Stauning - Denmark - Peated Single Malt - 47%
Photo taken somewhere in Stuttgart
Discovering new distilleries has recently gone from a hobby to a minor obsession. Everybody knows that old Ardbegs, Springbanks or Broras are great, so we peek for the young growth that is covered by the old oaks of the forest. Stauning Distillery was founded in 2005 in Stauning Village by nine friends: Four engineers, a cook, a pilot, a teacher and a doctor. That's one hell of a interdisciplinary team. Since 2015 the distillery is partly owned by Diageo, which also can't be a bad sign. Curiously enough they floor their own malt at place, something you rarely find even in Scotland.
Nose
Pushkin and Rasputin! Think of a lonely russian sauna in a winter landscape, with wet and warm wooden planks from which pine resin is dripping down. Also Russian Wenikis, you know these wet birch brooms Russians love to whip themselves while steaming in the sauna. Even if we're not in Siberia but in Denmark, this is a bloody sauna malt. As soon as you open that door, the cold oxygenated winter air hits your nose. Quick, pass us that warming heather and barley tea that is sweetened with manuka honey!
Palate
Oily and velvety, the whisky flows down the throat, delivering smoked heather and honey notes and quite a lot of lemon juice. We also taste the barley and wood, but very gentle and slightly bitter. It's pretty easy going, but that specific heather definitely differs from the well known scotch profiles. Technically it's very well made. Since Stauning is distilling on very small pot stills with direct fire (another curiousity), we're wondering a bit why the body is so light.
Finish
Quite long actually. Very dry too, with a slight and pleasant bitterness of grapefruit peels and black bergamot tea. Who's against some fine black tea?
Rating
Even if that's not our preferred whisky style, this Stauning expression is certainly worth a try. At least in terms of quality and in order to experience a really different and unique peat profile. These young distilleries actually turn the old rule upside down that 'old equals good'.
Thanks to Kirsch Import - House of Spirits for realizing that experience with a sample.
