grain, tastes – that was the goal of the Sasse distillery warehouse grain GmbH from Schöppingen in münsterland. The company was founded in 1707; now it is one of the most successful companies in the industry with awards such as the “Distillery of the Year”. However, the development was not always promising. the gates were closed in 1985. The opening of European markets allowed the import of foreign spirits. “Italian grappa and Scottish whisky were simply more exciting than the local grain brandy,” reports Managing Director Rüdiger Sasse.
About two years later, the distillery reopened under him. It has been hard work to prevail in the premium sector against whiskey and grappa. But what justifies the positioning of Korn in the premium segment? Sasse remembers tasting a grain on St. Nicholas ‘ Eve. The brandy did not have the usual strong grain taste and was particularly mild. It was a grain of an older generation of the company, made for friends.
Stored in oak barrels
Sasse then wanted to produce a grain whose taste is completely convincing. He created the first storage grain, a grain stored in oak barrels, in which there was previously cognac. This is the only way to create the color of amber and the special taste in four years, reports Sarah Grawe, assistant to the management. “A classic grain is unadjusted and crystal clear in color.”For the grain variation Cigar Special, they won the prize as the best whisky in continental Europe in 2020, says Sasse. In order to compete in the whiskey category, the storage grain must meet certain requirements, because a storage grain can also be a whiskey – vice versa, this is not so easily possible.
Many customers come from the catering industry. Prices start at around 20 euros and go up to 350 euros for a Lager grain Bordeaux Finish in the 0.7-liter bottle. According to the company, the best whiskey of continental Europe Cigar Special costs about 45 euros. Half a liter of 20-year-old grain brandy is available for a good 175 euros. The product range includes almost 30 spirits, which are produced from regional organic cereals. Sales have risen steadily by about 10 percent annually in recent years. Annual sales ranged from 6 to 8 million euros.
