Stauning Host Double Malt Danish Whisky (700ml)

As of 2024, Host (pronounced “hurst”), is the latest addition to Stauning's portfolio. The blend of rye and single malt is named ‘harvest’ in honour of the Danish landscape and the country’s grains which are 100% floor malted and kiln dried at the distillery. Alex Munch, one of Stauning’s founders, comments: “Each harvest, farmers give over a portion of their fields to wildflowers, adding a riot of colour to the stretches of grains that carpet the land. We created HØST to celebrate the closeness of nature and nurture, the deliberate rye and barley hand-in-hand with the sudden colour of wildflowers, just as our modern, sustainable distillery sits alongside acres of green fields.”

Matured on-site in heavily charred new American oak and first-fill Port barriques, this well-balanced dram is perfect for beginners: Easy on entry and easy to the last with a blended malt kind of feel and a fruit bread character throughout. Not outstanding but no quibbles either. Just extremely drinkable whisky. Tasted from a 15ml sample. 40.5% Alc./Vol.

Other reviews... It says ‘Smooth & Delicate’—well, what’s that about then? Seems to be a 50/50 split of malted barley and rye, aged in a mix of American virgin oak, ex-Bourbon, and ex-Port casks. We reckon, with a bit of luck, this could work. Colour: gold. Nose: very light, but not unpleasant, rather like an herbal tea. Might even call it a breakfast whisky. Fresh bread, gentle fennel, caraway seeds, and a touch of spice… Mouth: it’s good, not even too weak. There’s bread and spices aplenty, but it tends to nod off after thirty seconds or so, becoming a bit drying. Finish: fairly short, though nicely bread-forward. Comments: It’s from a Diageo-backed distillery, so they clearly know what they’re up to, and it’s really not bad at all. Just a pity about the ABV—perhaps a typo crept in somewhere during production? At 46%, it could’ve been a little gem. 81 points - whiskyfun.com