What’s sweet mash? How is it different from other fermentation processes?

In our sweet mash fermentation process, each batch of our cooked grain is fermented with fresh yeast alone. Most bourbon distillers use a traditional sour mash system, in which cooked grain is fermented with yeast and backset. Backset is the spent mash byproduct from a previous distillation that helps to acidify the new mash.

Thanks to our modern know-how, high sanitation standards, and our founders’ decades of expertise in fermentation science, we find it not only possible but beneficial to operate without the backset. By not acidifying the mash, we’re free from the limitations that come with sour mashing and have complete control of the profile from start to finish. The ultimate result is a softer, more grain-flavor-forward finish—the hallmark of all Wilderness Trail whiskeys.