Kyrö 6yo 2018/2024

Kyrö 6yo 2018/2024

Pienso Ruskea Koira, Little Brown Dog Spirits
Single rye - South Ostrobothnia
Amber, hints of red 
53.7% ABV
Dram

Nose: Black pepper, new plastic, rubber bands, rye bread, brown paper, hints of strawberry jam. With water, orange peel, brown paper, black pepper. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, syrupy, tingly, hot. 
Tasting:  Sweet salty. Black pepper, sea salt, brown paper, rye bread, coffee, rubber bands, salt caramel. With water, salt caramel, coffee, orange peel, hints of new plastic. 
Finish: Medium. Salt caramel, rye bread, sea salt, coffee. 

Comments: 

Peppery and spicy, but with an odd hint of new plastic. There’s something a bit sulphurous too. Water brings out salt caramel and coffee, as well as something a little sweeter.

Verdict:

I like this.

Kyrö 4yo 2018/2023

Kyrö 4yo 2018/2023

#3, The Heart Cut
Single malt - Southern Finland 
Dark amber
52% ABV
Dram

Nose: Strawberry jam, black pepper, rye bread, vanilla, honey, cloves, white grapes. With water, blackcurrant cordial, black pepper, rye bread, parchment. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, loosens, tingly, cool. 
Tasting:  Sour sweet. Strawberry jam, white grapes, gooseberries, parchment, black pepper, honey. With water, black tea, parchment, coffee, strawberry jam. 
Finish: Medium. Honey, parchment, wet stones, black pepper, coffee. 

Comments: 

Very jammy for a Kyrö, but the dry parchment and bready notes are also much in evidence. There’s plenty of spice, and with water it turns bitter and tannic. A chameleon of a whisky.

Verdict:

I like this.

Helsinki 6yo Batch 3

Helsinki 6yo Batch 3

That Boutique-y Whisky Company, Master of Malt
Single rye - Southern Finland
Amber gold
51.3% ABV
Dram

Nose: Cream, black pepper, strawberry jam, brown paper, leather, tobacco leaf, hints of sour cream. With water, magic marker, roast chicken, damson jam, brown paper. 
Mouthfeel: Heavy body, thickens, warm, astringent. 
Tasting:  Sour sweet. Brown paper, camphor, sandalwood, black pepper, tobacco leaf, damson jam, cherries, hints of smoke. With water, brown paper, cherries, sandalwood, black pepper. 
Finish: Long. Black pepper, brown paper, damson jam, cherries. 

Comments: 

Very fruity, I think this has a big proportion of barley in it. It’s rye whisky though, lots of spicy sweet notes. I think it’s well-aged, particularly like the jammy cherry notes.

Verdict:

I like this.

Kyrö 4yo Batch 2

Kyrö 4yo Batch 2

That Boutique-y Whisky Company, Master of Malt
Single malt - Southern Finland
Pale amber gold
47.8% ABV
Dram

Nose: Leather, sandalwood, vanilla ice cream, photocopy paper, parchment, hints of smoke, hints of violets. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, loosens, mouth coating, cool. 
Tasting:  Salty sweet. Farmyard, raisins, smoke, rye bread, black pepper, parchment, Chinese angelica, sandalwood, hints of vanilla ice cream. 
Finish: Short. Farmyard, raisins, black pepper, rye bread. 

Comments: 

Very feinty and herbaceous, but lots of that pungent farmyard note. It’s also a little sweet, and perhaps slightly floral on the nose. Decent dram. 

Verdict:

I like this.

Kyrö Peat Smoke Malt Rye Whiskey

Kyrö Peat Smoke Malt Rye Whiskey

Official bottling 
Single rye - Southern Finland
Copper gold
47.2% ABV
Dram

Nose: Vanilla, honey, marshmallows, marmalade, photocopy paper, brown paper, oolong tea. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, astringent, hot, expands. 
Tasting:  Salty sweet. Brown paper, rye bread, black pepper, marmalade, digestive biscuits, oatcakes, hints of toast. 
Finish: Medium. Rye bread, oatcakes, digestive biscuits, hints of leather. 

Comments: 

Surprisingly, not that smoky! There’s lots of cereal - rye bread, digestive biscuits, and the rye characteristic black pepper. The nose is slightly misleading, it’s sweet and not very rye like. That character shows up more on the tongue.

Verdict:

I like this.

Teerenpeli 5yo Batch 1

Teerenpeli 5yo Batch 1

That Boutique-y Whisky Company, Master of Malt
Single malt - Southern Finland
Amber
47.6% ABV
Dram

Nose: Vanilla ice cream, malted grains, golden syrup, orange juice, marzipan, hints of damson jam. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, loosens, tingly, airy. 
Tasting:  Sweet salty. Vanilla ice cream, damson jam, pomegranate molasses, orange juice, cream, hints of black tea. 
Finish: Short. Black tea, dark chocolate, damson jam, vanilla ice cream. 

Comments: 

Very sweet, creamy dram. Highly sherried too, lots of fruit and classic sherry notes. I found this delicious, but others might think it’s too sweet. Classy stuff from Finland.

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Kyrö Malt Rye Whisky

Kyrö Malt Rye Whisky

Official bottling 
Single rye - Southern Finland
Amber brown
47.2% ABV
Dram

Nose: Strawberries, cream, malted grains, sandalwood, hints of peaches, hints of bananas. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, cool, loosens, expands. 
Tasting:  Sour bitter. Malted grains, fresh baked bread, sandalwood, black pepper, hints of peaches, hints of violets. 
Finish: Medium. Sandalwood, pine, cream, black pepper, fresh baked bread. 

Comments: 

Malted rye whisky, not something you see everyday. Anyway, it’s fruity, malty and woody, almost incense-like. Lots of cereal notes too, complex and floral.

Verdict:

I like this.

Teerenpeli 9yo 2013/2022

Teerenpeli 9yo 2013/2022

Nordic Casks #2, Berry Bros & Rudd 
Single malt - Southern Finland
Chinese tea
59.9% ABV
Dram

Nose: Salted caramel, dates, butterscotch, raisins, honey, orange peel, leather, hints of fresh cut grass. With water, butterscotch, salted caramel, milk chocolate, leather, fresh baked bread. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, tingly, slippery, expands. 
Tasting:  Sweet salty. Raisins, damson jam, honey, cough syrup, fresh baked bread, fresh cut grass, nutmeg. With water, black tea, nutmeg, salted caramel, leather, dates. 
Finish: Long. Cough syrup, fresh baked bread, dates, honey, butterscotch. 

Comments: 

Cask 13B. Sweet and luscious, with a salty butterscotch note. It’s very jammy, and turns jammier with a little water on the tongue. It turns a little medicinal, like cough syrup, on the finish.

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Kyrö Wood Smoke Rye Whiskey

Kyrö Wood Smoke Rye Whiskey

Official bottling 
Single rye - Southern Finland
Amber bronze 
47.2% ABV
Dram

Nose: Leather, honey, damson jam, black tea, peaches, white grapes, hints of cinnamon. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, loosens, cool, slightly tingly. 
Tasting:  Sweet sour. Damson jam, white grapes, leather, toast, sourdough bread, hints of smoke, hints of malted grains. 
Finish: Short. Sourdough bread, toast, malted grains, leather, hints of milk chocolate. 

Comments: 

Sweet and smoky, with lots of fruit. Quite unusual, in that the rye spice is quite subtle and gentle. So’s the smoke, really, it’s muted and definitely not a top note. Delicious. 

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Helsinki Rye Whiskey

Helsinki Rye Whiskey 

Official bottling 
Single rye - Southern Finland
Copper
47.5% ABV
Dram

Nose: Black pepper, cinnamon, orange peel, white grapes, camphor, hints of jasmine, hints of coffee. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, thickens slightly, tingly, slippery. 
Tasting:  Sweet salty. Fresh baked bread, black pepper, cinnamon, camphor, orange peel, golden syrup. 
Finish: Short. Golden syrup, coffee, fresh baked bread, orange peel, hints of black pepper. 

Comments: 

I like this higher strength rye, lots of interesting peppery notes. It’s also rich and luscious, quite sweet. E been impressed by what comes out of this distillery, very promising. 

Verdict:

I like this.

Kyrö 5yo 2016/2021

Kyrö 5yo 2016/2021

Nordic Casks #1, Berry Bros & Rudd
Single rye - Southern Finland
Amber, hints of gold
54.6% ABV
Dram

Nose: Black pepper, vanilla, rye bread, butter, apples, hints of cedar. With water, marmalade, strawberry jam, rye bread. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, astringent, warm, mouth coating.  
Tasting:  Bitter sweet. Damson jam, vanilla, marmalade, black pepper, cloves, bananas, hints of cedar. With water, sweeter, marmalade, rye bread, cloves, black pepper.
Finish: Long. Marmalade, damson jam, black pepper, cedar. 

Comments: 

Cask 16037. This is a very good rye, spicy and sweet with a luscious orangey flavour note. Black pepper is the main spice note, but cloves abound as well (and are intense enough to numb the mouth briefly). Water helps, opening up some bready notes that complement the fruit. 

Verdict:

I like this.

Helsinki Rum Cask Rye Whiskey Release #14

Helsinki Rum Cask Rye Whiskey Release #14

Official bottling
Single rye - Southern Finland
Orange gold 
47.5% ABV
Dram

Nose: Pine, bananas, pear drops, honey, cinnamon, black pepper, hints of jasmine. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, cool, static, slippery. 
Tasting:  Sweet sour. Honey, bananas, pears, black pepper, rye bread, mangoes, hints of jasmine.  
Finish: Short. Pine, rye bread, honey, white grapes. 

Comments: 

A sweet and fragrant rye, the rum cask appears to have imparted notes of tropical fruit and flowers. It’s gentle and light, a very decent sipping whisky.

Verdict:

I like this.

Muteman Rye Whiskey

Muteman Rye Whiskey 

Official bottling
Single rye - Southern Finland
Amber, hints of bronze
40% ABV
Dram

Nose: Mangoes, leather, sourdough, white grapes, strawberries, hints of watermelon. 
Mouthfeel: Heavy body, syrupy, sticky, static. 
Tasting:  Sweet sour. Leather, cloves, mangoes, watermelon, malted grains, raisins, hints of strawberries. 
Finish: Medium. Malted grains, black pepper, black tea, oats. 

Comments: 

This is a rather lovely rye whiskey. It’s not quite a ‘single’ rye, if you like, there’s definitely some barley in here, perhaps more than you would find with a typical rye whiskey. The combination is good, lots of complexity from the malt, plus bold spicy notes from the rye. My slight gripe is that it would be better at a slightly higher strength. 

Verdict:

I like this.

Kyrö Release 8 Rye Whiskey

Kyrö Release 8 Rye Whiskey

Official bottling
Single rye - Southern Finland
Copper
47.2% ABV
Dram

Nose: Brown paper, black tea, vanilla ice cream, cinnamon, raisins, hints of pineapples. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, loosens, airy, cool. 
Tasting:  Sweet. Brown paper, vanilla sponge, fresh baked bread, black pepper, cinnamon, raisins, orange peel. 
Finish: Medium. Black tea, black pepper, vanilla ice cream, raisins, orange peel. 

Comments: 

I’ll be honest, I had fairly low expectations of this one. Continental European whiskies are a little hit and miss, some are the equal of Scotch, some are... well, undrinkable. This one surprised me, although perhaps if you get to Release 8 you’re probably doing something right. It’s very right indeed - sweeter than rye whisky normally is, but packed with the characteristic spicy, peppery flavour notes. 

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Teerenpeli Distiller's Choice Rasi

Teerenpeli Distiller's Choice Rasi

Official bottling
Single malt - Southern Finland
Bright gold
43% ABV
Dram

Nose: Malted grains, white grapes, apples, papayas, hints of peaches. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, thickens, mouth coating, sticky. 
Tasting:  Sweet sour. Cream, oatmeal, strawberries, lemon juice, white grapes. 
Finish: Long. Lemon juice, pears, malted grains, mint. 

Comments: 

Finished in Moscatel wine casks. This whisky is quite subtle, but oddly sticky and heavy. There's oodles of cereal and fruit, with tropical fruits on the nose and red fruits on the tongue, tempered by a nice sharp oatmeal note. Good stuff.

Verdict:

I like this.

Teerenpeli Distiller's Choice Karhi

Teerenpeli Distiller's Choice Karhi

Official bottling
Single malt - Southern Finland
Copper gold
43% ABV
Dram

Nose: Peat, raisins, roast pork, cola nuts, plums, hints of salt caramel. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, slippery, thickens slightly, mouth coating. 
Tasting:  Salty sweet. Raisins, peat, damson jam, peppermint, black tea, hints of salt caramel. 
Finish: Long. White grapes, peppermint, damson jam, black tea. 

Comments: 

More Teerenpeli, Nordic whisky is really developing. This one is 5-7 years old, aged in Madeira casks. It's fruity, salty, great minty notes on the tongue. The minty notes develop into a wonderful jammy finish.

Verdict:

I like this.

Teerenpeli 10 yo

Teerenpeli 10 yo

Official bottling
Single malt - Southern Finland
Gold, tinge of green
43% ABV
Dram

Nose: Lemon zest, chocolate, grapefruits, cream, malted grains, hints of cotton sheets. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, thickens slightly, oily, slightly sticky. 
Tasting:  Salty sour . Chocolate, cotton sheets, grapefruits, white grapes, rolled oats, hints of peanuts. 
Finish: Medium. White grapes, rolled oats, vanilla, lemon zest. 

Comments: 

It's taken me a while to get round to another one of these, from Southern Finland. This is an older expression. It's tart and slightly sticky, complementing those sour notes with a comforting veil of freshly laundered cotton sheets, even a tad cardboardy (but in a good way). Plenty of tart fruits on the tongue and the finish.

Verdict:

I like this.

Teerenpeli 8 yo

Teerenpeli 8 yo

Official bottling
Single malt - Southern Finland
Buttercups
43% ABV
Dram

Nose: Orange peel, lemon juice, brass polish, white grapes, coconuts, hints of cinnamon. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, thickens, slippery, slightly oily. 
Tasting: Sour. Orange peel, lemon zest, cream, cream, malted grains, hints of cinnamon. 
Finish: Medium. Cream, lemon zest, peanuts, malted grains. 

Comments: 

Finnish whisky from the depths of my sample library! This is fruity and floral, wonderfully light and refreshing. Nice mouthfeel - slippery, slightly oily, almost quaffable. On the tongue it's still fruity, but evolves into cream and malted grains, definitely bourbon casked. Good stuff, nice to see that the Finns can make whisky too!

Verdict:

I like this.