ORMA Whisky Distillery at the Corvatsch mountain station
‘The soul of whisky exists in our country,’ says Rinaldo Willy from Engadin with conviction. Whisky is more than just a stimulant; archaic, mystical and romantic symbols play an important role for whisky lovers: rugged landscapes, melancholic wafts of mist or the spicy scent of a forest. In Switzerland, and especially in the Engadin, these symbols can be found in the massive glaciers and rugged rock faces, in the clear lakes and dense forests. ‘Our country is predestined to establish itself as a great whisky nation,’ says Willy, who started distilling whisky with Pascal Mittner a good decade ago. And he sees certain parallels with the whisky nation of Scotland: ‘We Graubünden people have a certain reputation. We are about as narrow-minded or cosmopolitan as the Scots - they could be our brothers, so to speak.’
As many similarities as there may be, nobody in Scotland takes a gondola to the distillery. "Please get in," calls the cabin operator of the Corvatsch cable car. The door closes. And after just a few minutes, the guest is treated to a stunning view of larch forests and the lake district of the Upper Engadine. For the majority of gondola passengers, the trip up the mountain is the start of an exciting day trip, but for Rinaldo Willy and Pascal Mittner it is the way to work. Their whisky, called Orma Swiss Whisky, is produced high up on the Corvatsch, at 3303 m above sea level. They have been storing whisky barrels up here for maturation for several years, and later came up with the bold idea of distilling the whisky here too. The setting could hardly be more spectacular, and the distillery's special location also has practical advantages: "Because we can cool the system with the fresh mountain air, we save a lot of money and energy," says Willy.
Switzerland is burning again
The foundation stone for the work of the two Graubünden natives was laid on May 12, 1999 by the then Federal President Ruth Dreifuss and Federal Chancellor François Couchepin with the signing of the new ordinance on the alcohol and home distillery law. Until then, it was illegal in Switzerland to distill whisky and other distillates from basic foodstuffs such as grain or potatoes. The aim was to prevent alcohol abuse during the two world wars, but also to protect scarce food supplies. The new ordinance paved the way for distillers throughout Switzerland.
Friendship, appreciation and time
Not only their place of work, their product and their ambitions are unusual, but also how the two met. Rinaldo Willy and Pascal Mittner met at a groundbreaking time in their lives. Both were battling cancer at the time. Looking back, Mittner says: "That changed our attitude to life, especially the way we deal with our fellow human beings." To this day, they hold three things in high regard: friendship, appreciation and time. Time because you can't buy it with money. And because it is limited. No one knows how much they have at their disposal, says Rinaldo Willy. "When you have cancer, you realise that you have to live in the present and not in the future." Today, every whisky bottle has the words in cursive script: "The soul knows no time, but time gives the soul precious moments."
Moments that are unique when shared with special people. Time has another meaning in the life of whisky distillers. Anyone who sets out to produce whisky at the highest international level is committed to patience. A good whisky is placed in a wooden barrel to mature before it can be enjoyed - and stays there for six to twenty years. Mittner says: "What we are building here is the foundation for the next generation." They also put a lot of time into developing the character of their spirit. "We definitely didn't want to copy Scottish whiskies," says Willy. Unlike the Scots, they do not use sherry or bourbon barrels for maturation. Instead, they make use of what is available in the region. Mittner says: "We have excellent wine regions in the north and south, the Bündner Herrschaft or the Valtellina, for example." They order the wooden barrels there, in which their whisky can develop various aromas, from dried fruit, black tea, coffee, cocoa and light vanilla notes. The barrels are stored in the cellars of castles and old town houses, in old barns, abandoned military bunkers - or on a mountain peak, at spectacular heights where the air is thin and dry. Each location gives the whisky its own unique character. Whisky matured on the Corvatsch is already available to buy; the one that was also distilled here will be available from Christmas 2023. The added value of their product should remain in the region, but Mittner and Willy want to conquer the Asian market with their whiskies. "Asians appreciate high-quality spirits, but at the same time we score points there with our Swissness," says Willy.
Accepting the unchangeable
The sun is setting, the last rays illuminate the Alps. The clock strikes five. Time for the gondola to begin its final descent of the day. A thought occurs to them: what if the two of them miss the last gondola after a day at work, or if the gondola doesn't run at all because of stormy weather? That does happen, says Willy. They have a place to sleep up here and an emergency supply of ravioli. "We're in the mountains, nature plays the main role here." You can get upset about the weather, or you can accept the unchangeable and make the best of it. And what would be better at a moment like this than sitting down, having a good chat, and treating yourself to a whisky.