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Seven Seals Distillery: Swiss Single Malt

Seven Seals Innovation AG is a young enterprise when it comes to the production and marketing of spirits, where the focus is on high-quality single malts, characterised by quality, innovation, ecology and natural ingredients. The patented Stockhausen method sets new standards in the refinement of spirits, combined with a time-efficient, ecological and economical improvement of production.

The inventor Dolf Stockhausen has turned barrel maturation for spirits on its head. His idea is based on a purely physical law that simulates maturation in a barrel. In 2017, a wood-based, sustainable procedure was developed. Today more surface is given to the distillate after a special treatment of the wood. The result is a shorter maturation process and a rounded taste profile. The manufacturing uses the Speedmaster, with which up to 2,000 litres of a distillate are refined purely physically – without using chemicals. Every batch reaches customers with the same quality, which cannot be ensured with traditional barrel maturation. It is guaranteed during the professional manufacturing that each whisky is matured for at least three years in the barrel as prescribed, before it can go through the process. Seven Seals has also proven that a wide variety of single malts can thereby be created, from classical (Classic Line) to innovative (Zodiac Line). The selection of aroma profiles has also impressed an international clientele.

At the World Spirits Award, gold was awarded to The Age of Virgo and The Age of Leo, and silver to Amarone Wood Finish, The Age of Pisces and The Age of Taurus.

Schwarze & Schlichte – Brand personalities from Westphalia

The family business Schwarze & Schlichte from Westphalia has been representing the highest quality spirits for the last 345 years with a distinct range of national specialities, regional traditional brands and successful international innovations. This top quality is based on a distilling tradition acquired over centuries which has been passed down over twelve generations. Even today, distilling and maceration still take place at the company’s own distillery where plenty of time and skill are invested. The selection and processing of the best raw materials and continuous control of the production process ensure a consistently high quality. One factor for success is the ongoing brand management in accordance with the specific requirements of the various brand personalities.

Three Sixty Vodka is one of the purest and mildest vodkas in the world. A fourfold distillation process ensures tangible softness and exceptional clarity while the purity of the vodka is all down to the time-consuming “Diamond Filtration” process: the finest filters are used, set with crystals like diamond dust, to remove even the smallest of suspended particles from the distillate. Even the packaging is unique: the facet-cut bottle of pure white shiny glass sets off this premium vodka to perfection. A black velvet label completes the sophisticated design.

The Grappa Bianca from Scavi & Ray is characterised by its full-bodied balanced flavour with powerful and intense aromas of marc. This crystal-clear brandy is soft and deliciously balanced thanks to the exquisite skill of the master distillery. The intense and fruity aroma is reminiscent of the sun-soaked vineyards in Italy.

Both products received a silver medal at the World-Spirits.

Stock Polska – Prestige products with history

Polmos Lublin (known today as Stock Polska) was founded by the industrialist Emil Plage in Lublin in 1906 and was able to survive both world wars and the communist state leadership. The company was nationalised in 1948 and re-privatised in 2001. It traded on the Warsaw Stock Exchange until 2005 and was sold in 2006. The new owners, Oaktree Capital Management, purchased the spirits division from Eckes Stock in 2007 and thereby laid the foundations for the current Stock Spirits Group. The company has its headquarters in Luxembourg, its service centre in Great Britain and its production sites in the Czech Republic, Italy and Poland.

Stock dates back to the year 1884 when Lionello Stock founded a beverages business in Trieste. He purchased a distillery in 1920 in what is currently part of the Czech Republic with the aim of tapping into new markets. This was followed by distilleries, bottling plants and warehouses in Italy, Austria, Poland, Hungary and Yugoslavia. In the 1920s, Stock was one of the biggest companies of its kind in Europe.

After an absence of 70 years, Stock returned to Poland and began to manufacture at the historic site of Lublin, 150 kilometres south-east of Warsaw. Intensive investment led to the creation of the most modern distillery in Poland and a leadership position on the vodka market. Poland’s most popular flavoured vodka is produced here: Zoladkowa Gorzka.

Lots of Stock products are produced by traditional recipes. These classical brands appeal to connoisseurs all over the world. In return, work is constantly being done on innovations that correspond to modern tastes and new drinking cultures. Quality standards are constantly upheld in both areas, of course.

The quality of the products was recognised at the World Spirits Award with a gold medal for the Orkisz Spelt Vodka.