The story of Stauning Høst

We love a bit of rye whisky from Denmark’s Stauning Distillery. So it’s always exciting when more of it hits our virtual shelves. This week, we’ll mostly be drinking: 

Stauning Høst. 

Pronounced ‘Hurst’ (like hattrick hero Geoff) and taken from the Danish for ‘Harvest’, it’s a mighty mix of rye and malt that offers you the chance to get acquainted with tasty Danish whisky without paying big bucks. 

Who is Stauning?

Stauning has the kind of distillery origin story that sounds more like a bad joke. A doctor, a butcher, a teacher, a helicopter pilot, and four engineers walk into the room… Except this actually happened. That room was a slaughterhouse. And instead of hijinks ensuing, in May 2005, a Danish whisky distillery was founded. Good thing they went with the butcher’s HQ. A classroom or the cockpit of a helicopter provides greater logistical challenges. 

Named after a small village in the western part of Jutland, Stauning sourced barley from a local farmer. It was peated on a grill in the smokehouse. The cold store was used for floor malting. The grist was minced in the meat grinder. Fermentation took place in an old picking vat and distillation occurred in two small wood-fired pots stills. Despite a bank suggesting they open a bakery instead, the founders decided there was sufficient promise in their spirit to expand. Money was raised to buy a farm and they turned it into a small distillery in 2007.

How does Stauning make whisky?

What started as a necessity became the bedrock of the philosophy: locally-grown grain; experimental floor-malting; small direct-fire-heated stills. The continued quality of the spirit attracted Diageo, which acquired a minority stake in 2015. Around £50 million of investment later and by 2018, Stauning was able to open the doors to Denmark’s first purpose-built distillery. Today all rye and barley comes from farms within 9-12 miles of the distillery (about 25% peated with local black stuff that’s more sweet and floral than the medicinal kind you’ll find in Islay). Floor malting is done by malt turning machines designed by the team and made by a local blacksmith since copied by other distilleries. 

Fermentation at Stauning occurs over three-to-four days using a dried strain of Danish yeast, favoured for its ability to create fruity, honey and cereal notes. The spirit is then transferred to 24 small copper pot stills, 16 wash stills and eight spirit stills each at 2,000 litres capacity. The founders say this creates a richer, nuttier flavour. Like frying a chicken compared to boiling it. Every whisky is matured in on-site warehouses and bottled without chill-filtration. There’s all kinds of casks there, from the standard bourbon and new virgin American white oak casks to mezcal, Cognac, calvados, Moscatel, Madeira and vermouth casks. 

The creation of Stauning Høst 

Initially, the ambition was to create smoky drams inspired by a love of Islay whisky. That profile evolved as the brand did. Stauning continues to experiment with different grains, yeast strains and longer fermentations. The goal is always to create something distinctly Danish, rather than mimicking another country’s style. That meant big-flavoured, high-ABV rye whiskies as well as some peated malts, mostly. Out-stauning as they are, the new whisky is more gentle, accessible. A warm handshake of a dram to welcome you to Danish whisky. 

Stauning Høst is a marriage of rye malt whisky and single malt, distilled from fields just a few miles away. The whisky was aged in bourbon and heavily charred new American white oak casks before being finished in Port casks.

Friend of MoM and former editor Henry Jeffreys got a taste when he went to an event at a florist in Bloomsbury to meet Martin Vesterby, one of the co-founders of Stauning. There he learned the inspiration and subsequently summarised behind Stauning Høst: “For centuries, the cultivation of rye and barley has played a crucial role in the way of life on the West Coast of Denmark where Stauning is located. There is a deep-rooted connection to the land that can be seen in the people, places and produce of the region, where the following of the seasons is as important as the ticking of the clock”.

He also reviewed the whisky, saying the following: “It’s not short of that aromatic rye character that Stauning fans will love but it’s sweet and smooth on the palate. In short, Stauning will appeal to lovers of fruity single malts and high-quality blends and a great introduction to the brand. While we think it’ll be a great mixer, it has more than enough complexity to be enjoyed neat. In short, it’s another Stauning whisky. Sorry!” Here’s a full tasting note.

Tasting note from The Chaps at Master of Malt:

Nose: Cherries, cinnamon, liquorice, fudge and a bittersweet orange note.

Palate: Smooth and sweet with gentle aromatic making spices, menthol, apple and toffee.

Finish: Lingering spices, and salted caramel. 

Stauning Høst Danish whisky is available from Master of Malt now. Click on the links for the price and to buy. 

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