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.

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.

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.

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. 

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.

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.