In Steinhagen, Westphalia, grain has been turned into clear spirit since the village first earned its name as a distilling town. This bottle carries that thread forward — a faded label, a quality seal from 1976, and a story older than most people realise.
Expert description
Landwirth's Kronen Doppelkorn is a German Doppelkorn (Kornbrand) from Landwirth-Brennerei GmbH & Co KG in Steinhagen, Westphalia, bottled at 38%.
Doppelkorn is a clear German grain spirit that must reach at least 32% alcohol to be called Kornbrand, and only earns the name Doppelkorn from 37.5% upward. The tradition runs deepest in Lower Saxony, Westphalia and Thuringia, where grain has been distilled this way for centuries. The spirit is distilled twice to preserve its delicate grain character, and it sees no cask — this is an unaged, clear dram, bottled straight after distillation.
The label itself describes the spirit as "ehrlich, mild und klar, herzhaft und bekömmlich" — honest, mild and clear, hearty and wholesome. Landwirth-Brennerei was founded in 1906 as a cooperative distillery in Steinhagen, then the heartland of Westphalian grain-spirit production. The bottle carries a red DLG quality seal from 1976, a recognised German agricultural quality mark, showing the product was judged and awarded in that year.
Tasting notes
Nose
Clean grain, a touch of bread crust and a light sweetness, just as the producer's own label promises — mild, with no sharp edges.
Palate
Soft and round on the tongue, carried by grain and a faint nutty warmth, without the harshness found in younger, rougher grain spirits.
Finish
Short and clean, closing on a warm note that lives up to the label's own claim of being "bekömmlich" — easy-drinking and wholesome.
Specifications
Name: Landwirth's Kronen Doppelkorn
Distillery: Landwirth-Brennerei GmbH & Co KG
Region/Country: Steinhagen, Westphalia, Germany
Type: Doppelkorn (Kornbrand)
ABV: 38%
Distillation method: Double distilled
Serving suggestion: Best enjoyed well chilled
Flavour profile
Grainy · Mild · Clean · Classic
Did you know?
Landwirth-Brennerei started life in 1906 as a cooperative distillery owned jointly by local farmers in Steinhagen — hence the name "Landwirth's" (farmer's). In 1934 the distillery passed into the hands of the König company, and in 1974 the original factory buildings in Steinhagen were abandoned. Steinhagen itself is still known in Germany today as the home of the protected spirit Steinhäger.
