3,000 new trees for 3,000 previously bottled casks of Dresden whisky
Dresdner Whisky Manufaktur plants in Lippe'schen Forst in Niederau near Moritzburg
Germany's largest whisky distillery, Dresdner Whisky Manufaktur, used a seminar on the topic of "Trees, wood, sustainability" as an opportunity to reflect on its own role in this context. As casks are made from wood, this raw material should be returned to nature. As part of its commitment to sustainability, Dresdner Whisky Manufaktur is now planting 3,000 new trees so that there will be a basis for new casks in the future and the carbon footprint is improved at the same time.
"We wanted to use our little trees for the reforestation of Saxon Switzerland, which had been damaged by a devastating forest fire, but this did not go down well with Sachsenforst. An enquiry to the forestry department at the TU Dresden in Tharandt also came to nothing. That's when I remembered a decades-old contact with Thomas Koitzsch, forest administrator of the 'Lippe'schen Forstverwaltung Georg Moritz Prinz zur Lippe'," reveals Thomas Michalski, Blend Master and partner of Dresdner Whisky Manufaktur.
The Lippe Forestry Administration currently manages around 520 hectares of forest in Moritzburg and the surrounding area. "We have identified a suitable area for larch planting at the large pond in Niederauer Oberau. For the first time, we want to test whether we can manage without protective fences around the new plantings. To do this, we are using a scent system that has been tried and tested in northern Europe, which is made up of animal and human scents and is intended to deter animals from biting wildlife," says Thomas Koitzsch.
Planting will take place under the guidance of Laußnitz landscape gardener Mario Hörig, who specialises in reforestation. "It's not just about the planting, up to 1,000 euros a year will also be spent on maintenance in the first few years," says Hörig, who is looking forward to the results of the fragrance test.
To date, Dresdner Whisky Manufaktur has filled 3,000 barrels with its HELLINGER 42 whisky. "The 3,000 new trees should be the start of giving at least a little something back to nature," says Jörg Hans, Managing Director and Master Distiller of Dresdner Whisky Manufaktur.
"We are delighted that the Lippe Forest can now be equipped with our young trees and we are sure that these will not be the only ones," concluded Thomas Michalski and Jörg Hans.