Our Whisky Process

                             Whisky at Stanaways is built on precision, patience, and the belief that small batches reveal flavours that large systems simply can’t. Every run begins with clean ingredients, controlled fermentation, and a commitment to distilling with intention rather than automation. This is whisky made the long way — the right way.

 Fermentation: Where Flavour Begins

                     Fermentation is the foundation of our whisky. We treat it as a controlled biochemical process, not a waiting period.

• Small fermenters allow us to monitor temperature, pH, and activity with lab‑grade accuracy.

• Yeast selection is deliberate: chosen for ester development, attenuation, and the character we want in the final spirit.

• Long, steady ferments which can be seven to nine days encourage deeper flavour formation — fruit notes, esters, and the complex congeners that define a true craft whisky.

• Every batch is logged, graphed, and compared so we can refine the profile over time.

           We don’t rush fermentation. We let it build the backbone of the whisky.

 Distillation: Slow, Clean, and Purposeful

        Distillation is where the wash becomes spirit. We run in 50‑litre batches or smaller, giving us total control over every cut.

The First Run

           The wash is distilled low and slow to extract alcohol and carry over the flavours built during fermentation. wash can also be added during the run to increase oil extraction increasing mouthfeel and flavour carry over.

The Spirit Run

        This is where the craft happens.

• Heads are cut early to remove harsh, solvent‑like notes.

• Hearts are selected by taste, aroma, and data — not timers.

• Tails are managed carefully to balance depth with cleanliness.

    Every run is slightly different, and we treat it that way. No shortcuts. Just a distiller, a still, and a commitment to quality.

 Barrel Selection: The Quiet Craft

      Barrels shape whisky more than any other stage, so we choose them with intention.

• Small casks just 50L accelerate interaction between spirit and wood and speeds maturation

• We use a mix of new oak, refill casks, and specialty finishes depending on the batch.

• Toast and char levels are selected to match the spirit’s profile — vanilla, caramel, spice, smoke, or fruit.

• Every barrel is tracked individually, with notes on fill strength, warehouse conditions, and expected maturation curve.

     No two barrels mature the same way, and we embrace that individuality.

 Maturation: Time, Wood, and Whitehaven

    Whitehaven’s coastal climate plays a quiet but powerful role in our whisky.

• Cool temperatures slow maturation, allowing deeper integration of flavours.

• Humidity and airflow influence evaporation and concentration.

• Each cask is sampled regularly and logged to track its evolution.

    We bottle when the whisky is ready — not when a calendar says so.

Bottling: Small Batches, Big Character

      When a whisky reaches its peak, we bottle it by hand.

• No chill filtration.

• No artificial colouring.

      Every bottle represents a single moment in the life of a cask — never mass‑produced, never blended to hide variation.

Craft Whisky from Whitehaven

         Our whisky is shaped by science, guided by tradition, and rooted in the industrial and maritime heritage of Whitehaven. It’s whisky made with intention, discipline, and respect for the craft.

    Small batches. Big character.

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         Thats the Stanaways Way

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