Stork House Straight Rye Whiskey
Stork House Straight Rye Whiskey is a 90-proof (45% ABV), 750mL rye made from 100% German rye and aged a minimum of three years in individually toasted first-fill American and German Napoleon oak — available to order online at Del Mesa Liquor, San Diego, CA.
- ABV: 45% (90 proof)
- Size: 750mL
- Age: minimum three years, per the importer
- Origin: Germany — Spreewood Distillers, Schlepzig, Spreewald, Brandenburg
- Mash bill: 100% German rye (malted and unmalted)
- Casks: individually toasted first-fill American oak and German Napoleon oak
Old American Style, European Aging
Released in the U.S. under the Stork House label, this is the flagship bottling from Spreewood Distillers — Germany's first rye whisky distillery, founded in 2016 in the Spreewald biosphere reserve south of Berlin. Local German rye, both malted and unmalted, is distilled in small batches and laid down for a minimum of three years in individually toasted first-fill American oak and German Napoleon oak. The style reads as an old-school American straight rye, but the European casks and German grain give it a darker, more chocolate-driven character than its Kentucky cousins.
Tasting Notes
Nose: rich chocolate, peppery oak, sweet caramel, butterscotch, toffee, and rye bread. Palate: smooth and full, toffee, caramel, and vanilla flowing into butterscotch, dark chocolate, and espresso, with a distinct rye spice kick. Finish: long and satisfying, dark chocolate and lingering rye spice.
How to Enjoy
The distillery's own serve is a Stork Club Highball — rye over ice, topped with ginger ale and a splash of orange zest. It also sips beautifully neat and brings real depth to a rye Manhattan or Sazerac.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Stork House whisky made? In Schlepzig, in the Spreewald region of Brandenburg, Germany — about 40 miles southeast of Berlin — by Spreewood Distillers, founded in 2016.
Is it really 100% rye? Yes — 100% German rye, a blend of malted and unmalted distillates, with no other grain in the mash.
How does it compare to the Full Proof? Same distillery and the same 100% German rye, but bottled at 45% instead of 55%, with a slightly different cask recipe — the Straight Rye is the smooth everyday pour, the Full Proof the cask-strength showpiece.
German rye with Kentucky soul — order Stork House Straight Rye Whiskey online at Del Mesa Liquor in San Diego, CA.