Stauning Curious

Stauning Curious

Official bottling
Single rye - Midtjylland
Colourless

43% ABV
Dram

Nose: Smoke, raspberries, black pepper, orange peel, peat, pears. 
Mouthfeel: Heavy body, thickens, tingly, mouth coating. 
Tasting:  Bitter sweet. Peat, soot, smoke, pears, orange peel, raspberries, foam shrimp. 
Finish: Long. Menthol, smoke, soot, raspberries. 

Comments: 

A very smoky, yet fruity rye new make. It doesn’t suffer too much from its low strength, in fact some of the fruity notes are more prominent as a result. The finish is long, minty and sooty.

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Stauning Smoke Tawny Port Cask

Stauning Smoke Tawny Port Cask

Official bottling 
Single malt - Midtjylland
Amber
50.3% ABV
Dram

Nose: Peanuts, white grapes, smoke, leather, heather honey, juniper, hints of olive brine. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, loosens, slippery, astringent. 
Tasting:  Salty sweet. Leather, new plastic, juniper, driftwood smoke, heather honey, sultanas, malted grains, rye bread, black pepper. 
Finish: Medium. Sultanas, olive brine, juniper, heather honey, leather. 

Comments: 

There’s a lot of gentle heathery smoke in this dram, and it’s sweet savoury both on the tongue and on the nose. There’s a tad of new plastic, especially on the nose, that takes a little bit away, but it’s a very interesting dram. 

Verdict:

I like this.

Stauning 5yo 2017/2022

Stauning 5yo 2017/2022

#1, The Heart Cut
Single malt - Midtjylland
Dark yellow
52% ABV
Dram

Nose: Raisins, blackberry jam, driftwood smoke, orange peel, golden syrup, black pepper, camphor. With water, fresh cut grass, camphor, driftwood smoke. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, astringent, cool, tingly. 
Tasting:  Bitter sweet. Brown paper, black pepper, camphor, raisins, rye bread, golden syrup, coriander, hints of driftwood smoke. With water, camphor, black tea, black pepper, rye bread. 
Finish: Medium. Black pepper, coriander, camphor, hints of blackberry jam. 

Comments: 

Slightly smoky, jammy sweet Stauning. There’s a rye bread note, but the label says single malt, which is interesting. I don’t think they’re as strict in Denmark as in Scotland.

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Stauning Høst

Stauning Host

Official bottling
Single blend - Midtjylland
Pale amber
40.5% ABV
Dram

Nose: Bubble gum, black pepper, oatcakes, autumn leaves, gooseberries, hints of tutti frutti. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, cool, loosens, mouth coating. 
Tasting:  Sour sweet. Oatcakes, gooseberries, lemon zest, apple juice, black pepper, cedar. 
Finish: Short. Lemon zest, bubble gum, oatcakes, aluminium foil. 

Comments: 

Rye, malt and grain all blended together from Stauning, at a surprisingly low ABV. It’s peppery but still loaded with sweet grain flavours, with a woody and feinty finish. Again surprisingly, I quite like the bubble gum here.

Verdict:

I like this.

Stauning Sweet Wine Cask Rye Whiskey

Stauning Sweet Wine Cask Rye Whiskey

Official bottling
Single rye - Midtjylland
Golden brown
46% ABV
Dram

Nose: Wet stones, black pepper, blackcurrant cordial, fresh baked bread, raisins, hints of strawberry jam. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, expands slightly, slippery, loosens. 
Tasting:  Sweet salty. Black pepper, blackcurrant cordial, cough syrup, raisins, cherries, fresh baked bread. 
Finish: Short. Cough syrup, raisins, cherries, orange peel, black pepper. 

Comments: 

Straightforward rye whisky from Stauning. The ‘sweet wine’ cask seems to have given it some cherry and cough syrup notes, so it tastes quite medicinal. And pleasant, actually, like it will do you a power of good. 

Verdict:

I like this.

Stauning Smoke

Stauning Smoke

Official bottling 
Single malt - Midtjylland
Golden
47% ABV
Dram

Nose: Orange peel, haw flakes, lemon zest, plums, smoke, leather, hints of soy sauce. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, loosens, cool, slippery. 
Tasting:  Salty sweet. Smoke, green tea, photocopy paper, leather, haw flakes, lemon zest, leather. 
Finish: Short. Green tea, fresh cut grass, photocopy paper, leather, sea salt. 

Comments: 

Why, this is rather good - sweet yet savoury, with quite gentle smoke. Lots of herbal notes in the background, that’s kind of how you know it’s not Scotch, but it’s quite well integrated. Interesting whisky.

Verdict:

I like this.

Stauning Bastard

Stauning Bastard

Official bottling 
Single rye - Midtjylland
Amber gold
46.3% ABV
Dram

Nose: Honey, plums, cooked rice, agave, brown paper, raisins, hints of cinnamon. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, cool, tingly, expands. 
Tasting:  Sweet. Plums, agave, honey, brown paper, orange peel, golden syrup, black pepper, hints of cinnamon. 
Finish: Medium. Brown paper, black pepper, oak chips, golden syrup. 

Comments: 

Mezcal cask finished rye. That grassy agave note is very apparent, along side characteristic rye spice and sweetness. Lots of wood on the finish too. Very interesting.

Verdict:

I like this.

Stauning 5yo 2017/2022

Stauning 5yo 2017/2022

Nordic Casks #2, Berry Bros & Rudd 
Single rye - Midtjylland
Amber bronze

58.9% ABV
Dram

Nose: Raisins, maraschino cherries, caramel, milk chocolate, cinnamon, figs, malt loaf. With water, dates, black tea, malt loaf, caramel. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, loosens, volatile, expands. 
Tasting:  Sweet. Maraschino cherries, dates, caramel, black pepper, black tea, cinnamon, rye bread. With water, raisins, dates, black pepper, black tea. 
Finish: Medium. Malt loaf, black tea, milk chocolate, cinnamon, hints of dates. 

Comments: 

Cask 6493. Very sweet and spicy, and big hints of malt loaf. Definitely some barley in this. It’s a sort of whisky I like very much (at least when it’s done right) - big, bold, intense and unbalanced.

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Stauning El Clásico

Stauning El Clásico

Official bottling 
Single malt - Midtjylland
Amber red 
47.5% ABV
Dram

Nose: Fresh cut grass, cream, strawberries, wormwood, honey, vanilla, hints of blackcurrant cordial. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, cool, expands, slightly tingly. 
Tasting:  Sweet sour. White pepper, fresh baked bread, fresh cut grass, oats, vanilla, strawberries, honey. 
Finish: Medium. Toast, oats, white pepper, vanilla, blackcurrant cordial. 

Comments: 

Wine finished, Danish, single rye. It’s fragrant and sweet, with heaps of cereal, a pleasantly bitter edge, and a little smoke on the back of the palate. Very enjoyable, and as far as experimental spirits go, quite successful.

Verdict:

I like this.

Stauning Heather 5yo 2013-2014/2019

Stauning Heather 5yo 2013-2014/2019

Official bottling
Single malt - Midtjylland
Pale gold
48.7% ABV
Dram

Nose: Fresh baked bread, lemon zest, rice crackers, cookie dough, vanilla, hints of grapefruit. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, cool, loose, watery. 
Tasting:  Sweet sour. Cinnamon, cloves, cookie dough, vanilla, lemon zest, heather honey. 
Finish: Short. Vanilla, heather honey, brown paper, rice crackers. 

Comments: 

Sweet and malty, maybe a little bitter citrus on the nose. More honey sweetness on the tongue, and this lasts all the way through to the finish. It's very bourbony, and its youth shows. It seems to be a distillery characteristic.

Verdict:

I like this.

Stauning Young Rye (3yo 2013/2017)

Stauning Young Rye (3yo 2013/2017)

Official bottling
Single rye - Midtjylland
Dark copper
48.4% ABV
Dram

Nose: Sour plums, vanilla, plums, apple juice, raisins, hints of cinnamon. 
Mouthfeel: light body, astringent, tingly, turns watery. 
Tasting:  Sweet salty. Cinnamon, cloves, dried apples, plums, raisins, brown paper, hints of pineapples. 
Finish: Medium. Raisins, honey, cinnamon, hints of sour plums. 

Comments: 

Young rye whiskey from Denmark. It's not obviously rye spirit on first taste, being rather fruity and sweet. But then it develops, and the spicy notes come to the fore - lots of cinnamon and cloves, like apple pie and all things nice.

Verdict:

I like this.

Stauning Kaos

Stauning Kaos

Official bottling
Single malt - Midtjylland
Dark gold
47.3% ABV
Dram

Nose: Crem, green tea, sour plums, brown paper, oats, hints of rye bread. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, loose, watery, airy. 
Tasting:  Sour. Brown paper, honey, cinnamon, oats, rye bread, hints of lemon. 
Finish: Medium. Lemon juice, honey, rye bread, oats. 

Comments: 

Danish whisky! It's a vatting of two casks, distilled in 2013 and 2014, bottled in 2017. Rather bready and cereally, like sitting in a flour mill. Underneath that, there's a soft sweetness, rather like a young bourbon.

Verdict:

I like this.