Stauning HØST Double Malt Whisky - 70cl

Stauning sit on the west coast of Jutland, in a part of Denmark better known for wind than whisky, and they do things the long way round on purpose. They floor-malt their own grain — barley and rye, both Danish — which is a practice most Scottish distilleries abandoned decades ago because it is slow and labour-intensive. Then they distil in twenty-four small direct-fired copper pot stills, heated by flame rather than steam, which is the other thing almost nobody does any more.

HØST is Danish for harvest, and the name is doing real work. This is a marriage of their single malt and their malted rye, roughly seventy percent barley to thirty rye, matured in American oak with a touch of port wood on top. Bottled at 40.5%, no colouring added, and not chill filtered.

The rye is what makes it interesting. On the nose it reads bright and citrussy with vanilla behind it. Then the palate turns unexpectedly sweet — toffee apple, red berries, a thick seam of honey — before the rye asserts itself and brings a dry, cinnamon-edged spice through the finish. It is gentle for a whisky with that much rye in it, and it holds together well.

This is the bottle for someone who has drunk their way through Scotland and wants to know what else is out there. It does not try to imitate anyone.

How to Serve

Neat in a tulip glass, at room temperature. At 40.5% it does not need water, though a few drops will push the orchard fruit forward if you want it. One large cube if you prefer it cold — never crushed ice.

Where to Drink It

Black Rock in Shoreditch, where world whisky gets a fair hearing. Soho Whisky Club for an unhurried pour. Scarfes Bar at the Rosewood if you want an armchair with it.

Food Pairings

Cured meats and rye bread — the grain answers itself. Smoked mackerel works too, and a hard aged cheese like an old Gouda handles the spice without a fight.