HØST (pronounced 'hurst' and meaning 'harvest' in Danish) is the latest edition to the core range of the Danish distillery of Stauning. The whisky is a marriage of their single malt and rye whiskies, which are made using barley and rye grown on two farms close to the distillery. The cereals have been floor-malted and kiln-dried at Stauning and then double distilled through their copper pot stills. HØST also features a marriage of cask types - ex-bourbon, heavily charred new American white oak and a small percentage of first-fill ex-Port barriques.
Stauning was founded in 2006 by nine friends and colleagues, and was Denmark's first purpose-built whisky distillery. The spirit was distilled in a converted abbatoir building for the early years before they moved to current larger state-of-the-art distillery. This is one of the most eco-friendly and sustainable distilleries in the world and features several groundbreaking innovations, such as floor malting equipment designed by one of the founders. The annual production capacity is 800,000 litres.
Stauning HØST joins the expressions Rye, Kaos and Smoke in the core range. It is bottled at 40.5% ABV and is widely available in the UK, through both specialist retailers and the Waitrose supermarket, plus selected world markets. The recommended retail price is £45/ €45/ 395 DKK.
Our Tasting Notes
The colour is straw gold and the nose is vibrant and aromatic. There is plenty of milk chocolate and heather honey first up and then a distinct maltiness. Underneath are further aromas of cookie dough, sour cherry and marzipan with hints of dusty wood spices (think of cinnamon especially) and candied orange.
On the palate this whisky grips the tastebuds and is just as lively and expressive as on the nose. The maltiness takes hold first and is quickly joined by some spicy rye notes. This gives a peppery and earthy quality which remains throughout. Some much needed sweetness evolves nicely - think of honey, golden syrup and that milk chocolate from before, plus hints of vanilla custard, cherry jam and juicy red berries.
The second half of the palate becomes more savoury. The milk chocolate develops to become more reminiscent of dark chocolate, plus woody and earthy spices begin to take hold. Add in a dash of bitter orange oil to add further depth. Late on the woody notes (that cinnamon again plus hints of clove and liquorice root) take hold and dry things out, as does some freshly sawn oak that made us think of pencil shavings.
The finish is of decent length and becomes a little peppery and hot. The woody dryness really begins to grip now, especially once the sweeter and fruiter characteristics have faded. The spice lingers on and is joined very late on by a hint of menthol and eucalyptus.
What's The Verdict?
Stauning HØST sits as the start of the core range of the Danish distillery and it feels like a good metaphor, as this would be a great whisky to try if you wanted to begin an exploration of rye. It demonstrates the characteristics of rye but in a gentle and subtle way. This reminds us of other Scandinavian rye whiskies that we have sampled, which follow a similar track. When compared to the bolder American and Canadian ryes this feels milder but that is no bad thing. This remains flavoursome throughout and would be great when used as the base of a creative cocktail.