How we make our wildly smooth Eight Lands Organic vodka

Eight Lands Organic Vodka

Harvest season in Speyside is in full swing. Tractors, combine harvesters, and trailers are on the road at all hours. Thanks to a certain series on a certain streaming service, there seems to be a little more patience for this slower pace. Farmers don’t keep office hours. They graft until the job is done. We see this every day on the estate, and we’re humbled and grateful.

We’ve watched the fields turn from green to gold, then from straw to bales. It’s inspired us to turn our attention to our craft. Our Eight Lands Organic Vodka is always small-batch and made in multiple stages. We take our time because quality matters.

This introduction is a nod to everyone behind every bottle: the farmers who tend the grain; the maltsters who prepare the barley; the brewers who transform it into wash; and the distillers who guide it into spirit.

Here it is, step-by-step, how our wildly smooth Vodka is crafted.

Step one: Transforming grain into sweet wort (Mashing)

It all starts with organic malted barley and hot water. The hot water coaxes the natural sugars from the grain and into the water. We add water three times, each hotter than the last. Brewers and whisky fans will recognise this as mashing. This sweet water is called Wort. As it’s moved to a washback (large holding tank) it’s cooled to a yeast-friendly temperature, around 18 °C.

Step two: Two-stage fermentation for depth and character

Now is the time to pitch our first yeast strain. Yeast converts those sugars into alcohol and carbon dioxide. We let this first fermentation sit for three days. What’s now sitting in the washback is a 9 percent ABV beer known as Wash. We add organic wheat and a second yeast strain to the Wash.

We’re patient. This fermentation lasts a week. The overall strength is only slightly higher, but still around 9 percent. We’re not chasing alcohol here; we’re taking our time so the second grain can add a subtle complexity to the Wash. This two-stage approach is unusual in vodka, but it’s one of the reasons ours is so wildly smooth.

Glenrinnes Distillery Hybrid Still

Step three: Distilling with care, copper, and skill

How do we go from a 9 percent Wash to our 42 percent bottled Vodka? Distillation separates alcohol from water using heat. Alcohol boils at a lower temperature than water, so when we heat the Wash, alcohol vapours rise first. These vapours travel into a condenser, are cooled, and change back into liquid.

Our still set-up is designed for quality and control. We have a beautiful, steam-heated, hybrid still. Our 1,000 litre copper pot still is named Rebecca (ask why during your tour). Beside Rebecca stands a copper botanical basket and two copper column stills, each with ten rectifying plates. At the end of the line is the condenser and, finally, the spirit safe. This is where we see the crystal-clear results of our craft. The botanical basket is saved for vapour infusion when making our Gin but we use all other elements to make our Vodka.

To make our Vodka, we distil twice. For the first distillation we use Rebecca alone. In the second distillation, the liquid runs through Rebecca and then through the two tall rectifying columns. Each of the twenty plates acts like a mini still: only the lightest vapours rise to the next level. This set-up removes most of the water to get our spirit’s alcoholic strength high enough to be called Vodka – 96 percent. This refining run takes a full working day.

Step four: From high-proof spirit to wildly smooth vodka

We’ve gone from a 9 percent Wash to 25 percent Low Wines to a 96 percent Vodka base – far stronger than our bottled 42 percent ABV Vodka. We find this ABV gives the best balance of depth, character, and complexity. To reach that strength, we reduce the Vodka base with our pure Scottish spring water. Drawn from Clashmarloch spring behind the distillery, our water is naturally filtered through mountain rock.

Water quality is just as important as the quality of the ingredients. Our pure spring water is low in minerals with a sweeter, softer, and smooth rounded taste. This is the water that makes up more than half of every bottle. Our water is one of the reasons Eight Lands Organic Vodka tastes so wildly smooth.

Step five: Gentle and moderate chill-filtration

We chill-filter only the once, never below freezing. The aim is texture and brilliance. A single pass takes about an hour and a half per 1,000 litres. We keep the creaminess that was built in from the very beginning.

Why Eight Lands Organic Vodka tastes wildly smooth

Small choices add up. Two fermentations create a clean foundation with quiet complexity. Copper and columns build precision without harshness. Pure Scottish spring water ties it all together.

The result is a characterful Vodka with gentle grain notes and a long, creamy finish. Eight Lands Organic Vodka shines neat and elevates your favourite cocktail.

Award-winning Eight Lands Organic Vodka

Earth Day 2025: Why Organic Matters – For the Planet, Not Just the Product

At Eight Lands, we craft our organic vodka and gin at the foot of Ben Rinnes on our organic farming estate in Speyside, Scotland. Here we are surrounded by pure freshwater springs and generations of distilling know-how. This Earth Day, we’re raising a glass to organic agriculture - not just as the foundation of our spirits, but as a crucial step in protecting the planet we all share.

So why go organic? Beyond the buzzword, organic farming is one of the most powerful tools we have to support biodiversity and safeguard our water systems. Here’s why it matters.

Biodiversity Begins in the Soil

Organic farms are havens for wildlife. Without synthetic pesticides or herbicides, beneficial insects, birds, and mammals are free to thrive. By choosing organic, we’re creating conditions where nature can balance itself - where bees pollinate, ladybirds control pests, and earthworms keep our soil alive and healthy.

This isn’t just good news for nature-lovers - it’s essential for our food systems, too. Diverse ecosystems are more resilient and productive. In the long run, that means better ingredients, richer and more natural-tasting flavours, and a healthier planet.

Water: Clear, Clean, and Chemical-Free

At Eight Lands, we use pure spring water from our estate to craft every bottle. But across the world, water systems are under threat - from pollution, overuse, and climate change.

Organic farming helps to keep our water clean by eliminating chemical runoff. Fertilizers and pesticides used in conventional agriculture often wash into rivers, lakes, and groundwater, harming aquatic life and contaminating drinking water. Organic practices, which focus on soil health, composting, and crop rotation, reduce this risk dramatically.

By protecting the land, we protect the water. And in our case, that means ensuring the water that makes up a large portion of your vodka or gin is as clean and crisp as nature intended.

A Toast to the Future

Choosing organic isn’t just about what we don’t do—it’s about what we do. Supporting healthy soils. Welcoming wildlife. Protecting water. Preserving landscapes for future generations.

So this Earth Day, we’re proud to say that every drop of Eight Lands is a small stand for something bigger. Because great spirits should come from great places - and help keep them that way.

Cheers to the land. Cheers to the future. Cheers to Earth.