In his quest to find the perfect place to lead a hermit’s life, a Scottish princeturned-monk crossed through Alsace many centuries ago. Legend has it that he had the gift of dowsing, able to make spring water flow forth at the touch of his shepherd’s crook. Saint-Wendelin became the patron saint of Uberach and has watched over the village since those long-ago days — and eternally over the distillery.
The Bertrand Family
making their own true way
Long ago, the Bertrand family took over a restaurant and settled in the center of the village across from the church, near the town hall. Inspired by the surrounding agricultural and malting pursuits, the family began distilling local fruit.
Nearly 150 years later, Uberach is witness to the traditions as well as the innovations taking place, thanks to the descendants carrying on their founders’ endeavors.
1874
The Bertrand family takes over a restaurant and the surrounding property called “the Swiss House” in Uberach. They build the artisanal distillery in the courtyard of that house and create the first fruit brandies.
1904
Lucien Bertrand marries and takes over the restaurant’s estate until 1927.
1929
The distillery is moved to a wealthy 19th century residence across from the Swiss House.
That year, the restaurant is rented out until December 1945. By the end of the war, all the buildings would be destroyed.
1962
The Distillery Bertrand earns its first gold medal at an agricultural fair. Thanks to that distinction and the renown it has acquired, the distillery goes on to develop its export branch. Today its products can be found at the finest restaurants internationally.
1964
The grandson of the founder, Joseph Bertrand, whose charming and likeable personality left a lasting impression on Uberach goes on to promote the distillery until 2004, thanks to his encounters and his network of contacts.
1984
The distillery moves to its current address.
Jean Georges, the new distiller, does an internship in oenology with Joseph Bertrand and Pierre Brunet, title-holder of the best sommelier in France.
Années 90
This decade sees the distillery receive 25 gold medals for its fruit brandies.
In 1987, 1988 and 1989 it is a triple gold-medal winner.
2001
Jean Metzger, a native of Uberach, arrives at the distillery. Having inherited its spirit and philosophy, he is determined to promote its treasures.
Trained by Joseph Bertrand, his passion for the whiskies and the local terroir contributes to the emergence of new Alsatian spirits.
2004
Laurent Osswald becomes the new distiller.
Jean Metzger
The whisky maestro of Uberach
The dawning of this century saw a man intuiting a remarkable and unprecedented product. Assembling exceptional basic materials, a visionary respectful of traditions, this native son created spirits and became a Uberach trailblazer. Motivated by his Alsatian heritage and his distilling experiments, our poet crafted, created and then composed a unique spirit: the Biersky.
For nearly two decades whiskies have been conceived and aged in the heart of the distillery and have received the appellation IGP Whisky d’Alsace (Protected Geographical Indication, which identifies an agricultural product whose quality, reputation or other characteristics are linked to its geographical origin.)
I appreciate the commas. They leave room for countless possibilities.
Jean Metzger
Chapter IITerroir & terrain
Our water
Water flows languidly to our village of Uberach from the crystalline springs found in the granite mountains of the Vosges du Nord.
Of a rare purity, this particular water is weak in mineral content and exceptionally soft, making it perfect for creating, for over 150 years now, our eaux-de-vie and whiskies.
Our fruit
Our Alsatian orchards teem with treasures: pears, cherries, plums both yellow and purple…as many delicious fruit varieties as there are delicate brandies. Nature plays a decisive role in the creation of the brandies — the distiller is governed by its rhythms, its tempo.
Knowing how to understand nature and then tame it is necessary in order to reap the maximum benefits.
Today, so as to offer the best of the terroir in our precious bottles, we have added organic fruit to our selection.
Our climate
Our Alsatian terroir lives and sways to the rhythms of the seasons and a very specific climate, a critical element in aging and developing the aromas of our whiskies and brandies. Cradled by the continental climate, the region provides exquisite fruit and organic malted barley of a quality ideal for our distilled mash.
In summer, the scorching temperatures cause breathing and dilation of those distillates that absorb oxygen in the air of the distillery.
In winter, often freezing, the brandies contract to concentrate the flavors generated in the summer.
Our village
The distillery is cradled in Uberach, “the village beyond the water” surrounded by forests, orchards and fields. Situated in the heart of the Val de Moder, it’s within walking distance of the city of Pfaffenhoffen, the original site of brewing activities in the area.
Its colorful lanes, half-timbered houses and meandering streams give it the typical style of Alsatian villages full of heart and history.
There floats over the village of Uberach an air of respect and esteem for the local popular imagery, due to the neighboring museum and the façades painted in trompe-l’oeil by Edgar Mahler.
It is not the time that is missing, it is we who are missing.
Paul Claudel
Partage de midi, 1906
Chapter IIISavoir-faire, or Alsatian know-how
The Masters of time
Harmony and patience
In the heart of the distillery two crafts co-exist to create a one-of-a-kind knowhow. Cordially, amicably, they perpetuate tradition alongside invention.
A precise rhythm is needed for creating the brandies and spirits; perfect mastery of the seasons and blending is essential.
One, the distiller, is an interpreter, while the other, the composer, is the artiste conjuring singular harmonies according to their natural tones.
The Alchemist
Like an alchemist, the distiller confers on the brandies their own calendar with a rhythm that follows the seasons, the harvests, the meteorology. The delivery of fresh, perfectly ripe whole fruit; the precise fermentation time in our cellars; the art of distilling in the Holstein alembic stills and then the slow aging before bottling constitute some of the wise secrets of the Bertrand brandies.
The experience of our magicians allied with a mastery of the elements are what make up the ancestral savoir-faire of the distillery.
The Composer
The composer of the whisky produces a genuine masterpiece with the passage of time and the choice of barrels. He fashions each eau-de-vie of barley malt distilled on-site and pairs it with the most promising barrel, preparing a singular, original aging that reflects a specific terroir.
This is where the maturing process comes in, when he tastes each whisky after a chosen period of time. It’s in the cellars of Uberach where the humidity and temperature are naturally regulated that our imposing unique barrels tower, where our whiskies age.
A truly creative work of artistry, the cask selection is primordial and decisive. The wood’s memory modulates the cadence of the score and gives a new tonality to an already intense product.
And so, the composer decides after tasting if it’s time to bottle the Alsatian whisky or if it still needs a few months, perhaps even a few years, to perfect the aromas and express its complete structure in order to attain its pinnacle.
The lightness of the air enfolds our plantings
The purity of the water ripples over the delicacy of our work
The intensity of the heat ennobles the elegance of our alcohols
The vigor of our soil is testimony to our terroir
It's not man who stops time, it's time that stops the man.
Chateaubriand
Mémoire d’outre-tombe, 1848
Chapter IVPhilosophy
The test
of time
The test
of time
The past
How rich it is, the past of Uberach, the village “beyond the water.” Above and beyond that resource of exceptional quality are the men, the knowhow and the many years of experience and dedication to creating incomparable concoctions. From Joseph Bertrand to Jean Metzger, the meticulous work has never ceased. The heirs to that authenticity nurture both generosity and gratefulness for their predecessors. Time has allowed the construction of a unique and eternal heritage.
The test
of time
The present
Working with respect for nature yet at the mercy of the elements. Waiting for the fruit to ripen, the barley to malt, the alcohol to be distilled. Since 1874, the distillery has cultivated the necessary patience, knowing to pause when nature compels us to, in order to let the best of the terroir express itself and develop. Forever in the pursuit of perfection, the men at the distillery carefully select the barley and the fruit as well as the barrels. Fortified by the same artisanal and epicurean values, they perpetuate the tradition and the philosophy of the Distillerie Bertrand.
The test
of time
The future
Imagining alcohols today that will be tasted tomorrow — such is the ephemerality of spirits.
After distilling, once again, several years of aging. And then 5, 8 or 10 years later, if not more, the fruit of your labor and of passing time is born to create something extraordinary.
Taming the cold, subduing the heat, resting, tasting, appreciating. It’s precisely what’s needed to counter the mainstream, to swim against the tide of trends, to navigate the oceans.
Proof of passing time
Proof of passing time
Taking time for imagination is treasured here. A pioneer in distilling and creator of the first Uberach whiskies from 2003, the Distillerie Bertrand is a humble symbol of its art. To be inspired by, to observe
and to listen to the terroir. Inventing,
connecting, being moved when testing
the exquisite, novel recipes.
The time for production is less ambiguous, more rhythmic, sheet music annotated over the years and according to the different works of art, an interpretation that passes from learning about the variation of the seasons, the climate, nature and all that it
has to offer.
Perfectly ripe fruit harvested at just the right time, barley reaped and then dried in the first days of summer ancestral, artisanal acts performed with respect.
The time for aging is calm, suspended. The fruit is fermented, the brandy is distilled. There follow long months during which the master distiller attentively awaits the arrival of the purest aromas
of the terroir.
The whisky has materialized. Several years are sometimes required before the gratifying arrival of a barrel carefully selected by the composer – Jean Metzger – for its history, its origins, its wood and all the riches it has contained. The whisky is created, blended, aged.
And now the time for tasting, an elegant homage to the work of the distillery. It’s for the connoisseur to enjoy to the fullest extent, to find the right place, the right time, the right companion and the right snifter to appreciate the true value of this exceptional bottle.
Chapter VPrecious bottles
1874The first fruit brandies
Imagination and rigorous work combining fruit and superior water saw the creation of an exceptional product that continues to evolve in the heart of the distillery. The visual rendering of our spirits is the Bertrand family tree.
2003The first whisky: Single Malt
Iconic, ground-breaking, it’s a prime example that characterizes the signature work of its creator-composer and marks the timeless style of the Distillerie Bertrand. This whisky was given the IGP Whisky d'Alsace (Protected Geographical Indication) at its creation in 2015.
2010Casks Couleurs
Each and every barrel is conscientiously selected by Jean Metzger, retrieved the day it’s emptied of wine and sent on its way from the region of origin to Alsace to bring together theCask whiskies.
2013Biersky
A liquor left forgotten in a barrel for more than 10 years…what a stroke of luck that our creator-composer was able to transform it! The Biersky, a melding of two typical Alsatian alcohols, is composed of 60% eau-de-vie de bière, or beer brandy, and 40% malt distillate made the same way as the Spanish solera, fractionally blending the liquids so the final product is a mixture of different ages.
2020St Wendelin
Today the Distillerie Bertrand is opening an entirely new chapter. Our Whisky d’Uberach is enriched by an original interpretation that epitomizes the Alsatian terroir, a new range of IGP Whisky d'Alsace in honor of Saint-Wendelin.
2021Organic fruit brandies
Subtle and expressive aromatic harmonies for the noblebrandies that herald nature. The purest expression of the fruit with the greatest respect for the terroir and tradition.
Wendelin's legend
Born in Scotland in 554, it was intended that Wendelin would lead life as a royal. The son of King Forchado and Queen Irelina, he studied at a monastery as was the custom in those days. Refusing his royal destiny, he yearned for a life of humility, even hardship and mortification, so he left in search of his own true path. Guided by a desire to devote his life to God, he went to Rome in 574 where Pope Benoît I welcomed his decision.
After a long journey that took him as far as Trier, located in what is today southwestern Germany, he became a beggar. In that city he made the acquaintance of a rich landowner. Reproaching him for his laziness, the rich man suggested that Wendelin take the job of shepherd in exchange for a pittance. Unhappy with not having free time for his prayers, Wendelin agreed to become a shepherd, able to pray while watching over his flocks.
One day when he had ventured rather far with his sheep, he ran into his master on horseback who reminded him of his duties. Wendelin assured his master that not only would he and the sheep return home, they would be there before him. Arriving home after the shepherd, the master acknowledged Wendelin’s holiness and gave him his liberty. He also gifted him with a parcel of land on which Wendelin would build his hermitage.
By the grace of God, Saint Wendelin had the gift of dowsing, able to make spring water flow forth at the touch of his shepherd's crook and to cure sick animals with his prayers. News of these miracles reached as far as the bishop of Trier, who named Wendelin abbot of Tholey monastery, where he would continue to live a life of austerity, relying on charity.
It was in 617 that Wendelin’s health began to decline. Sensing the approach of his death, he revealed to his fellow monks his noble origins. At his death he was buried at the foot of the altar, the usual custom for high-ranking people.
Several centuries later, the town of Saint-Wendel was built around his tomb. He is the patron saint of shepherds and agricultural workers, who prayed to him for good harvests and delivery from both the plague and infectious animal diseases.
The saint’s day for Saint Wendelin is around October 20. Worship of Saint Wendelin is widespread throughout Alsace, and several churches, chapels or religious sites were named in his honor. Incidentally, in Uberach there are two statues celebrating his legend, and the village church is named after him. His humility and devotion along with his gift for dowsing explain his connection to the village and would eventually be the genesis for the very first Alsatian whiskies.
All our whiskies carry the denomination “Whisky d’Alsace,” (Alsatian whisky), proof of their authentic character, quality and wholehearted craftsmanship.
A IGP (protected geographical indication), characterizes a whisky whose ingredients and production methods are intimately linked to a particular region or soil. In order to receive this IGP, an official set of precise and complex specifications must be met. There are only two regions in France who have the IGP for whisky: Brittany and now Alsace. Newly established in 2015, these geographic indications require more than the European demands and constraints.
Precise production
The IGP Whisky d’Alsace states that the following stages must be followed in a defined geographical area, according to a particular method:
Crushing the malted barley
Milling without using any exogenous enzymes
Fermenting the must without using heat or any sweet or chemical additives
Distilling the fermented must with a one-pass still or a column still with a capacity of 25 hectoliters at most
Aging the brandies
la réduction
Reducing the volume of alcohol, if desired, to attain between 40° and 65°
The prime ingredients used for « Whisky d’Alsace » are exclusively malted barley, water from a local source and yeast. All transgenic varieties of the barley, commonly referred to as genetically modified, are forbidden.
Slow aging, at the mercy of the elements
The brandies are aged in cellars where the humidity and temperature are naturally regulated, without recall to any insulation or ventilation.
The aging is done is oak barrels with a capacity of at most 700 liters for a minimum period of 3 years from the date of barreling.
Aging beyond three years can be done with containers of other types of wood.
Naturally amber
Coloring is forbidden in the IGP Whisky d’Alsace. In accordance with European laws and the provisions of the Alsatian specifications, the whisky must not be watered down or flavored, nor must it include any other additive, including caramel for color.
Aging in oak barrels for three years is the factor that naturally influences the color of Alsatian Whiskyand its organoleptic characteristics such as taste, sight, smell and touch.
Slowly, patiently, our products bide their time in prestigious French barrels of oak or chestnut; a few months for our Vielle Prune or Aged Plum brandy, many long years for the whiskies. The creator, our composer, takes his time, working with the elements, letting the magic take place.
Barrel selection
In 2003 Jean Metzger, our composer of whiskies, had a certain idea of how to create and develop the soul of each whisky by blazing his own trail, working on the fringe of what was practiced at the time. A visionary devoted to our rich terroirs, he chooses only French-made barrels that have already housed other exceptional alcohols. From the distinctive Jura wines to the sweet wines of Banyuls or Alsace, from rums to champagne, each barrel that is delivered to Uberach has its own particular story to tell. Its those stories that move and inspire our composer.
Jean Metzger travels take him throughout the vineyards of France, meeting others equally passionate, discovering other exceptional alcohols. All of them come from chateaux or wineries with a rigorous, sophisticated approach to viticulture. Over the last 15 years he has gained the confidence and recognition of these winegrowers and liquor manufacturers who entrust him with their precious barrels, giving new life to the casks. So as to conserve the least trace of the flavor previously contained in the barrel, Jean retrieves the casks the same day the alcohol is drained and brings them directly back to Alsace. Upon their arrival in Uberach, Jean fills them with malt distillate.
The role of the casks
Consequently, each barrel will slowly transmit its history, its memories, to the whisky that will in turn develop its own typicity and complexity that create its identity. The wood will contribute its own touch of naturalness, evoking the organic wines or champagnes that the keg has already contained.
The aroma of the wood, its essential nature, its origins, give the whisky a particular typicity. Each barrel immortalizes with panache and verve its history, its former life where it contained wine. Settling in the casks, the whisky will breathe in the aromas of the wood which will in turn quell the vigor of youth and bring out the strength of its character. Our cellars which hold several hundred barrels, casks or kegs of differing volumes are regularly joined by other treasures representing the finest array of French terroirs.
Inspired by the precise German method of making fruit brandies, Jean Metzger quite naturally chose traditional Holstein copper stills from that country for the distillery.
The brandies undergo a double-pass distillation. The first pass allows the distiller to bring the aromas to life and the second, to concentrate them. At the Distillerie Bertrand, time is left to slowly drift by with a second pass of around 7 hours.
This distilling method at Bertrand prioritizes a long distillation so as not to rush the product and risk burning the tastes and aromas. During this slow extraction the distiller uses all his senses. Depending on the fruits or the mashes, he determines by experience and instinct the length of time it will take for the different stages so as to have exceptional brandies.
The five senses are found in the distiller’s hand.
« When you shake a distiller’s hand at Bertrand, you’ll meet rough skin forged by experience and marked by the heat of the still. »
« The distiller must at certain times open the metal door of the still’s kettle in order to experience the bouquets emanating from the still. And there’s also the look of the product — it’s essential to make a visual analysis of the distillate. He also tastes the distillate, or new spirit process, before moving on to the next steps in the operation: taking measurements and evaluating the product as the still is emptied. The still whistles a tune, music that livens up the distillery and the warehouse with each distillation. »
In Uberach, the distiller tames the still, sensing the product living and transforming within.
For this virtuoso, the simple act of touching his instrument creates a connection, letting him learn how the still functions. To help him in this painstaking work, he has his tools: a thermometer to indicate the right temperature, an alcoholmeter that tells him the precise density of the distillate…but to make these unique and delicate brandies, nothing is more valuable than the experience of the distiller with his still.
Clearly, our double-pass stills allow us to distill the musts of beer which constitute the raw material for our whiskies. That phase of the process of making whisky, getting to the new make or the distillate, lasts three days.
Taste, feel, sniff, touch, repeat.
The Family Tree
De la nature à la distillation
Frequently found in the fine arts and craftwork such as jewelry-making or embroidery, the family tree symbolizes the life force, its origins and is often represented with roots, branches and leaves in order to show the importance of its development. At the Distillerie Bertrand over 40 years ago, a family tree was dreamt up to highlight and pay homage to the fruits, plants, flowers, grains and berries used in the art of distillation. It is one in a long history of inspirations for the aromas and tastes of the Bertrand brandies, liqueurs and spirits.
To guide, to represent, to symbolize and ultimately to transcend the fruits or plants.
Expressing the sole, unique legacy of our passion for artisanal distilling. The Bertrand family tree underscores today’s revival of our brandies. Like an allegorical allusion to nature, the family tree tracks the evolution of our emotions.
L'arbre de vie de la Distillerie Bertrand
De la nature à la distillation
Souvent présent dans l’art, la joaillerie ou la broderie, l’arbre de vie, symbolisant la force de la vie et ses origines, est souvent représenté avec racines, branches et feuilles pour montrer l’importance du développement. À la Distillerie Bertrand, un arbre de vie a été imaginé il y a plus de 40 ans pour magnifier et rendre hommage aux fruits, plantes, fleurs, céréales et baies utilisés dans l’art de la distillation. Il fait partie des inspirations historiques des parfums et senteurs des eaux-de-vie, liqueurs et spiritueux Bertrand.
Guider, représenter, symboliser et sublimer les fruits ou plantes.
Traduisant un héritage à la fois unique et singulier de notre passion pour la distillation artisanale, l’arbre de vie Bertrand signe et accompagne aujourd’hui le renouveau des eaux-de-vie Bertrand. Telle une allégorie à la nature, l’arbre de vie suit le cheminement de nos émotions.
Nos alambics
Imprégné par la culture germanique des eaux-de-vie de fruits et inspiré par ce savoir-faire précis, c’est tout naturellement que Joseph Bertrand a choisi des alambics traditionnels Holstein en cuivre, une marque allemande, pour la distillerie.
La distillation des eaux-de-vie est une distillation dite « à deux passes ». La première permet au distillateur de réveiller les arômes et la seconde les concentre. A la Distillerie Bertrand, on laisse le temps s’écouler lentement avec une seconde passe d’environ 7 heures.
La méthode de distillation Bertrand privilégie une distillation longue pour ne pas brusquer le produit et risquer de brûler des arômes. Au cours de cette lente extraction, le distillateur mobilise tous ses sens pour déterminer, en fonction des fruits ou des brassins, par expérience et par instinct la durée des différentes étapes à respecter pour créer une eau-de-vie d’exception.
L’adage de notre maître-distillateur :
La main renferme les 5 sens du distillateur.
« Si l’on serre la main d’un distillateur Bertrand, on rencontrera une main à la peau rêche, forgée par l’expérience et marquée par la chaleur de l’alambic. »
« Durant la distillation, le distillateur s’attache à ouvrir à certains moments le hublot pour ressentir les effluves qui émanent de la cuve chauffée. Sans oublier la vue, elle est primordiale et nécessaire pour une analyse visuelle des distillats Il dégustera également le distillat ou new spirit process avant de passer à la suite de l’opération, prise de mesure, évaluation du produit en sortie d’alambic. Les sifflements de l’alambic rythment la musique, ils animent à chaque distillation les chais et la distillerie pour le plus grand bonheur de notre duo. »
A Uberach, le distillateur apprivoise l’alambic et ressent le produit qui vit et se transforme à l’intérieur.
Pour ce virtuose, le fait de toucher son instrument lui permet de créer un lien et d’apprendre le fonctionnement de cet alambic. Pour s’aider dans ce travail d’orfèvre, il utilise des outils, un thermomètre qui lui indique la bonne température, un alcoomètre qui lui précise la densité du distillat…
Mais pour créer des eaux-de-vie uniques et délicates, rien ne vaut l’expérience du distillateur avec son alambic.
Évidemment, nos alambics à deux passes permettent également de distiller les moûts de bière qui constituent la matière première de nos whiskies. Cette phase de l’élaboration des whiskies pour constituer le new make ou distillat se déroule pendant 3 jours.
Répéter, goûter, sentir, humer, toucher.
Nos barriques
Lentement, patiemment, nos produits reposent dans de prestigieuses barriques françaises de chêne ou de châtaigner. Quelques mois pour notre Vieille Prune, de longues années pour les whiskies. L’éleveur prend son temps. Il travaille à contre-courant, et la magie opère.
La sélection des barriques
Pour créer et faire se développer l’âme de chacun de nos whiskies, notre éleveur Jean Metzger a eu, en 2003, une idée précise de la façon dont il voulait travailler. Visionnaire et attaché à la richesse des terroirs, il sélectionne uniquement des barriques d’origine française qui ont déjà accueillis des alcools d’exception. Vins duJura, deBanyuls ou d’Alsace, rhums ou champagnes, chaque barrique qui arrive à Uberach a une histoire particulière à raconter. C’est cette histoire qui émeut et inspire notre éleveur.
Jean Metzger parcourt les régions viticoles françaises, rencontre des gens tout aussi passionnés que lui, découvre d’autres alcools d’exception. Tous issus de maisons ou de domaines ayant une approche viticole très pointue. Au fil de ces 15 dernières années, il a obtenu la confiance et la reconnaissance des vignerons et fabricants de spiritueux qui lui confient leurs précieuses barriques. Pour conserver l’empreinte de l’alcool contenu précédemment dans une barrique, Jean va la chercher le jour-même où l’alcool est retiré du fût et reprend le chemin de l’Alsace. Dès l’arrivée de la barrique à Uberach, Jean la remplit d’eau-de-vie de malt.
Le rôle des fûts
Chaque barrique va alors transmettre, lentement, son histoire et sa mémoire au whisky qui développe à son tour sa typicité et sa complexité et qui lui forge son identité. Le bois va transmettre son histoire et apposer une touche de naturalité évoquant les chapitres des vins bios ou natures bruts que la barrique a accueilli.
Le parfum du bois, son essence et son origine, donnent au whisky typicité et particularité. Chaque barrique respecte avec brio son parcours, sa vie d’avant, du temps où elle contenait du vin. La respiration du whisky à travers le bois atténuera la vigueurde leur jeunesse pour exalter la force de leur caractère.
Tous nos whiskies bénéficient de l’appellation « Whisky d’Alsace ».
Une IGP, indication géographique protégée, permet de caractériser un whisky dont les ingrédients et la méthode de fabrication sont intimement liés à un territoire. Pour obtenir cette IGP, il faut respecter un cahier des charges précis et complexe. Il existe aujourd’hui deux IGP en France, l’IGP Whisky de Bretagne et l’IGP Whisky d’Alsace.
Une fabrication précise
L’IGP Whisky d’Alsace impose que soient effectués dans une zone géographique définie selon une méthode déterminée :
le concassage de l’orge maltée
le brassage de la mouture
la fermentation du moût
la distillation du moût fermenté
le vieillissement des eaux-de-vie
la réduction
la finition
Les matières premières utilisées pour le « Whisky d’Alsace » sont exclusivement l’orge maltée, l’eau et la levure. Les variétés d’orge transgéniques sont interdites.
Un lent vieillissement
Les eaux-de-vie sont vieillies dans des chais de vieillissement dont l’hygrométrie et la température sont régulées naturellement sans installation autre que l’isolation et la ventilation des locaux.
Le vieillissement se fait en récipients de bois de chêne d’une capacité inférieure ou égale à 700 litres durant une période minimale de 3 ans à compter de la date de mise sous bois.
L’élevage au-delà des 3 ans peut se faire dans des récipients de bois d’autres essences.
Naturellement ambré
Dans l’IGP Whisky d’Alsace, la coloration est interdite.
Conformément à la réglementation européenne et aux dispositions du cahier des charges alsacien, le whisky ne doit pas être édulcoré ou aromatisé ni contenir aucun autre additif, y compris le caramel pour la coloration.
C’est le vieillissement dans des fûts de chêne, pendant 3 années, qui va impacter naturellement la couleur du « Whisky d’Alsace» et ses caractéristiques organoleptiques.
Né en 554 en Écosse, Wendelin est prédestiné à la royauté. Fils du roi Forchado et de la reine Irelina, il est envoyé faire ses études au couvent, comme il était coutume à cette époque. Refusant son destin royal et aspirant à une vie humble voire misérable, Wendelin part à la recherche de son propre chemin.
Guidé par l’envie de se consacrer au service de Dieu, il se rend à Rome en 574 où le pape Benoît I approuve sa décision.
Après un long périple jusqu’à Trèves, Wendelin se fait mendiant. Il fait la rencontre d’un riche propriétaire qui, lui reprochant sa paresse, lui propose de devenir gardien de ses troupeaux en échange d’un petit pécule. Malheureux de ne pas avoir de temps libre pour réaliser ses prières, il obtient la garde des moutons pendant laquelle il peut prier.
Un jour, alors qu’il s’était trop éloigné avec ses moutons, il croise son maître à cheval qui le reprend à l’ordre. Wendelin affirme à ce dernier qu’il sera de retour avant lui. Arrivé en second à sa maison, le maître reconnait alors sa sainteté et lui accorde la liberté, il lui offre également une parcelle de terre où Wendelin construira son ermitage.
Saint Wendelin avait le don, par la grâce de Dieu, de faire jaillir de sa crosse de berger une source d’eau douce et de guérir les animaux malades par ses prières. Ses miracles parvenus jusqu’à l’évêque de Trèves, il devient abbé du monastère de Tholey où il continue sa vie d’austérité et de charité.
En 617, Wendelin dépérit. Sentant la mort approcher, il révèle aux moines ses nobles origines. À son décès, ils l’enterrent au pied de l’autel comme il était d’usage pour les personnes de rang élevé.
Quelques siècles plus tard, la ville de Saint-Wendel en Allemagne a été érigée autour de son tombeau.
On célèbre la saint Wendelin autour du 20 octobre.
