Category: review

By David Levine

Rating: B+

It’s hard to believe that Stauning Danish Whisky is almost 20 years old.

Founded in 2005 by a group of nine friends, it came online at roughly the same time as the first wave of the new craft movement in the US. In many ways, Stauning represents the entire Nordic/Scandinavian region and its new distilling scene. Hundreds of distilleries followed in Stauning’s wake. Flavors of Denmark, Sweden, and Norway (Iceland and Finland, too, depending on who you ask) are suddenly in vogue as the interest in the region’s culinary products and prowess booms around the world.

For Stauning – and these northern European cultures – rye is a specialty. It’s a grain that grows in nearly any soil, a key feature for Vikings and their descendants as they, too, spread around the known world. Barley and wheat might grow. Short of being on a glacier, rye will grow. And so, when building their initial distillery and the gorgeous 24-still successor, Stauning made sure that rye would be a core offering.

American rye drinkers and drinkers of American rye will find this quite different from the rye profiles coming out of Indiana and other famous rye distilling states. There’s no black pepper here, no sharpness you’d expect in a 95/5 or a Monongahela, nor is it sweet like the barely-legal ryes of Maryland and Kentucky. Instead, it is earthy, reminiscent of walking through the very fields from which the rye is harvested. Whether by nature or design, Stauning’s rye feels and tastes closer to the earth, a quality I only find in select American ryes also grown locally to their respective distilleries.

I should note, Stauning makes excellent single malt, but their showcasing of what rye from northern climes tastes like has set a standard. Their products are also surprisingly easy to get, which not many Danish or Scandinavian spirits can say.

This particular rye is floor-malted on-site. I can’t say for sure what that does to the flavors, but it does indicate a level of care for the grain that you can only claim when you’re the one turning the sprouts. Only a dozen or so distilleries do this in the US, all craft, and the few that do it in Scotland are famous for it (Balvenie, for example). Floor-malting rye that’s grown “a bike ride away from the distillery by two local farmers” allows Stauning to rightfully claim Danish terroir, Danish spirit, and Danish rye.

Stauning’s Floor-Malted Rye Whisky is where I entered the world of Scandinavian whisky, and I would argue it’s the best place to do so. The rye is unfamiliar but not enough to scare a newer drinker off, and more experienced whiskyphiles will enjoy their horizons being expanded. I find a strong through-line between their rye and barley spirits, so there’s an easy jump there, and from that point you can bring in other producers like. Spirit of Hven, Eimverk Distillery, and more out-there flavors that are incredibly interesting but might need a steppingstone to reach.

The flip side of this coin is that the rye is relatively simple. It’s far from one note, to be clear; it just feels more like that entry point whisky, one that has enough flavor to stand on its own while being a great canvas for finishing, additional aging, and blending. It’s an easy buy and one sure to inflame interest in Stauning and the larger movement they helped start.

The Whisky
Golden blossom honey in the glass, medium wavy rims and medium-sized droplets encircling. Light and sweet on the nose, hay, farms, and fields without the barnyard funk. Caramel apples heavy on the caramel, almost toffee-like. Candied lemon zest and sugared grapefruit. Cel-Ray soda and fresh lime juice.

Fruity and citrus-forward on the palate with an unfamiliar spice kicking the front of my tongue (I’ve been trying for days to identify it, and it’s not one I have in my kitchen). The farm and haystack notes carry through from the nose. Slightly burnt grain, like a caramel roasted rye or malt towards the back, white grapes and mild astringency, dried orange peel. Mouthfeel is silky and moderately viscous, lighting up the front of my tongue again before settling down to a lighter astringency in the corners of my mouth. The finish reveals just a bit of barnyard funk, like freshly mulched or fertilized fields, with a beautiful fall flavor memory of fallen apples and tree fruits starting to ferment on the ground. Medium length, leans sweet.

Overall: A dominant statement of what Danish rye can be. Reminiscent of farms, fall, and grain, an unfamiliar spice adding intrigue behind the intense flavors. A great standard-bearer for what Scandinavian rye can be and a strong canvas from which to build. At 3+ years old, an easy buy for those looking to expand their palates and try something new.

The Price
A bottle of this Danish rye should cost you $68.99.