Whisky experts hail dram made in Germany

IT is a nation better known for its long history of brewing fine beers.

But Germany is now trying to snatch Scotland’s crown as the king of whisky makers.

For a six-year-old single malt produced in the west of the country has just scooped the Worldwide Whiskey Trophy at the International Wine and Spirit Competition (IWSC).

The Westfalian 2012, pictured, is made by master whisky maker Thomas Ewers, 50, in Paderborn, North Rhine-Westphalia.

IWSC judges praised the ‘incredible’ nose of the 54.6 per cent ABV dram, adding: ‘The whisky had aromas of toasty malted milk and vanilla flowers.

‘There is outstanding depth to the palate like warm flapjacks and sweet honeycomb balanced by aged leather and dried tea leaves, and a building crescendo of intense, savoury peat smoke.’

Mr Ewers, who is a former electrical engineer, first became interested in whisky during a 2003 trip to London.

He ordered a ten-year-old Aberlour, with ice, at a restaurant. The wait er advised drinking it neat – and his obsession began.

Mr Ewers founded Malts of Scotland as an independent bottling company in Germany in 2005 and four years later opened a Malts of Scotland warehouse shop.

The IWSC trophy, which was awarded to him earlier this month, is a first for Germany.

The IWSC judges world whiskies in a separate category from Scottish whisky. So the Westfalian cannot claim to be the best dram in the world as it will not have been compared with Scotch.

But Mr Ewers said: ‘We’re giving the Scots a really good run for their money. [The win] is still very fresh and I never expected it. It will be some time before the feeling sets in.’

He was appointed a Keeper of the Quaich in 2016 for being ‘one of the leading voices of Scotch whisky in Germany’. The title is bestowed by the Edinburgh-based society of the same name on those who show outstanding commitment to the Scotch whisky industry, and there are only 2,000 Keepers in the world.

Mr Ewers said: ‘The Scots are the best role model in the world and we see our whisky somewhat in a Scottish perspective.

‘Our master distiller is the only German to have learnt his craft in Scotland, in the 1960s.’