Stauning KAOS Floor Malted Danish Whisky

Bottler: Stauning
Distillery: Stauning
Alcohol by volume: 46 % vol.
Bottling: 2021
Cask number: Batch 01-2021
Equipment:  
Type: Single Malt Whisky
Bottling: Non chill-filtered
Coloring: natural color
Origin: Denmark

Tasting Notes:

Grain, chocolate, oak, caramel, cinnamon, and campfire introduce the complex indulgence. On the palate, KAOS evokes a smoked chocolate bar with notes of nougat, caramel, licorice, sweet apple, and oak. The long, smoky finish is characterized by vanilla, orange, tobacco, dried red fruits, and more oak.

The nine friends' experimental spirit extends to their Danish whiskies. Their goal: whiskies with a distinctly Danish character that aromatically reflect and celebrate their origin. The basis for Stauning's production is therefore everything that grows around the distillery: locally grown barley and rye, peat from the Klosterlund Museum, which documents Denmark's peat extraction, and heather.

Distillation over an open fire gives the partly smoked new make deep, complex aromas. It reaches full maturity in Bourbon Barrels and Virgin Oak Casks or in casks previously used for Mezcal, Cognac, Calvados, Rum, or Vermouth.

This results in fascinating bottlings such as RYE. 51% rye and 49% barley malt – each from the in-house malting floor – form the basis for Stauning's standard. This reflects the founders' adventurous spirit, as malting rye is rather unusual for good reason. The effort for this whisky with distinct grain notes and a long, soft, fruity-sweet finish is worthwhile.

In addition to this liquid version of a freshly baked rye bread, SMOKE is part of the Core Range. For the further development of PEAT, malt is smoked over a combination of peat and some heather, which gives the whisky uniquely Danish aromas. Matured with plenty of air from the west coast of Denmark, the smoky Dane balances fresh lemon notes and campfire smoke.

The third in the line is KAOS – essentially everything Stauning does, in one bottle. A touch of smoke, some spice, sweetness, and much complexity unite in an extremely versatile whisky. For this, the distillers marry RYE with smoky Single Malt Whiskies from the distillery. The name KAOS is based on Thorvald Stauning, who used the slogan "Stauning or Chaos" to be re-elected as Danish Prime Minister in 1935.

What makes Stauning special is now no longer just in the bottle. The new bottles depict the history of the distillery on Ringkøbing Fjord – elaborately illustrated by the Danish artist Asbjørn Staunstrup Lund. The slanted coating in matte black alludes to the distinctive angles of the distillery building. The best part: Despite more content, the likeable Danes largely stick to their pricing.