A group of friends were having a sauna and drinking rye whisky, when they began to ponder why nobody was making rye whisky in Finland. Surprisingly, the idea of starting their own distillery still seemed like a good one the following morning and from there, the journey of Kyrö began.
Kyrö is a Finnish craft distillery since 2014 making 100% rye whisky, gin, and… hand sanitizer. I believe they’ve only gotten substantial visibility in the last couple of years, at least this is when I’ve started seeing it in Nordic airports. The tasting set I’ll be reviewing here, I actually wanted to buy in Arlanda airport in early summer, but since I wasn’t leaving the EU I wasn’t allowed to! Not even an option to just pay the freakin’ tax. But then in August I was flying to Tokyo via Helsinki, so I got the tasting pack then and it flew halfway cross the world with me, eventually coming home to Germany. Now I’ve brought them on my Paris trip which shall the final stop for these cosmopolitan drams 😂
One thing that attracted me — beside the main point of trying something completely new to me — was that the tasting pack has QR code for on online tasting component. Before I review the spirits, let’s me show how it worked. For each sample in turn, one judged sweetness, fruitiness, florality, spiciness, maltiness, smokiness, woodiness on a continuous slider, and with specific flavour note labels. And and gave an overall smiley mark to the dram. Then one could see how one had rated the flavour aspect compared to the master distiller, and a a summary of the smiley scores of everyone who’s done the tasting (only ~150 people it seems). Overall it’s a really nice interface, but the page for one whisky has a bug where flavour notes didn’t show up, and one sample on the webpage was not the same as in the pack.
While following along the online tasting protocol I also wrote standard DuckDrams review boxes:
Kyrö Malt (50ml)
Type: Finnish malted rye whisky
Alcohol: 47.2%
Cask info: American white oak
Price and availability: 1/4 of €20 tasting pack, Nordic airports & online
🔗WhiskyBase
Experience ⚡
Not shy on the nose. I supposed I’m primed towards finding dark rye bread, and Swedish hard bread (Wasa knäckebröd). There is a fresh woodiness, with dry oak, wood glue and a bit of resin. Maple syrup offer a bridge from woodiness to sweeter notes of caramel and overripe grapes. There is also also nutmeg. On the tongue, spicy arrival, and a honied flavour, a bit like mead but not as sweet; also nutty (almond), bready, and earthy; dried straw, and — minty. Good drinking strength. The flavours in the finish trails off rather quickly, with a residual sweetness and spicy tingle.
Thoughts 💡
As a (barley) malt man, this rye is something rather different, and therefore quite exciting. It is definitely good, and well worth exploring (although I can’t say how it compares to other ryes). The spiciness is perhaps a bit too much for me in the long run, but I wouldn’t hold it against the dram, really.
Worthwhile and enjoyable ✔️
Kyrö Malt “Oloroso” (50ml)
Type: Finnish malted rye whisky
Alcohol: 47.2%
Cask info: Oloroso Sherry, New American Oak & Ex-Bourbon
Price and availability: 1/4 of €20 tasting pack, Nordic airports & online
🔗WhiskyBase
Experience ⚡
Continuing on from the Kyrö Malt in a comparative fashion. The overall impression is similar. A bit less woody on the nose, with more space for nuts and berries. On the palate, the spiciness is more tamed, and I’m now noticing the minitiness more. And cinnamon, cherries. Still rye-y, though.
Thoughts 💡
With the Oloroso sherry, we’re moving a little closer to territory I’m used to. I think I actually enjoyed the first expression more, because of the novelty.
Worthwhile and enjoyable ✔️
Kyrö Malt “Wood Smoke” (50ml)
Type: Finnish malted rye whisky
Alcohol: 47.2%
Cask info: Ex-Bourbon, French Oak & American White Oak
Price and availability: 1/4 of €20 tasting pack, Nordic airports & online
🔗WhiskyBase
Experience ⚡
The smoke is subtly present on the nose, crackling woodfire smoke and mossy, mildly vegetal notes, but not precisely peaty. Beeswax is now clearly present. The palate is drier, and I perceive it as less sweet than the previous expressions. Honey-glazed ham, hickory smoke, allround slightly phenolic, and baked pears. Still, the minty and spicy character is there, particularly in the finish.
Thoughts 💡
The addition of alder smoke is a successful one, a more interesting direction to explore than the Oloroso track.
Worthwhile and enjoyable ✔️
Kyrö Malt “Kyrö’s Choice” (50ml)
Type: Finnish malted rye whisky
Alcohol: 47.2%
Cask info: PX finish
Price and availability: 1/4 of €20 tasting pack, Nordic airports & online
Experience ⚡
Cola on the nose, very mild wood smoke, resin, bees wax. Palate: Yummy. Jammy? Now sweeter, but still spicy and minty. The rye profile of the first, “unadulturated” version are there, but the casks and smoke steal half the show, let’s say. But it’s a good show, I don’t mind. Finally, the finish has some length to it. Or girth. (Whichever you find most satisfying.)
Thoughts 💡
It shall be admitted, I’m losing my edge due to the alcohol now. But I I think this it the most satisfying expression, apart from the original Kyrö malt, thanks to a great balance of PX and smoke. The original still has the advantage of being furthest from Scotch, and thereby suffering the least competition from drams in my repertoire of experiences.
Worthwhile and enjoyable ✔️
Overall, well done Kyrö — rye-y, honied, spicy, minty goodness, that’s a nice break from the Scotch, although not a replacement for me.
DuckDrams 
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