NOVELTY - Preparing ethanol from fermented biomass mixture (10), comprises: (a) separating ethanol-containing fermented biomass mixture into overhead aqueous ethanol stream and bottoms stream; (b) optionally repeating step (a) using bottoms stream as ethanol-containing fermented biomass mixture; (c) feeding remaining bottoms stream into distillation column to remove portion of ethanol entrained in bottoms stream as overhead aqueous ethanol distillation stream; and (d) dehydrating overhead aqueous ethanol streams in distillation column to provide ethanol.    USE - The processes are useful in the production of ethanol (claimed), which is useful: in human beverages and food; as an industrial chemical; and as a fuel or a fuel additive in reformulated gasoline.    ADVANTAGE - The processes are: energy efficient, economical and simple; capable of handling highly viscous slurries and/or feedstocks containing high levels of solids that may strip ethanol from biomass beer in an energy efficient manner.    DETAILED DESCRIPTION - Preparing ethanol from a fermented biomass mixture (10), comprises: (a) separating an ethanol-containing fermented biomass mixture into an overhead aqueous ethanol stream comprising at least part of the ethanol from the ethanol-containing fermented biomass mixture, and a bottoms stream comprising a reduced-ethanol content biomass mixture; (b) optionally repeating step (a) using the bottoms stream as the ethanol-containing fermented biomass mixture; (c) feeding the remaining bottoms stream into a distillation column to remove at least a portion of the ethanol entrained in the bottoms stream as an overhead aqueous ethanol distillation stream; and (d) dehydrating at least one overhead aqueous ethanol streams in a distillation column to provide ethanol, where the initial ethanol-containing fermented biomass mixture has a viscosity of at least 500 cP. An INDEPENDENT CLAIM is also included for the preparation of ethanol from a fermented biomass mixture, comprising: (e) providing an ethanol-containing biomass mixture; (f) optionally heating the ethanol-containing biomass mixture; (g) separating the ethanol-containing fermented biomass mixture into a supernatant having a reduced solids content relative to the ethanol-containing fermented biomass mixture, and a solids portion, to remove at least a portion of the solids contained in the ethanol-containing biomass mixture; (h) optionally separating the supernatant into an overhead aqueous ethanol stream containing at least part of the ethanol from the supernatant, and a bottoms stream; (i) optionally repeating step (h) using the bottoms stream as the supernatant; (j) feeding the supernatant from step (g) or remaining bottoms stream into a distillation column to remove as an overhead aqueous ethanol distillation stream at least a portion of the ethanol entrained in the supernatant from step (g) or bottoms stream; and (k) dehydrating at least one overhead aqueous ethanol streams in a distillation column to provide ethanol, where the initial ethanol-containing fermented biomass mixture has a viscosity of at least 500 cP.    DESCRIPTION OF DRAWING(S) - The figure shows simplified schematic diagram of ethanol from biomass production plant.    Fermented citrus waste biomass (10)    First flash stage tank (11)    Ethanol/water vapor stream (12)    Stripper stream (13)    Pump (15)