Stauning Høst
Host, Hust, Haust, Hoost, Hurst?
*Ding Dong* The doorbell rings through the chime in my living room. Opening the door I encounter the Brand Activator of Salud Spirits. " Hi Tim, goodmorning! I got something for you!" There it is, a nicely designed box containing something even better designed, along with a kind request to review it. So yes, in a way this is my second sponsored post. And that, my dear readers, is my disclaimer.
I reviewed something from Stauning before, but what we will describe today is something a little different. Started in 2005, the Stauning distillery, with their 24 copper stills, has the philosophy that all the ingredients should be available within a 15 minute bike ride. As a Dutchman, that is a small fact I will remember and like!
The Danes just so happen to grow quite a lot of rye (4th largest producer of rye in 2019), so you can image that is something to be found within a 15 minute bike ride.
But barley can be found as well!
The Stauning Høst, the name meaning harvest, is a perfect marriage between rye and barley, making this whisky a double malt! As latest addition to the expressions of Stauning, is meant to be "the perfect introduction to Stauning's distinctly Danish grain-to-glass approach."
To the whisky! The bottle has the familiar awesome design that we know from other Stauning bottles. The image portaying the story around Stauning and its founders. This Double Malt (100% floor malted Danish grains.) was bottled at 40,5% Vol. and is non-chill filtered and still has its natural colour.
Also mentioned on the label is the notion " Smooth and delicate". So lets see if that is right!
The color is a dark amber-yellow and a swirl around the glass leaves some fatty tears dropping down.
On the nose I get cereals, grasses, dried flowers and I would describe it as walking through a sundried field of grasses and flowers. Høst means harvest and that is what you smell. Second visits give me extra: The smell of Werther's Original, cardamom and freshly pressed paper. There is also quite a hint of bergamot.
My first taste I had some sharp edges. But those disappeared while I was enjoying the dram. In the end I no longer had them. At first the more dominant flavours were malts and tea. Yes, tea, with honey. But that might be the bergamot.
A bit further into the dram I got some red fruit and some pepper. I t also gets more herbal, very light hints of mint and juniper.
The finish is very delicate, but long. It leaves a lingering herbal freshness that is really nice!
