Nowadays, most developed countries and countries with emerging economies have whiskey distilleries in their territory. Germany is no different and, for a long time now, it is one of the most competitive countries in whiskey production. So, if you are asking yourself what whiskey is made in Germany, stick to this article and you will know several German whiskey brands worth tasting!
If we talk about drinks produced in Germany, chances are, the first to come to mind is beer. Right? Germany, alongside Belgium, is recognized as the country of beer. But if that is a fact very popular and well known, the fact that Germany produces whiskey, not so much.
Whatever people are aware of this or not, truth is that Germany is a significant player in the whisky production market.
Table of Contents – Sip this Article!
- German Whiskey – The History
- What Whiskey is Made in Germany?
German whiskey – The History
Even though the German whiskey history is quite recent, it has a few interesting facts worth knowing before sipping a German dram.
With only 40 years of history, one cannot expect the twists and turns that Scotch, Irish or Bourbon history have. However, the whisky production in this European country have grown more than in other countries. With almost twice more whisky producing distilleries than Scotland and Ireland, Germany is a heavyweight competitor in this market. But, how did it end up here? Let’s say that, during World War II, Germans enjoyed this spirit so much, they went from Schnapp’s to Blaue Maus as soon as they could.
Germany is no stranger to the distillation process, since they have at least two regional spirit beverages in the country: a fruit spirit called Obstler (the Schnapp’s, as referring to the well-known brand) has the south of the country as its territory; and the grain brandy called Korn, which occupies most of the northern Germany.
Here is where the plot thickens. We know that a part of American whiskey (either Bourbon and Tennessee) has some German influence. Not only Jim Beam family came from Germany, George Dickel’s (the Tennessee giant) did too. Specially when it comes to Bourbon, the immigrants from Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg are all over its history. As these immigrants knew how to distil fruit and cereals, it was a logical step from either Obstler and Korn to whiskey. From Obstler, people could use the same equipment (as they did); from Korn, one just had to let it mature for at least 3 years in oak barrels.
And that brings us to the distillers in Germany that decided to take this step by the 1990´s. However, there is one that preceded them all: the Blaue Maus Distillery. It was the first Single Malt Whisky distillery in Germany and was established in 1983 by Robert Fleischmann. Even though there was Blaue Maus the first to be established, the Slyrs distillery (situated near Austria) managed to produce and sell greater quantities of whiskey.
From there, distilleries that produce whiskey started to multiply and, by now, the country has around 250 distilleries that produce whiskey.
Although there are so many distilleries in Germany that produce whiskey, it is worth noting that the great majority of these companies have a small producing capacity. As such, Germany, despite starting to have a great tradition in the production of whiskey, still cannot compete with other countries regarding quantity.
However the history, the question remains: What whiskey is made in Germany?
What Whiskey is Made in Germany?
If we talk about drinks produced in Germany, chances are, the first to come to mind is beer. Right? Germany, alongside Belgium, is recognized as the country of beer. But if that is a fact very popular and well known, the fact that Germany produces whiskey, not so much.
Whatever people are aware of this or not, truth is that Germany is a significant player in the whisky production market. In 2021, Germany generated 17,58 million euros in whiskey production, which place the country in a pretty good position among other European countries, excluding Scotland and Ireland (since they are leaders of the market worldwide).
Besides the evaluation of the German whiskey production, this central Europe country is the second, worldwide, with so many distilleries. Although these distilleries are places to produce all kinds of spirit beverages (from Obstler to Korn), at least 250 of them are German whiskey producers.
With hundreds of distilleries producing German whiskey, thinking about what whiskey is made in Germany might be impossible to narrow down for a few couple types of whiskey. One might find single malts (like the ones produced in Rothaus Black Forest distillery), peated single malts (distilled in Elch Whisky distillery) and even rye and Bourbon-like whiskey (produced in Spreewood Distillers, for instance).
Besides these kinds of German whiskey, it is also common to find small batches and handmade whiskey expressions, since the distilleries produce in a smaller scale. Being new to the craft of whiskey production, most distilleries are more willing to try out new recipes and barrels for maturation, which might end up in the creation of pleasant surprises. Slyrs, for example, is the home distillery of “The Fifty-One” that was awarded 4 times in 2021.
Does Germany have good whiskey?
With all this information, one might wonder if Germany has good whiskey afterall. The answers to both this question is not straightforward.
It resides with what one considers a good whiskey. It couldn’t be more subjective and one should drink whatever whiskey they enjoy best.
Given this, however, there are ways to know what German whiskey expressions might fit the definition of a good whiskey and, for that, we say to trust the experts. The expressions that have a place in Jim Murray’s Whisky Bible, for example, are the ones to go to when trying to decide what to buy.
So, answering to if Germany does have good whiskey, we think it does! Just like any other whiskey producing country, there are pretty good expressions to taste (and some of them were already included in some boxes of our Whisky Tasting Subscription).
Best German Whiskey Brands – A List
Derrina Schwarzwälder Einkorn Single Malt
A single grain whiskey from the Black Forest, made from mostly unmalted wheat, and with a score of 96 out of 100 in Jim Murray’s Whisky Bible. This German dram is one of the best ranked of the country and for a reason. With only 3 years of maturation in Slovenian oak, the Derrina Schwarzwälder Einkorn whiskey is a smooth, oily and complex dram that, surely, deserves a taste.
On the nose, one might detect citrus and some other sweet aromas. On the mouth, it is spicy, creamy and warm. It is possible to taste sweeter notes, such as vanilla, caramel, honey and chocolate. Oak and coffee are also present. The finish is long, smooth and oily.
Regarding what whiskey is made in Germany, this dram is just an example of how wide is the range of kinds of whiskey produced there.
The Alrik “The Smoked Hercynian” Single Malt Whisky
What started as a master distiller’s personal project soon became one of the best ranked german whiskey expressions in Jim Murray “The Whisky Bible” book. It wasn’t even supposed to be sold, but it was too good to keep from the public.
The Alrik “Smoked Hercynian” is a smoked single malt produced by the Hammerscmiede distillery, in the Harz mountains. However, this dram gets its smoke in a different way than peated single malts. Instead of using peat smoke to dry the barley, the barley is dried with beech and alder wood smoke. That gives it the smoked aromas and flavours, as it builds its complex character. For being a powerful and aromatic dram, Jim Murray rated it 95/100 points and awarded it with the Liquid gold medal.
This The Alrik expression is aged in Pedro Ximénez Sherry Casks for at least 3 years. This combination makes it full of sweet malt aromas, with hints of smoke. Regarding the taste, it is sweet and one might discover sweet notes like vanilla, raisins, coconut, light citrus and smoke. The finish is medium-long, with a velvet and warm mouthfeel, and with smoke in the very end.
SLYRS The “Fifty-One”
With 4 awards won in 2021, the Slyrs “Fifty-One” Single Malt Whisky is sure to be a great German whiskey expression. It comes from the Slyrs distillery, located in Bavaria and founded in 1999.
Made from Bavarian barley, the “Fifty-One” expression is matured in ex-port, ex-sherry and ex-Sauternes casks. This creative mix ends in a strong and characterful whiskey with hints of smoke and freshness.
The aromas mostly herbal and fresh, as well as nutty, with hints of roasted nuts and chocolate. On the mouth, the Slyrs “Fifty-One” has a nutty and somewhat spicy. One might find notes of cloves and citrus. The fininsh is long, dry with malt flavour notes.
Spreewood’s Stork Full Proof Rye Whiskey
What whiskey is made in Germany; you ask? Rye whiskey is among the kinds of whiskey produced in this country and Spreewood Stork Full Proof Rye Whiskey is just an example.
Made from German rye, this dram is produced only in small batches and matured in German Napolean casks, as well as American charred oak casks, ex-sherry and wine casks. With this combination of casks, it is no wonder it has been awarded 4 times, including a Double Gold Medal in San Francisco Spirits Competition.
On the nose, it is possible to smell sweet notes of vanilla and caramel, as well as oak. On the mouth, it is sweet and spicy with notes of vanilla and black pepper, chocolate and cloves, hints of nuts. The finish is long.
ElsBurn “The Journey” Single Malt Whiske
Created in the middle of the Harz Mountains, in the Hercynian distillery, ElsBurn is the brand previously known as The Glen Els. The Journey is a high-quality, popular single malt whisky that has a Speyside take on its character
This floral whisky is matured in six different casks during its maturation: ex-Sherry, ex-Port Wine, ex-Madeira Wine, ex-Bordeaux, ex-Malaga & GrandCru and ex-Marsala casks. With such combination, this whisky with a complex character, have already won the Jim Murray’s Liquid Gold Award, in 2014.
Regarding its aromas, the ElsBurn “The Journey” is very aromatic, filled with fruity and floral notes, as well as vanilla and toffee aromas. On the mouth, this dram is gentle and sweet, with notes as toffee and vanilla, with hints of spicy oak, citrus and chocolate. The finish is long, with notes of fresh fruit.
Credits: Amazon
Brigantia 8 Years Old
Coming from the Lake Constance, this German whiskey was the first to be produced in this area. The Brigantia 8 Years Old is a complex spirit lauched by the Baden-Württemberg’s Steinhauser in 2008. From this year to 2022, it was awarded two times: a silver medal at Germany’s Best Whisky Awards (2018) and a gold medal at the Meininger’s International Spirits Awards (2022).
The Brigantia 1st Lake Constance whiskey distillery is a single malt whisky aged for 8 years in oak casks, time during which it develops a complex and very aromatic character. On the nose, it is sweet and oaky. One can also detect fruit and spicy aromas, such as cinnamon. On the mouth, it is possible to taste sweetness and spiciness, with vanilla and cinnamon flavour notes. The oak is still present with hints of roasted nuts and dark chocolate. The finish is warm, as the spicy and roasted notes linger.
Hillock 12 Years Single Malt German Whiskey
As we stated previously in the “What Whiskey is Made in Germany” section of this article, the Germans are willing to innovate in their cask selection to mature their whiskey expressions. The Hillock 12 Years Old is just another example of that. With a finish in ex-Recioto casks, this dram is a Single Malt worth tasting.
The Hillock 12 Years Old Single Malt is a whiskey produced in the Habbel distillery, one of the oldest in the country. This German whiskey is matured in ex-bourbon casks for 10 years and finished the remaining maturation time in ex-Recioto Casks. Recioto is a sweet, Italian red wine that will give the whiskey an extra layer of sweet flavour notes.
Being aged in bourbon casks, this dram has a full-bodied character and sweet profile. On the nose, one can smell wood, honey and grape aromas. It has a creamy mouthfeel, with spicy and sweet flavour notes, such as caramel and cinnamon. The finish is medium and sweet, with hints of pepper.