Origin: Finland
Type: Finnish Malt Rye Whisky
Strength: 47.2%ABV
Ageing casks: American Virgin Oak
Chillfiltered: No
Added colouring: No
Owner: Kyrö Distillery Company
Average price: € 65.00
Official website: kyrodistillery.com
Vote: 84/100
On the home page of the distillery’s website, you will be greeted by a series of cheerful Finnish bums frolicking in a field of rye: these are those of the founders, who wanted to recall their attire when they thought of starting their venture while they were all in the sauna drinking American rye.
With an iron will to bring whisky production back home, they bought an old dairy in Isokyrö, and after educating themselves on micro-distilling around Europe, Miika Lipiäinen, Mikko Koskinen, Kalle Valkonen, Miko Heinilä, and Jouni Ritola registered the name of their distillery, Kyrö, on 29 August 2012.
After several experiments, the first distillation of 100% local rye began in 2014, and while waiting for the first whisky to come out of the casks, they started producing gin, also made from rye, which received several European awards.
After a few preparatory releases, 2020 sees the release of this Malt Rye, aged for an undisclosed length of time entirely in virgin American oak casks, reinforcing the link with the whiskey from which it all began in that Finnish sauna a few years ago.
A small-scale, artisanal production, proudly Finnish, 50cl bottles with sophisticated packaging (the font for the brand was created based on the commemorative engravings of the Battle of Napue that took place in 1714, not far from the distillery), with only a few bottlings under its belt but which has already made a lot of headlines.
Tasting notes
An intensely spicy nose, where wood and nuts fill the nostrils with full-bodied hints of nutmeg, resin, wood shavings, macadamia nuts and toasted pine nuts. The aromas are all amplified, almost ‘shouted’, with a flood of caramel, chestnut honey, wholemeal bread, dried apricots and a hint of cocoa. Slight solvent note in the background. A rye to the nth degree, almost overwhelming.
On the palate, the tones subside becoming anything but faint, with a consistent burst of ginger and black pepper combining with nutmeg to complete the spicy picture. Nuts and caramel guide the taste path, enriched by notes of fruit (apple, pear, apricot), honey, marzipan, orange peel, a touch of rhubarb and a hint of milk chocolate. The impressions of bread and wood become more evident along the length, maintaining body and depth in the drink.
Not very long finish with predominance of fruity notes accompanied by touches of spices, molasses, chocolate.
An almost overpowering rye on the nose that finds more balance in the mouth, in which it confirms itself to be very rich and full-bodied, following less familiar paths within the genre. An alternative to its overseas cousins that shows personality and depth, though perhaps still a little immature but with much to say (and offer).