Spirituosenschmiede Grasbrook White 2020

Grasbrook White 2020 is proof that ester-driven funk is not the sole property of the tropics. Distilled by Spirituosenschmiede in Germany on a combination of pot and column stills from molasses, it is bottled unsweetened at a bold 60%, an overproof white aimed squarely at drinkers who chase intensity over polish.

Despite the molasses base, it leans hard into agricole and high-ester territory: fresh, fruity and grassy with a pronounced cheesy, brined note and a lime-and-coconut brightness running through aroma, palate and finish. The comparison drinkers keep reaching for is Savanna on the nose meeting Clairin on the palate, and that captures its wild, funky character well. At full proof it is not a quiet sipper, but it truly comes alive in a Daiquiri, where the esters and fresh fruit cut through and the cheesy funk turns into an asset. A standout for the adventurous.