Kaos is a triple malt whisky from Danish distillery Stauning (which we discovered through Berry Bros.). It takes its name from the slogan of Denmark’s first social-democratic Prime Minister. Stauning Eller Kaos – choose Stauning or choose chaos.
The whisky is a triple malt whisky. It mixes their signature floor-malted rye with classic malt and heather and peat smoked malt. This is then matured in virgin American oak barrels and first-fill fortified wine / spirits casks.
Stauning Kaos (46%, OB +/- 2023)
Nose: rye bread sticks out. Baking spice with slightly burnt cereals and pine needles. Also a hint of plywood and sourdough. Then interesting nori leaves, fragrant smoke in the background, and a whiff of varnished wood. Hints of berries after a while, but fruits are not what this whisky is about.
Mouth: sweet and sour apple, followed by a creamy vanilla not, more pine needles again, and hints of fresh wood shavings. Still this slightly dusty / plankish edge, highlighted by the rye spice. Dashes of honey with plenty of breakfast cereals underneath. Very malt towards the end.
Finish: not too long, mainly hovering around caramel, subtle peat and plenty of baking spice again.
This goes in different directions, in my opinion. There’s a clear Nordic footprint with the rye and the pine needles, but also a honey sweetness that doesn’t blend in entirely. Too many ideas for one expression, if you know what I mean? Overall the spicy, woody notes are quite loud too. Available from The Whisky Exchange for instance.