We study the dynamics of quantum bosonic waves in a one-dimensional tilted optical lattice. An effective spatially localized nonlinear two-body potential barrier is set at the center of the lattice. This version of the Bose–Hubbard model can be realized in atomic Bose–Einstein condensates, with the help of localized optical Feshbach resonance, controlled by a focused laser beam, and in quantum optics, using an arrayed waveguide with selectively doped guiding cores. Our numerical analysis demonstrates that the central barrier induces anomalous quantum reflection of incident wave packets, which acts solely on bosonic components with multiple onsite occupancies, while single-occupancy components pass the barrier, allowing one to distill them in the interaction zone. As a consequence, in this region one finds a hard-core-like state, in which the multiple occupancy is forbidden. Our results demonstrate that this regime can be attained dynamically, using relatively weak interactions, irrespective of their sign. Physical parameters necessary for the experimental implementation of the setting in ultracold atomic gases are estimated.