ABOUT THIS BOTTLING

Our first batch from Germany’s Spreewood distillery is a 2 Year Old Rye, a release of just 200 bottles at 48.2% abv.

The Spreewald distillery was originally founded in the picturesque village of Schlepzig in 2004. It’s the oldest whisky distillery in Brandenburg and the first rye whisky distillery in Germany. The distillery was taken over by three friends in 2016 after they visited to enquire about a cask!

60 kilometres south of Berlin sprawls the idyllic pastureland of the Spreewald, like a river delta. Here, in the middle of a biosphere reserve, is the Spreewald-Destillerie, founded in 2004 and operated by the “Spree-Wood Distillers” since 2016 in the picturesque village of Schlepzig. The previous owner of the distillery made Single Malt whiskies, but the three friends, all from within the spirits industry, wanted to create a high quality, reasonably priced Rye, using local ingredients.

Their grain comes from right on their doorstep. Germany’s breadbasket: Brandenburg. American rye whiskey producers trust in the quality of the rye cultivated here. The whiskies currently mature in bourbon and sherry casks, as well as in white wine casks of selected German wine-growers. Their Rye whiskey is branded ‘Stork Club’, named both after the wild storks which are a common sight in the area, and the New York ‘Stork Club’, a prestigious Manhattan nightclub.

NOSE

Chalk dust initially. Hints of cherry liqueur, cherry cola, and buttered popcorn. There’s some fragrant spices too, hints of fenugreek and earthy turmeric.

TASTE

Rich and oily. There’s a fruity sweetness that reminds me of fairground toffee apples. Vanilla cream cannoli.

Toffee popcorn lingers in the sweet spiced finish, leaving a warming glow.

ABOUT THE LABEL

Our label represents a fusion of the traditional German architecture of the area, and a 1930s Nightclub - ‘The Stork Club’

The nightclub is located in the swamp, the reed beds are rye, and the people are all storks. It’s the Stork Club, you can’t get in unless you’re a stork silly! Watch out for those crocodile doormen!

You’ll notice everyone is drinking the classic rye cocktail, a Manhattan, which is incidentally the location of the original Stork Club.