6 Year Old Corn Whisky

Corn Whisky 6 Years Old. Six years in bourbon barrels, distilled in Westphalia.

Corn Whisky 6 Years Old is a grain whisky distilled using the pot-still method by the Ehringhausen distillery, aged for six years in American bourbon barrels, and limited to 738 bottles. No smoky Scotch, no blend, no mass bottling.

Corn Whisky 6 Years Old is a Westphalian grain whisky from the Ehringhausen distillery in Werne, distilled from regional corn and aged for six years in bourbon barrels. Swirl the glass before taking the first sip. Warm vanilla rises, followed by caramel and the dry scent of toasted oak. It's an interplay of aromas one would expect more in Kentucky than in Münsterland. This very shift is what makes it so appealing: a whisky with an American soul and Westphalian origin.

Creamy like a Bourbon, distinctive in the finish

Corn brings a velvety texture and a sweet depth that barley simply doesn't deliver. On the nose, vanilla and caramel stand out, complemented by a hint of coconut and the warm spice of the barrel. Give the glass two or three minutes, and a subtle note of honey and ripe pear will emerge. On the palate, the spirit is creamy, malty, and almost buttery, without ever tasting sugary. The sweetness comes from grain and wood, not from added sugar — a difference you can taste in the dry, clean aftertaste.

The body is powerful, the alcohol present but well integrated. Pressure, yes, harshness, no. In the finish, caramel and a subtle roasted note remain, reminiscent of dark bread. Those familiar with bourbon will find something familiar yet new here: the vanilla is in the same place, but the distillate underneath appears clearer and more grain-forward — the signature of a small still rather than a large distillery. Those expecting peaty smoke or maritime Islay notes will find this whisky too soft. The peppery edge of a rye spirit is also deliberately absent — here, warmth and mellowness reign.

Neat at 16 to 20 degrees, a drop of water as the key

The Corn Whisky reveals its full aroma at 16 to 20 °C, neat and without ice. Choose a nosing glass or a tumbler with a heavy base: the bulbous nosing glass concentrates the vanilla, while the tumbler allows the caramel more air. Try the first sip unchanged. Afterwards, a single drop of water is worthwhile, as it breaks the surface tension, clearly opens up the vanilla, and reveals a second layer of fruit. You should avoid ice cubes — cold locks in the aromas and leaves only the wood.

Dark chocolate with 70 percent cocoa or more, aged mountain cheese, and roasted walnuts are recommended as accompaniments. A piece of warm apple pie works surprisingly well: the caramel notes directly pick up on the baked apples. For a post-dinner digestif plate, three components suffice — two pieces of dark chocolate, a handful of walnuts, and two centiliters of whisky in a preheated glass. If you prefer cheese, serve thinly sliced mountain cheese aged for twelve months; its salty melt extends the caramel of the spirit for minutes. Further bottles of this kind can be found in our whisky selection.

Good to know: This bottling is not intended for cocktails and highballs — it's too rare and too characterful for that. If you're looking for a mixing whisky, it's better to opt for a standard bottling. This bottle belongs in the glass, not in the shaker.

Pot Still, toasted white oak, and patience from Werne

Behind this whisky is a grain distillery that has been operating in Werne, in the southern Münsterland region, since 1962. Since 2012, Theres and Georg have been running the family business in its third generation. "Korn can do more" is the motto of the house, and this whisky is its most consistent implementation to date. Anyone who has been distilling grain and aging spirits in wooden barrels for decades masters every step that whisky demands. All that was missing was the patience to leave a barrel untouched for six years.

Distillation takes place in batches using the pot-still method, i.e., in a copper still instead of a continuously operating column. This is the more elaborate way: each batch is individually mashed, heated, and finally precisely cut, as distillers call the separation of fore-run, heart, and feints. This leaves more heavy aromas in the distillate — precisely the substance that needs a long barrel aging not to be overpowered by the wood.

Subsequently, toasted American white oak takes over. Toasting means heating, not charring: a charred barrel releases roasted aromas and smoke, while a toasted one releases vanilla, caramel, and fine spice notes. Six years of aging mean double the legal minimum of three years. With each year, a portion of the content also evaporates through the barrel wall — distillers call this loss the angels' share. What remains becomes denser, rounder, and darker, and this very loss explains why only 738 bottles remained in the end.

738 bottles of a Westphalian rarity

Corn is an exception in German stills, but in the USA, it is the basis of almost every bourbon. A bourbon must be distilled from at least 51 percent corn there — in this country, hardly any distillery uses this grain because barley and rye dominate the tradition. This bottling bridges the gap: American grain, American barrel type, Westphalian craftsmanship.

738 bottles were filled, then the barrel was empty — replenishment is only possible by waiting another six years. Those who want to understand how the house came to whisky can try the oak-aged spelt spirit from the same barrel type or browse the Ehringhausen distillery's assortment. As a gift, the bottle appeals to lovers of American whisky styles as well as collectors of regional spirits. At a tasting among friends, it's the bottle people talk about — not because of a flashy label, but because of the question of why no one else in Westphalia distills corn.

A whisky that shows that sometimes only six years of barrel aging lie between Münsterland and Kentucky.