Australian expat starting a distillery in Asian with Taiwan business partner.

[junglejimmy]

Hello,

As the title says, My name is Jimmy and I have recently started a distillery in Taiwan with my Taiwanese business partner. We are a relatively new company. Only 6 months old, but we have seen a fast pace of growth.

I joined this community as I would like to improve my skills and knowledge of making alcohol. At the moment we are running off a 200L, 6 inch 8 plate column. However the demand for our vodka has been so great that we have now ordered a 1000L, 12 inch column, 16 plate still.

If you have any questions I would be glad to answer you. I've include some pictures, the first is myself with a Spring Vodka Showgirl, and the second is the specs of the current still we are running.

Thanks

Jimmy Mylne

[Urrazeb]

Welcome Jimmy, another Aussie here too.

Is Vodka your only product? The Taiwanese certainly have a taste for hooch that's for sure.

Who is your still manufacturer?

Are you the distiller? What washes do you run? I make a wheat vodka that is top notch.

[junglejimmy]

Hi Urrazeb,

At the present time Vodka is our only product, but will be making Gins, Rums and whiskys in the near future. I have some experience making all these drinks, the only problem in Asia is finding a reliable and consistent source for the ingredients.

Yes its true that Taiwanese love to drink alcohol. There is a huge drinking culture in Taiwan. It is the 5th largest consumer of whisky in the world, and that is not a small feat considering the small population of the island. Over here they love to 乾杯, which literally translates to "dry glass" or means "bottoms up." Its part of their culture, which is great for alcohol producers.

At the current time we are running a Still Dragon 200L boiler with a 6 inch column and 8 plates. Although we have only been selling for 6 months we have already outgrown this still and are in the process of buying a much larger one.

Yes, I am the distiller. I love it. When I was younger I used to love to bake cakes. It was like a marriage between science and art. Sourcing the correct ingredients, following the recipe, crafting the cake with your own two hands and taking notes of times and temperatures. I feel like making alcohol is a similar process, except now i can get drunk when the "cake" is finished.

At the moment I am making a soft white wheat Vodka. People over here really love the taste and cant believe that its made in Asia.

[Urrazeb]

Sounds good Jimmy.

If you're in the market for a new still check out http://www.5stardistilling.net/ I know the bloke who runs this business and his after sales service is something you will not find elsewhere.

Prices are very reasonable and the quality is second to none.

I'd like to hear more about your vodka recipe! Do you mind posting it here? Or if better could I PM you asking for the recipe/method if you don't feel comfortable?

I like to have my cake and drink it too Jimmy! Glad to see a skilled Aussie taking on the asian market, quality will prevail!