Denmark has a vibrant whisky industry, but Stauning is easily the biggest and most well-known distillery. The latest addition to the distillery’s porfolio is Stauning HØST, a blend of rye and malt whisky.
Stauning HØST has aged in American oak casks and a small amount of ex-Port casks. The name hints to the flavour profile. HØST means “harvest” in Danish. It’s pronounced “hurst”, which is… Well, I probably shouldn’t get started on the pronunciation of Danish words. I’ve spent a total of maybe two weeks in the country, so I’m hardly an expert. But I’ve learned there’s almost no use in trying to pronounce anything correctly. Because you won’t.
I approach foreign languages as a native Dutch speaker and someone who’s near native in English. So, when you tell me your whisky is called Bøg, I can’t help but assume it sounds similar to the English “bog”. But as I was told, the “ø” is pronounced more or less like a drawn-out “uh” sound, while the “g” is pretty much silent. That means Bøg would be pronounced more like “Buh.”
Or take the small town of Thisted. Seems rather straight-forward, no? You would be wrong. There’s this thing called a soft D in Danish. It’s somewhere in between the English “th” and “l” sound. What I hear when someone from Denmark pronounces Thisted correctly, sounds more like “Teestull.”
But anyway, you’re not here for a lesson in Danish from someone who barely has an idea what they’re talking about. You visited because you’d like to learn more about the Stauning HØST. Well, I’m sure you’re interested to know it’s a mixture of about half Stauning Rye and about half Stauning Single Malt. That equates to about around 70% barley and 30% rye.
You’d like some tasting notes too? No problem.
Stauning HØST (40,5%, OB, 2024)
Nose: Big, chewy notes of barley husks, pot ale and rye bread, alongside some cocoa powder, figs and cherry marmalade. It has cereal notes that are not unlike genuine Schiedam genever or Eastmoor single malt. Just a touch of heather and dried flowers as well.
Taste: A surprising oily mouthfeel. There’s a good amount of spice. A sprinkle of pepper, some nutmeg too. Then a touch of mint as well. Finally, sweeter notes such as honeycomb, and maybe even toffee. Oh, and dark chocolate as well.
Finish: Medium length. Hints of strong breakfast tea, some hemp rope and aniseed-y notes. Ending on sweeter, almost jammy fruits.
Sample provided by Salud Distribution