Helsinki Whiskey 100% Rye Malt Release 20

Released on March 15 of 2021, this is Helsinki 100% Rye Malt #20 by The Helsinki Distilling Company from Finland. It’s a vatting of American virgin oak and bourbon barrels selected by distillery’s Master Blender Kai Kilpinen.

Each cask is 200 liters with char levels differing from 1 to 4. Whiskey has been matured for at least 4 years. They state this as:

“The flagship whiskey of the company that highlights splendid aroma of rye.”

As a rye whiskey enthusiast I’m happy to say I’ve tasted few of HDC whiskies and they’re doing a terrific job. Especially their rum cask finish was good and I did enjoy the first ever HDC commercial release.

Helsinki Distilling's Rye Malt Whisky Release #20 bottle and package

Didn’t kno
w there could be such a pleasant rye
Helsinki Distilling Company delivers another nice rye whiskey. They’ve managed to make their rye whiskies in a soft, easy to approach manner. This track record seems to continue.
HDC is the maker of surprising and delicate rye whiskies. Before them, didn’t know you could make rye whiskey with such palate.

Tasting Notes

Matured in:

New American oak and Ex-Bourbon barrels

Mashbill:

100% malted rye

ABV: 47.5%

Colour: Golden amber

Nose: Quite mellow for a rye whiskey, yet gives away aromas nicely. Floral and vanilla notes along with malty rye bread.

Taste: Rich with vanilla and creamy toffee. Sophisticated herbal notes and caramel. Like a combination of lavender, candied licorice and soft fudge. Definitely the best part of this rye whiskey.

Finish: Quite long and bit spicy. Not as sophisticated and tasty as the palate but aftertaste is still nice. Straight forward with thick, spicy rye notes.

Balance: Starts in a tender and mellow way, gets nicely rich and lingers a bit more one-sided. Overall, a good dram once again from HDC. Not a masterpiece but better than average. And what’s best, manages to be surprisingly sophisticated rye with rich and pleasant palate.