Stauning Kaos Triple-Malted Whisky
After trying Stauning’s Floor-Malted Rye, I was amped. It wasn’t that it was a perfect pour (though it was very good to great and an impressive flavor profile), it was more that it truly showed what Danish Whisky could be. Sometimes you come across that type of pour - one that makes you sit back and consider what you’ve just sipped more than your usual tasting. The Rye made a statement: Danish Whisky is real, mature, and here to stay. To have all of this conveyed in a single dram is all the more impressive.
Stauning draws its name from a singular figure in Danish history, as the distillery points out:
“The name, KAOS, is inspired by Danish history. Thorvald Stauning (1873-1943) was the first social-democratic Prime Minister of Denmark and is considered to be the founder of the modern welfare state. For his re-election campaign in 1935, he used the now famed slogan "Stauning or Chaos" ("Stauning eller Kaos" in Danish). He won the election.”
Kaos, as its name suggests, brings a new dimension to the Danish Whisky produced at Stauning. To create Kaos, Stauning blends their three single malts, all of which were floor-malted at the distillery: Stauning No-Smoke Single Malt, Stauning Malted Rye and Stauning Smoked Single Malt. The result is perhaps not Kaos, but instead a harmony born from that Kaos.
There are two elements that each add a facet to the profile, though each in completely different ways. First is the inclusion of smoked malt, smoked using traditional Nordic methods using only local ingredients. Second is the use of first-fill Maker’s Mark casks to age this blend. I don’t know who had the idea to specifically use a wheated ex-bourbon cask (if that was a choice - sometimes it’s just what the distributor has available), but if someone made that choice they deserve a medal.
Overall, the smoke is but the first among many flavors. The smoke is at times reminiscent of Islay-style peated whiskies and at others something totally different. The three different malts each bring their own element to the party and none are lost in the shuffle. I’m curious what this would be like with a slightly thicker mouthfeel, but that’s about all I have to complain about on this one. In fact, if I could only buy one bottle of the three I tried, Kaos is that one for sure.
Stauning Kaos Triple-Malted Whisky: Specs
Classification: World Whisky (Danish)
Origin: Stauning Distillery
Mashbill: Undisclosed
Proof: 92 (46% ABV)
Age: NAS
Location: Denmark
Stauning Kaos Triple-Malted Whisky Price: $90
Stauning Kaos Triple-Malted Whisky Review: Tasting Notes
Eye: Light apple juice. Barely-there rims, quick droplet legs.
Nose: Smoky - I didn’t expect that (tried it blind). Sweet wood smoke. Heady malt emerges after the smoke ebbs a bit. Light proof heat. A touch of salt air hitting a pine forest (I know it’s verging on maudlin but go with me here). Smoke is complex and evolving.
Palate: Effervescent smoke wafting off salted pretzel crusts. More proof heat here, with smoke from a dying woodfire and smoked sea salt flakes. The malt sweetness underneath blends beautifully with the smoke. Mouthfeel is silky, light-to-medium, a bit spicy but well within reason, reaching every corner of my mouth. Stone fruits emerge as well.
Finish: Fruitwood in a smoker - think scents of applewood or cherrywood being charcoaled before the pork is put in the smoker. That sweet meat character isn’t far off, either. Medium length and just as coating as the palate.
Overall: This is great. Could easily stand up to the classic Islays and other smoky malts with enough commonality to compare but enough uniqueness to set itself apart. Solid mouthfeel, if a bit light for my tastes, but that’s really my only complaint on this one. A great everyday drinker for those who like a little smoke in their life.
Final Rating: 7.3
10 | Insurpassable | Nothing Else Comes Close (Blanton’s Straight from the Barrel)
9 | Incredible | Extraordinary (GTS, Elijah Craig Barrel Proof B518 and B520)
8 | Excellent | Exceptional (12+YO MGP Bourbon, Highland Park Single Barrels)
7 | Great | Well above average (Blanton’s Original, Old Weller Antique, Booker’s)
6 | Very Good | Better than average (Four Roses Small Batch Select, Knob Creek 14+ YO Picks)
5 | Good | Good, solid, ordinary (Elijah Craig Small Batch, Buffalo Trace, Old Grand-Dad Bottled-in-Bond)
4 | Sub-par | Many things I’d rather have (A.D. Laws Four Grain, Compass Box “Oak Cross”)
3 | Bad | Flawed (Iron Smoke Bourbon, Balcones)
2 | Poor | Forced myself to drink it (Buckshee Bourbon and Rye)
1 | Disgusting | Drain pour (Virginia Distilling Co. Cider Cask)
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