When four engineers, a teacher, a chef, a butcher, a helicopter pilot and a doctor meet... In the case of Stauning, this is no joke, but the beginning of an extremely successful journey into the world of single malt and co. The nine friends came together in 2005 - equipped with a wealth of experience from a wide range of professions, just not in whisky production. But that didn't stop the adventurous Danes from realising a shared vision: To make whiskies with a distinctively Danish character. "It captures the smell of the land, the dunes, the heath and the wind. A whisky that reflects the place: open, wild, relaxed, pure," enthuses whisky author Dave Broom about Stauning. Since the first bottling in 2011, the Young Rye, the distillery from the Danish west coast has achieved international recognition. Now the standard range consisting of RYE, KAOS and SMOKE (previously PEAT) is available in the larger 0.7 litre bottle in a completely new design.

The story begins in an old slaughterhouse in the small town of Stauning, which was converted into a distillery with an experimental entrepreneurial spirit. From the Lego labelling machine to the "malt turner", the founders built many things themselves and used what was available. Such as a meat grinder to grind the grain. With its own malting floor or the 24 small, direct-fired copper pot stills, Stauning still uses a mixture of classic methods lost in the course of industrialisation combined with new ideas. Since 2018, these have been at home in the iconic new distillery with its striking silhouette, which makes all the steps of whisky production visible through its large windows.

The nine friends' love of experimentation extends just as much to their Danish whiskies. Their goal: whiskies with a clear Danish character that flavourfully reflect and celebrate their origins. 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, heather. Distillation over an open fire gives the partly smoked New Make deep, complex flavours. It reaches full maturity in bourbon barrels and virgin oak casks or in mezcal, cognac, calvados, rum or vermouth pre-filled barrels.

This is how fascinating bottlings such as RYE are created. 51% rye and 49% barley malt - each from the company's own malting floor - form the basis for Stauning's standard. This reflects the adventurous spirit of the founders, as malting rye is rather unusual for good reason. The effort put into the whisky, with its distinct grain flavours and long, soft, fruity-sweet finish, is well worth it. In addition to this liquid version of freshly baked rye bread, SMOKE is also 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 flavours. Matured with plenty of air from the west coast of Denmark, the smoky Dane balances fresh lemon notes and campfire smoke.

Third in the bunch is KAOS - basically everything Stauning does in one bottle. A little smoke, a little spice, sweetness and a lot of complexity come together in an extremely versatile whisky. To achieve this, the distillers blend 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 win re-election as Danish Prime Minister in 1935. What characterises Stauning is no longer just in the bottle. The new bottles depict the history of the distillery on Ringkøbing Fjord - lavishly illustrated by Danish artist Asbjørn Staunstrup Lund. The bevelled coating in matt black is based on the distinctive angles of the distillery building. The best thing: despite more content, the likeable Danes are largely sticking to their pricing.