter which is 700 pounds of corrugated copper. The copper will bind to unwanted trace elements such as sulfur removing them from the distillate.
It is this balance of eliminating imperfections while retaining the essence and flavor notes in the rye that defines our True North Vodka™. The alcohol is then gently filtered, diluted to 80 proof then hand bottled. The end result is truly exceptional sipping vodka that will delight the senses of the most discriminating connoisseurs.