THE GAME WITH FIRE OR AN ODE TO THE ANCIENT ART OF BURNING

Fire has always had a special significance in history as a source of warmth and light, as has the ability to handle it. Michael Scheibel, Managing Director of distillery Scheibel in Kappelrodeck, has a perfect command of fire, at least when it comes to fine brandies. In Kappelrodeck in the Black Forest, spirits are still distilled over an open fire in the Alte Zeit distillery in small 320-liter brick stills, just as they were a hundred years ago. This makes Scheibel probably the only commercial distillery in Germany that still works in this way today. The result is products with a strong character and a unique product DNA. The world of distilling has changed rapidly in recent decades. Today, distilleries are equipped with state-of-the-art stills that are operated via computers and touchscreens; everything runs fully automatically. The future has also long since arrived at the Emil Scheibel distillery distillery in Kappelrodeck. "And that's a good thing! Modern technology enables us to monitor the distilling process very closely, so we can guarantee the consistently high quality of our products. We call this the 'Neue Zeit'," says Michael Scheibel, Managing Director of the distillery of the same name. "But I personally find the 'Alte Zeit' brand products more exciting. These brandies are original and unconventional. To create a brandy like this, you need a little more of everything: more volume, more fruit, a longer maturation period and, above all, more time." Whether wild raspberries from the Carpathian Mountains, Zibärtle from orchards in the Ortenau region or mirabelle plums from Nancy, rare, rare fruits form the basis for the characterful distillates of Alte Zeit. With their primary aromas, they provide the ideal basis for the high-quality distillates. "The yield is low compared to other fruits, but the aroma is gigantic," enthuses Scheibel. In order to preserve these aromas, the traditional company from the northern Black Forest relies on chilled fermentation during processing. This means the process takes considerably longer, but the result proves the company right. The aromas do not simply evaporate, literally, but remain in the mash and thus later in the distillate. Fermentation is followed by slow and gentle distillation over a wood fire, during which a wide range of secondary aromas emerge. Scheibel distils twice, which takes up to ten hours. The Old Time products are then given the finishing touches during storage. This is where the brandies come to rest and can develop their full aroma. An unusually long maturation period favors the development of exciting tertiary aromas that are unique in taste and aftertaste. "It is never possible to say in advance exactly how long a brandy needs to be stored, as every distillate is different. Time is also of the essence here, you should never be impatient," says Scheibel. "Ultimately, however, the perfect interplay of fruit, production and storage, i.e. the DNA of the brandy, is decisive for the result." The Alte Zeit distillery, in which the brandies are distilled, was built by Scheibel as an ode to the beautiful and ancient craft of traditional distilling based on old construction drawings and put into operation in 1990. It consists of two stills, each holding 320 liters, one for the raw spirit, the other for the fine spirit. The stills, which are surrounded by a water bath, are fired with wood, just as they were a hundred years ago. "Every fire has a kind of life of its own and the trick is to keep it in check and keep it burning when necessary. If you succeed, you are rewarded with a wonderful result," enthuses the Managing Director. "As far as I know, we are the only commercial distillery in Germany that still produces brandies in this way. And this is certainly also due to the fact that the process takes considerably more time and is more complex than modern distillation techniques." The Alte Zeit brand currently comprises nine products. In addition, special editions, known as treasure trove products, are launched once a year. In 2016, these include Morellenfeuer sour cherry, Wahlsche Schnapsbirne and an orange brandy. The products can be purchased directly from distillery Scheibel in Kappelrodeck, from specialist retailers and online. The 0.7 liter bottle is available from 62 euros (incl. VAT).