Alpenwhisky-Destillerie

Historie

• Alpenwhisky-Destillerie is located in Vorarlberg and had its construction start in 2008, when the cornerstone of the distillery was laid.

• The distillery is described as a microdistillery with an annual production of around 400 liters of alcohol.

• The owners and the experience behind it support a dedication to whisky: the owner's 20 years of experience as a distiller and a passion for whisky, as well as an internship at Kilchoman-Distillery on Islay in November 2011 (to learn from one of the most famous farm distilleries).

Produktion

• Production method: In Alpenwhisky, the whole grain is distilled rather than using a wash; this takes about one-third longer, but yields more flavor in the whisky. The heads and tails are completely separated and not blended into the next batch, which gives a different flavor profile.

• Distillation equipment: A pot-still distillation kettle and a specially made whisky cap.

• Cask selection and aging: Common principles for aging are the use of new bourbon barrels or first-fill/virgin barrels (Port and Sherry barrels), which have not previously been used for whisky. About 70% of a whisky's character comes from the barrel.

• Capacity and quality: As a microdistillery, Alpenwhisky can produce around 2 barrels per year and focuses on the highest quality in every batch.

• Flavor and experiments: Malt production is underway (malt peat-smoked according to Scottish method) and experiments with Austrian and German Schwarztorf (black peat). There are plans and experiments with smoked malts and peat in various variants; the first peated whisky was announced for a demo in 2024.

Whiskyprodukter

• Virgin spiral cut — about 5-year-old whisky, aged in new American white oak barrels, 49.8% vol. Notes: pronounced vanilla notes with hints of green apple.

• Port-cask — about 6-year-old whisky, aged in a 600 liter Port cask, 47% vol. Notes: roundness with a discreet Port note and a complex aroma.

• Distiller Edition — a blend of the distillate's best casks; age varies between 4 and 12 years, 48% vol.

• NEU: Whisky in Cask — offering a 15-liter oak cask filled with new make whisky, which in the owner's cellar is allowed to mature further as Alpenwhisky. The cask wood is Slavonian oak, the cask sits on a beech-barrel rack. Price from 580 euros. The first roughly four years showed the cask having relatively little wood influence, with dominant malt-rich notes and complex aromatics. Ongoing additions of new whisky are expected approximately every six months. The casks are stored in the distillery's cellar with different cask types and maturations (Port, Sherry, etc.). There are also experiments with malt distilled from grain that is peat-smoked, and experiments with Austrian and German Schwarztorf.

• Note: The products are listed as available for sale in specific shops (Schruns, Götzis, Dornbirn) and via mail order in Austria/EU. Example products and descriptions are explicitly named above.

Smagsnoter

• Virgin spiral cut: vanilla-like notes with hints of green apple in the background.

• Port-cask: roundness with a discreet Port note and a generally complex aroma.

• Distiller Edition: the description does not mention detailed tasting notes, but as a blend of the best casks, you can expect a rounded profile, typically with layers of character from different cask varieties.

• The 15-liter cask version: malt notes and high complexity; early cask periods give limited wood influence in the first four years; expected malty and complex aromatic impressions.

Begivenheder og nyheder

• The first peated whisky is expected to be presented at the Spirituosenmesse tasting days "Am Bach" in Götzis on March 1, 2024.

• The distillery mentions ongoing experiments and planned introductions of new products at local events and with retailers, as well as the possibility of tastings at their retailers.

Virksomhedens filosofi og værdier

• Focus on creating an independent Vorarlberg whisky design and not copying whisky production from other countries or regions.

• They distill the entire grain instead of only producing a wash, which yields more flavor, even though it takes about one-third more time.

• The mash and distillation processes are completely separated to achieve a different flavor profile and shorten the aging period.

• The casks play a crucial role: use of new bourbon casks and virgin casks (Port and Sherry) to add color and flavor quickly; it is estimated that around 70% of a whisky's character comes from the cask.

• A microdistillery with a low annual production makes it possible to prioritize uncompromising quality in every single glass.

• Focus on quality, craftsmanship and innovation, and an invitation to tastings at selected retailers to experience the products.