Your Quick Guide to Chill Filtration & Flocking: What Every Whiskey Drinker Should Know

If you’ve ever added ice to your whiskey and noticed it turn a little cloudy, don’t panic. That’s flocculation, and it’s completely normal. When whiskey gets cold (hello, ice cube), certain natural compounds like fatty acids and esters can come out of solution. The result? A slight haze or tiny wisps that might look like something is “floating” in your glass. It’s not dirt. It’s not a flaw. And it definitely doesn’t mean anything’s wrong.

In fact, flocculation is a sign of a whiskey that hasn’t been over-filtered or stripped of its character. We’re perfectly fine with it because those compounds are part of what gives whiskey its flavor, mouthfeel, and depth. So if your pour looks a little cloudy on ice, consider it proof that what’s in your glass is the real deal.

What Is Chill Filtration?

Chill filtration is a process where whiskey is cooled to near freezing and then passed through very fine filters to remove naturally occurring oils, fatty acids, and esters. These compounds can cause haze when whiskey gets cold, so removing them keeps the liquid crystal clear. It’s a cosmetic choice. Nothing more.

What Is Flocking (or Flocculation)?

Flocculation happens when those natural compounds react to cold temperatures and temporarily clump together, creating a cloudy appearance. It doesn’t affect safety, quality, or flavor in a negative way. In fact, it’s often a sign that the whiskey hasn’t been over-processed.

Why We Use Non-Chill Filtration

At Indiana Whiskey, we do not chill filter. We use non-chill filtration, which means we filter our whiskey without freezing it or stripping out the character that develops in the barrel.

Our process is intentionally simple:

• A basic, coffee-filter-style filtration when whiskey is pulled from the barrel into a funnel

• A secondary screen filter at the opening of our silos to catch any remaining solids

That’s it. No freezing. No over-polishing. No shortcuts.

If Your Whiskey Gets Cloudy

Good. That means the natural oils and flavor compounds are still doing their thing. Non-chill filtered whiskey may look different in the glass, but it delivers fuller flavor, richer mouthfeel, and a more honest expression of the spirit. Clear isn’t the goal. Character is.