Minnesota’s Dampfwerk Distillery Announces Its First American Single Malt Whiskey

Minnesota’s Dampfwerk Distillery is making its way into the whiskey world with the recent release of its first American single malt whiskey.

Distilled for four years, the new Dampfwerk American Single Malt Whiskey is made from 100% Minnesota sourced pale ale and chocolate malt, first barreled in American white oak barrels and finished on a selection of red wine barrels, allowing what said to be softness and depth in the flavor profile. According to official tasting notes from the distillery, the single malt contains flavors of deep fruit, chocolate, toffee, and caramel notes.

The project was headed by Christian, son of Dampfwerk Head Distiller Ralf Loeffelholz. After studying Food Science at the University of Minnesota, where he focused on specialty chemistry and biology coursework and attended professional distillation training courses, he took on leading Dampfwerk’s whiskey line with the American Single Malt standing as his first release for the distillery. His background has a strong influence on his approach to the mash bill, fermentation and distillation of the whiskey, in addition to the unique barrels used for finishing.

“Honestly, I’m a little nervous… I’m excited to share this with others, but my nerves are coming from the fact that it’s something that I’ve been working on since we opened the distillery,” said Christian Loeffelholz in a prepared statement. “I hope that others will enjoy this single malt as much as I have enjoyed making it.

“I opted to make a single malt for our first release because it allowed me the freedom to be playful with the ingredients that I selected. I believe that those characteristics are showcased well in this product, and I cannot wait to have you guys try it!”

Dampfwerk Distilling is a family-owned distillery located in St. Louis Park, Minnesota. They use local products to create their spirits, as well as a hand-hammered copper still originating from the Schwarzwald in Baden, Germany.

The Dampfwerk American Single Malt, in a 750ml bottle, is available at select liquor stores in Minnesota. The distillery is also selling 375ml bottles on site.