production
Column still
A continuous still in which wash is fed partway up a vertical column and rises against descending liquid over plates, achieving repeated vaporisation and condensation in one pass and much higher strengths than a pot still.
Where it is defined
Not defined as such, but constrained by distillation-strength limits: Scotch and Irish below 94.8% ABV; US whisky below 190° proof, bourbon at 160° or less (27 CFR 5.143)
Often confused with single grain whisky
Column distillation is characteristic of grain whisky but is not what defines it in Scotland — Single Grain Scotch is defined by exclusion from single malt. In Ireland the link is explicit: Grain Irish Whiskey must be column-distilled.
Worth knowing
US bourbon is normally made on a beer still (a column) plus a doubler or thumper, so 'pot still' and 'column still' are not mutually exclusive within one process.
Related terms
Last reviewed 2026-07-30 · All glossary terms