What is a primary characteristic of the pot still?

The primary characteristic of a pot still is its low initial production speed. Pot stills are traditional distillation tools that operate in batches rather than through a continuous process. This means that the distillation of a finite quantity of liquid occurs at one time, which generally takes longer to complete compared to continuous stills.

The pot still designs focus on maximizing flavor retention from the mash or wash, and while they produce high-quality spirits, the batch nature means that production is inherently slower. This feature allows distillers to address the complexities of flavor and aroma, distinguishing pot stills as ideal for crafting artisanal and premium spirits, such as certain types of whiskey and rum, where the depth of flavor is prioritized over sheer volume or efficiency.

In contrast, pot stills do not typically produce spirits that exceed 90% alcohol content, nor are they associated with a continuous flow process, which are characteristics of column stills. High efficiency is also not a hallmark of pot stills, as their operation is more manual and less optimized for high-volume output compared to more modern distillation systems.