Today I’ll be reviewing a new whisky that will be released to the dutch market in the near future. The Stauning Rye Sherry Cask Finish Limited Edition. A mouthful for sure! Just like previous limited editions from the distillery Stauning takes one of their core range products at cask strength and finishes it in a unique cask.
I won’t go into too much detail about Stauning themselves for this review, as I’ve recently did that for the Stauning Host. Please check out that review to learn more about the distillery!
In the past we’ve seen a Kaos finished in rum casks and this same cask strength rye but finished in sweet white wine casks. For this year’s special they’ve gone a more traditional route with the sherry cask.
Though a sherry cask finish might seem a little less out of the ordinary, Stauning’s Rye is anything but ordinary. And when I first heard this dram announced I immediately got excited, because on paper this combination of cask and spirit sounds like a match made in heaven. Let’s find out if the paper was right!
Tasting Notes – Stauning Rye Limited Edition Sherry Cask Finish
ABV: 53,1% (106,2 proof)
Age: NAS
Distillery: Stauning
Chill-filtered: No
Natural Colour: Yes
Nose:
Like stepping through a pine forrest with a strawberry marmalade filled doughnut in hand. Those classical rye notes, that Stauning does so well, are available in abundance in this dram. There’s freshly baked rye bread, pine tree shavings, caramelised apples, and warm vanilla custard. All covered in a lovely layer of red fruit.
Palate:
Freshly baked rye bread with “rinse” apple syrup. Raisins, dried cranberries, dates and figs. Ground peppercorns, nutmeg, pine needles, and resin. The palate of this dram just keeps giving. The Sherry Cask finish is very noticeable, yet very well integrated into this dram. There’s a lovely duality on the palate that’s going to take you by surprise when you sip this whisky.
Finish:
The finish is long and sweet. Where I often get at least a bit of tannins on the finish of a sherry (finished) whisky, there’s none of that here. It’s all strawberry marmalade, rye bread, and clotted cream. A lovely creamy mouthfeel that lingers beautifully!
Verdict:
In my mind I already expected the combination of flavours to be great with this dram. But it still managed to surprise me in the most positive way. For now I only have a small sample bottle, but once it’s released I’ll be one of the first to pick it up. It’s that good! I will probably keep it closed until fall though, as I think this dram suits colder weather perfectly! Just imagine enjoying these flavours next to a fireplace on a cold day… bliss!
