All terms Distillery glossary

Low Wines

Low wines are the low-proof spirit produced by the first distillation of wash, typically around 40 to 60 proof. They are redistilled to raise the proof and refine the spirit.

Illustration: Low Wines

In short: Low wines are the low-proof spirit produced by the first distillation of wash, typically around 40 to 60 proof. They are redistilled to raise the proof and refine the spirit.

In a double-distillation process, the first run strips alcohol from the fermented wash into low wines, and the second run concentrates and refines them into high wines and the final spirit. Tracking low-wines volume and proof is part of accounting for yield across the still.

What proof are low wines?

Low wines come off the first, stripping distillation at roughly 40 to 60 proof for typical bourbon operations. They are an intermediate product, collected and redistilled rather than aged or bottled.

Why track low wines separately?

Recording low-wines proof and volume between the two distillations closes the yield loop: it shows whether a shortfall happened in fermentation, the stripping run, or the spirit run.

Tracking this in a spreadsheet? Spirit Sight records it where it happens and builds inventory, compliance, and the books from the same entry. See it on a demo.

Related

See your distillery in Spirit Sight

Book a walkthrough with our team. We’ll show your operation - barrels, TTB, and the books - in one place.

Schedule a Demo