While the concept of terroir underscores everything in the world of wine, it’s not quite so clear cut when it comes to whisky. Even so, that hasn’t stopped a spate of distilleries from embracing a so-called grain-to-glass philosophy, setting themselves up in a rural location where they can manage the very harvest that informs their spirit. Take Denmark’s Stauning , which began its life in an abattoir owned by one of the founders, among a group of nine friends who had absolutely no formal experience in whisky-making. The success of their spirit soon saw Stauning change premises, relocating to a farm on the west coast, where they are now able to make the most of the Danish countryside’s abundant rye, as well as peat from its local bogs. While their new space has helped inspire the team to think outside the box — releases include an expression smoked with local heather, plus Dirty Bastard, a rye whisky that sees triple maturation across bourbon , mezcal and Tequila casks — they brought along with them the principles that guided their start-up operation inside that small slaughterhouse.
It’s all done with an edge of Nordic style, a burnt-timber building immersed in a sea of windswept grain
As shown in these photographs taken at each stage of the process, Stauning still employs floor malting, a practice considered a dying art in whisky-making, with barley and rye spread out across the ground for controlled germination. The only difference now, in this high-tech facility, is that the grain is turned by bespoke machine. Small-batch production continues, too, but across 24 copper pot stills, each operated by direct fire.
Naturally, this is all done with an edge of Nordic style, a burnt-timber building immersed in a sea of windswept grain.
Once harvested, grain from within a few kilometres is received for malting, with barley and rye spread out across the floor for steeping and germination
Locally sourced peat is then used in the kiln to add its flavour to the malted grains. Typically, this peat is more earthy and floral than the kind associated with Scotch
Onto mashing and fermenting, and the team champions a longer fermentation time to draw out the fruitier notes from the Danish grain
While many whisky producers of this scale rely on a handful of larger stills, Stauning instead prides itself on the use of 24 small pot stills heated via direct flame, claiming that the higher temperatures aid the development of deep and complex notes in the liquid
The grain-to-glass ethos sees maturation in an array of casks taking place on the premises and a bottling line also on site, while Stauning’s other central philosophy – friendship – means a break for team lunch every day of the drink’s production
