Die Welt des Whiskey (1/2) | Abenteuer Leben

Mythos, pilgrimage towns, and the whiskey empire. Adventure lives in Tennessee, exclusively behind the scenes of the world's best-selling whiskey. We reveal the secrets of the American cult distillery. But Germany can also make whiskey. Nestled in the idyllic Swabian countryside lies Owen, Germany's whiskey capital. Three whiskey distilleries in one place—such a thing exists only in Scotland. A distillery belongs to the Gruell family. Emanuel, who is 27 years old, took over the family business in 2010. My grandfather clearly inspired me to get involved in agriculture by letting me drive the tractor. That was the first draft horse; from around 10, one could say it all started then. And from the age of 14 or 15, I was already allowed to work in the distillery. And now, it gives me an insane amount of pleasure. I cannot imagine any other profession that I would prefer to practice instead of this one. Yes, and it has become a life's task. Grain is the raw material for whiskey production. From wheat, one can distill a grain whiskey. The Gruell family harvests their organic wheat from a one-hectare grain field that they themselves cultivate. Emanuel's grandfather founded the distillery. In 1989 he brought whiskey from Scotland to Swabia, thereby triggering a genuine revolution. 越来越多来自该地区的水果烧酒酿造商如今正尝试自行酿造威士忌。 In industry, it's the case that one naturally works with machines much more and has to do significantly less by hand. That is naturally significantly more efficient, but I believe precisely that is also what makes the appeal of a small business. that a great deal is produced by handcraft, allowing one to be naturally much closer to the product than is possible on a large scale. Whiskey types are defined not only by their origin but also by the grain composition in the mash. A malt consists of 100 percent barley. In the case of a grain whiskey, however, no specific grains are prescribed. Emanuel offers a grain made from 100 percent wheat. A glimpse into the USA. A small village in Tennessee. Here, a completely different perspective on whiskey is offered. The oldest registered distillery in the United States produces here the most famous and best-selling American whiskey. High-tech instead of handwork. Microbiologist Kevin Smith must ensure consistent quality. Here it is, our yeast culture. We keep multiplying it again and again. She's been in here since yesterday processing the sugar. Thus, alcohol and CO2 are produced, which can be seen here by the bubbles. I'll shake it a bit so you can see it properly. It's actually a foamy beer. In Germany, the mash for whiskey consists largely of wheat. American whiskey is called bourbon and must consist of at least 51 percent corn. In addition come cave spring water, barley, and rye. The yeast culture takes six days to convert the available sugar into 12-percent alcohol. We always say here that we're really just sitting around waiting for the whiskey to finish, because the yeast does most of the work here. My job, then, is to make sure the yeast is absolutely thriving, so everyone else can relax. The company exports its whiskey to more than 160 countries. Nevertheless, every drop of it flows through this still. Four 12-meter copper mash tuns heat the mash. The pure alcohol evaporates and condenses in these containers. But it's still bourbon, not Tennessee whiskey. For master blender Jeff Arnett, the most important tool is his nose. Besides all the technology, I sometimes also need simple methods. Mainly, our distillate consists of ethyl alcohol. But if I let the whiskey evaporate on my hands, I can also control the fleeting secondary aromas. Different perspective, same task. On the Swabian Alb, Immanuel oversees his organic cornfield. His tanks still fit comfortably in the basement. Yes, the mash smells very good. It's finished fermenting. You can distill this without any further ado. This is therefore a rather good indicator of the main room. High-tech measuring instruments, as found in major corporations? Not a single one. Immanuel relies on his burner training and intuition. Everything happens under one roof at the Swabian Distillery. A hose connects the combustion chamber to the basement. The brew kettle heats the mash to just under 80 degrees Celsius. At high temperatures, the alcohol evaporates. The plant washes and concentrates it. The cooling system re-liquefies the alcohol, which then collects as clear spirits in the collection container. To reduce the alcohol content to a more drinkable 40 to 60 percent, Immanuel dilutes the whiskey with spring water before bottling. The whiskey only acquires its characteristic golden color through aging in barrels. Change of perspective. For authentic Tennessee whiskey, Darren and Tracy burn tons of maple sugar. Here inside is our 70-percent whiskey. In everything else, he could be petroleum. When that gets into the coal, you can taste it in our whiskey too. That's why we'll just take our whiskey to get the fire going. We pour the whiskey into the center. The wood is stacked in such a way that it collapses exactly in the middle. Your goal? A whole lot of coal. American bourbon becomes Tennessee whiskey only when it has been filtered through charcoal. That is why Darren and Tracy have to set fires three times a week. But behind the flickering lies a perfected technique. If the wood burns for too long, it turns to ash. And if we remove it too early, there are still too many wood residues in the coal. I must therefore precisely time the right moment. After one and a half hours, they must cool down the fire. Coarse coal pellets remain. Darren and Tracy must burn down four such piles today. Practical that they are also members of the company fire department. But what's actually going to happen to the coal now? Master distiller Jeff Arnett reveals the secret behind the famous Tennessee whiskey. This is our clear 70-percent whiskey. It's still bourbon now, but once it has seeped through the charcoal in a few days, it will be authentic Tennessee whiskey. The only difference, then, is coal filtration. The whiskey needs several days to seep through the three-meter-thick layer. One can still smell a very strong corn-grain aroma. After the coal filtration, this odor has completely disappeared. And the whiskey is smoother and milder. Every year, 250,000 whiskey pilgrims visit the distillery. The prospect of a single sip. Our factory is located in a dry region. We're not allowed to sell whiskey here, and you won't get any drink in the bars here. We tell people to just take a sniff— it's almost as good. The world's best-selling whiskey cannot, ironically, be sold at its place of production due to old laws.