World-Spirits Online Guide Abo – order now

Jim Beam Distillery – Bourbon straight on

Knob Creek is named after a rivulet in Kentucky, the home of President Abraham Lincoln. His steadfast attitude seems to serve as an example for this straightforward bourbon. The square ‘chemist’s bottle’ suits these traditional values perfectly, as does the striking label which is reminiscent of the old tradition of wrapping bottles in newspaper. To this day, a mixture of experience and craftsmanship is the recipe for success for the bourbon from Knob Creek.

The bourbon was at the peak of its success in 1919, when the nationwide prohibition of the sale, manufacture and transport of alcohol began – lasting until 1933. Following this, a new start was impossible for many distilleries; others couldn’t finance the customary long maturing process of the bourbon. This situation motivated Booker Noe to revive the traditional bourbon style from the time before the prohibition: rich in aroma, with discreet sweetness due to year-long maturation in strongly ‘toasted’ wooden barrels from American white oak. In 1950, he joined the family business – his mother was the daughter of Jim Beam, which meant bourbon was already in his blood – and completed his training as Master Distiller. With the small series of premium bourbon he launched, the term ‘batch’ (small) was established and revolutionised the industry. His son, Fred Noe, continues with this clear strategy: “I learnt the business from scratch, listened to my father and learnt on the job. I know what it means to make perfect bourbon. Each bottle is a reflection of my family.” Since 1992, the Knob Creek brand has represented these values with the perfect combination of tradition and top quality.

A golden trio was successful at the World Spirits Award: Knob Creek Rye Whiskey Small Batch, Knob Creek Single Barrel Reserve Bourbon and Knob Creek Straight Bourbon.

Diageo – From London to the whole world

Approximately 33,000 employees are employed worldwide at Diageo, the market leader in premium spirits, with Smirnoff (vodka), Johnnie Walker (whiskey), J&B (Scotch whiskey), Baileys (liqueur), Captain Morgan (rum), Cuervo (tequila) and Tanqueray (gin), Guinness beer and branded wines. Production takes place all around the world: from Great Britain and Ireland, Italy, Spain and Africa, to the USA, Canada, Latin America, Australia, India and the Caribbean. The global corporation emerged in 1997 from the merger between Guinness and GrandMet. 180 markets around the world are handled from its London headquarters.

A lot of work and lots of attention to detail go into creating the in-depth product descriptions on Diageo’s website. Information and analysis is provided about issues ranging from detailed descriptions of the production down to the most minute ingredients. Finally, they are aware of the size of their company and also of their responsibilities as a supplier of alcoholic products. The name Diageo was also deliberately chosen – it represents their agenda. Put together from ‘dia’ (the Latin word for ‘day’) and ‘geo’ (the Greek word for ‘world’), it means that every day people are celebrating all over the world with products from their company. These products open up possibilities never dreamed of for special days and nights, marking special life events and even making the smaller things in life feel magical.

Participation in the World Spirits Award was magical: there was double gold for Tanqueray No. 10 (Spirit of the Year 2016), gold for Gordon’s London Dry Gin and Tanqueray London Dry Gin, as well as silver for Tanqueray Rangpur.

Black Forest Distillers - Bavarian headdress, turbans and bowler hats

An adventurous past lies behind the "Monkey 47" gin: Montgomery Collins was born in 1909 in Madras and came to Berlin in 1945 as a Commander of the Royal Air Force where he became involved with re-developing the zoo and began sponsoring a monkey there named Max. During the 1950s, he opened a country guesthouse by the name of "Zum wilden Affen" (At the wild monkey's) where he began producing gin according to the British tradition.

The unusual recipe was discovered during renovation works and brought back to life by Alexander Stein from the Jacobi brandy dynasty and Master Distiller Christoph Keller. They describe the 47 ingredients as "Black Forest DNA". In addition to juniper berries, they include "spices" (coriander, cardamom, nutmeg, cloves, cinnamon), "floral fragrances" (acacia, honeysuckle, bergamot and lavender blossom), "tangy flavours" (pomelo, lemongrass, lemon balm, etc.) and "Black Forest flavours" (spruce shoots, mallow, blackthorn, elderflower, dog rose and blackberry leaves). Cranberries add the final touch.

These "botanicals" are mixed with extra soft water from the company's own spring and alcohol and are partly macerated. This is followed by the distillation and steam extraction process using fresh plant material. The distillate is stored for a few months in traditional stoneware vessels and after the maturation period, spring water is added until the mixture reaches a strength of 47% vol.

The complex flavours are ideal for classics like Martini with tonic added to taste, as well as cocktails. The top quality of the products was confirmed by a gold medal at the World-Spirits Award.

Hardenberg Distillery: Innovation from tradition

The Hardenberg Distillery in Nörten-Hardenberg, Lower Saxony, combines 325 years of tradition and the art of distilling with contemporary ideas and modern refinement technology. Exquisite spirits are produced here, which are given their character by the raw materials from their own farm and their processing directly on site.

The spirits are accompanied with the utmost care and experience from the cultivation of the grain to distillation and maturation in the barrel through to bottling – from the field to the glass. The Hardenberg Distillery produces fine, handmade spirits in various categories that offer pleasurable sensory and taste experiences. In addition to HARDENBERG Club Whiskey, HARDENBERG Gin and HARDENBERG Korn, these include the German single malt whiskey BEVERBACH, KINETIC Single Estate German Vodka and VON HALLERS GIN. The range also includes the gin alternative HARDENBERG Zero.Zero, an alcohol-free distillate.

Enthusiasts and professionals alike can see everything for themselves, because the Hardenberg Distillery is not just a production facility: you can also visit, experience and enjoy – with tours, workshops and tastings that appeal to all the senses.

At the World Spirits Award, there was Gold for SCHWARTZHOG Kräuter Liqueur and Silver for HARDENBERG Club Triple Malt Whiskey.