Slyrs Distillery (Germany, Editions 03 & 04)

The first time I encountered a Slyrs whisky, it took me two nights to realize the sandalwood scent wasn’t from my wrist but from the glass. I visited the Bavarian distillery in 2022 on a rainy morning, as German tourists queued under umbrellas before opening time. Fortunately, someone was waiting for me. The initial surprise was their beautiful stills, a unique model with a reflux bulb resembling an eau de vie still, reminiscent of the one used for their early distillations before establishing their facilities. Slyrs employs double distillation, a week-long low-temperature fermentation, and uses local barley and Spitzingsee spring water. Their whiskies are characterized by mellow, fruity flavors with a delicate, floral character. The name Slyrs has Iro-Scottish origins but embodies a Bavarian spirit, much like their whisky. In 779, five monks from Ireland and Scotland founded a monastery in the Bavarian wilderness of Schliersee, naming it Slyrs. This historical connection continues to influence the distillery’s identity today.

Broger Distillery (Austria, Editions 01 & 02)

When I visited Broger Distillery in September 2022, in Klaus, Austria, we immediately connected and I knew it would be the distillery to start Catador Itinerante’s collection. In charge of a family and craft distillery with a very limited annual production of just 1000 liters, the Brogers know what they are doing. They do not rush to bottle as long as their whiskeys continue to mature deliciously, they use only one Carl copper still for double distillation, they do not have washbacks, and the barrels that have held their whiskeys are repurposed into handcrafted furniture instead of being reused to mature new whiskies. An overly professional and well-kept hobby, the art of making whisky for them is passionate, fun and an excuse for the family to be together. Their whiskies carry not only methods learned from previous generations of distillers, but also layers of flavors that only they can achieve.