By now, we've told you many times. We malt! Right now, we simply can't stop talking about it. For us, it's new, exciting, and challenging — and we learn something new every single day. You could say we've been completely swept up by the passion for it. Today, we'd like to introduce you to two of our Bio malts. One is a dark malt made from Schlägler rye, and the other is the blonde Monroe — a winter brewing barley.
Let's start with the rye. This variety is a true Methuselah. Actually, THE Methuselah. According to the Bio-Kompetenzzentrum Schlägl, Schlägler rye is the oldest registered grain variety to be found in the Austrian plant breeding register. The guardians of this rye grail are based at Stift Schlägl, where you can also source the seed. Our malt made from Schlägler rye grows in the Kickinger fields. We kiln the grain at a very high temperature, which gives rise to an intense, fresh, and bready aroma with distinct notes of rustic forest honey. And then there's the chocolate. Hold your nose over a bag of the rye malt and you feel as though you're sinking into a wonderful dark chocolate crème. Later, in the whisky, these notes will be responsible for that characteristic nougat touch. The first Single Grain Whisky made from Schlägler rye (from the 2014 harvest) is already available.
Malt: Monroe, blonde
The second of the pair is noticeably lighter. We're fairly certain, though, that the winter brewing barley variety wasn't named Monroe for that reason. Brewers and beer enthusiasts should take note: there is also an (American) hop variety called Monroe — don't get them mixed up! This variety is a two-row, home-grown cultivar with outstanding malt quality. In the aroma, this shows through a potpourri of bright, spicy notes. Everything feels a little lighter overall. The chocolate becomes milk chocolate, the stout becomes a wheat beer.
If you don't want to wait until the whisky has matured and been bottled, you can also try the malts in the kitchen. The possibilities are endless — simply refine your daily muesli, bake Borodinsky (a Russian rye bread with honey, coriander, and rye malt), or of course search online for a few more ideas. Just be careful not to end up on recipes by Tim Mälzer ;-)
