NORK DERBE Doppelkorn. Doppelkorn made from wheat, rye, and peated barley malt, smoky with notes of bread, 39% ABV, 500 ml – from Bremen.

NORK DERBE Doppelkorn is a Doppelkorn from Bremen: distilled from wheat, rye, and peated barley malt, with peat smoke and notes of freshly baked bread, 39% ABV, 500 ml. Not a mild entry-level schnapps, not an aged whisky, not a liqueur – an unaged grain spirit with character, from mild to wild, as the producer puts it.

DERBE Doppelkorn by NORK is the second Korn from the Bremen brand and the counterpart to their mild Original. Doppelkorn means a grain spirit with at least 38% ABV, distilled exclusively from grain. For the DERBE, there are three types – wheat for the base, rye for the spicy, earthy depth, and peated barley malt, which is dried over peat fires and provides the smoke you might otherwise associate with Scottish whisky. The Korn remains unaged; what comes out of the still goes straight into the bottle.

Fruity to earthy grain notes, peat smoke, and freshly baked bread

On the nose, the DERBE first reveals smoke – peat, like a young whisky, but quieter. Beneath this lie grain notes, which the producer describes as fruity to earthy, and the scent of freshly baked bread, which comes from the rye. On the palate, it is bold and spicy; the smoke lingers through to the finish, which remains long and warm.

NORK compares the DERBE to unaged whisky, to grappa, even to mezcal – referring to the raw, unvarnished grain fruitiness that a barrel would otherwise mask. At 39% ABV, it has the same strength as the mild Doppelkorn, the NORK Original, but tastes like the opposite: the former is soft and gentle, while this is an "aroma club," as the producer says. According to NORK, the DERBE is vegan.

Neat in a small glass or in a Derbe Paloma with grapefruit and salt

Neat, the DERBE is a Korn for a small glass at room temperature. Smell first, then take a small sip. It is a spirit with 39% ABV; sale is only permitted to persons aged 18 and over.

In a drink, the smoky Korn stands its ground against bold partners. The producer's recipe is the Derbe Paloma: 5 cl DERBE, 2 cl lime juice, topped with pink grapefruit soda, a pinch of salt or a salt rim, ice cubes, and a lime wedge in a long drink glass. The bitterness of the grapefruit, the salt, and the peat smoke create a drink reminiscent of mezcal cocktails – with grain instead of agave.

Store in a cool, dark place.

Our tip: Put the long drink glass for the Paloma in the freezer beforehand and rim the edge with lime and salt – the cold takes the sharpness off the smoke, while the salt brings out the grapefruit.

Developed with the Feinbrennerei Sasse – the second Korn following the 2019 transition

The DERBE is the younger of the two NORK Körns. It was created after the Bremen brand moved its production to the Feinbrennerei Sasse in the Münsterland region in mid-2019. According to NORK, they have various stills and master distillers with generations of experience there; together with them, Ann-Katrin and Johann Dallmeyer, the siblings who founded NORK, developed this Korn using peated malt. The water comes from the distillery’s own well, and the grain base consists of wheat, rye, and barley malt.

Since 2016, the idea behind NORK has been to make Korn socially acceptable again – moving away from traditional folk festivals and toward a spirit that can compete with gin or whisky. The Original shows how mild Korn can be; the DERBE shows how much flavor is hidden in grain.

For whisky and mezcal fans, the home bar, and everyone who previously found Korn too tame

The DERBE is the bottle for anyone who likes smoke. This includes whisky drinkers who want to try a young, unaged grain spirit, mezcal fans looking for peat in a cocktail, and anyone who found the Original too gentle. The mild side of NORK is the Doppelkorn; both Körns, the liqueurs, and the Coffee-Liquorice Liqueur can be found on our NORK page, and other spirits in the Spirits category. The DERBE is not suitable for those looking for a soft, neutral Korn for a long drink – if you find smoke and bread notes too intense, you are better off with the Original.

Wheat, rye, and peated barley malt, smoky with notes of bread, 39% ABV, developed with the Feinbrennerei Sasse – the DERBE Doppelkorn from NORK in Bremen for a small glass and the Derbe Paloma.