I'll be honest — when I first heard about a Danish rye whisky finished in mezcal casks, I raised an eyebrow. Stauning has been on my radar for a while now as one of the more interesting distilleries coming out of continental Europe, but a mezcal finish? That's a statement. The Stauning Bastard takes floor-malted Danish rye and gives it time in barrels that previously held agave spirit, and the result is something that genuinely surprised me.
Stauning is part of a wave of Scandinavian distilleries that aren't trying to copy Scotland or Kentucky — they're doing their own thing with local grain and unusual cask choices. The Bastard is a non-age-statement release bottled at 46.3% ABV, which is a solid strength. It's enough to carry flavour without burning through it, and I suspect they've left it non-chill filtered given the slight haze I noticed in the glass. That's always a good sign.
What makes this whisky interesting on paper is the collision of two very different spirits traditions. Rye whisky brings spice, grain character, and a certain dry backbone. Mezcal casks bring something else entirely — think smoke, but not peat smoke. It's a different animal. The agave influence creates a sweetness and earthiness that you simply don't get from bourbon or sherry wood. Stauning have named it Bastard for a reason: it's a hybrid, a rule-breaker, and it doesn't fit neatly into any category.
Tasting Notes
I don't have detailed tasting notes to break down here, but what I can say is that you should expect the rye grain to provide structure — that peppery, slightly herbal quality that good rye always delivers — while the mezcal cask finish adds layers of smoky sweetness and a mineral edge that you won't find in any other whisky on your shelf. At 46.3%, it has presence without being aggressive.
The Verdict
At £69.95, the Stauning Bastard sits at a price point where it needs to justify itself, and I think it does. You're not paying for age here — you're paying for creativity, quality grain, and a genuinely unusual cask finish. This isn't a gimmick. Stauning have built a reputation for taking risks that actually pay off, and the Bastard is a bottle that will start conversations. It's the kind of whisky I'd put in front of someone who thinks they've tried everything. A 7.7 out of 10 feels right — it's a confident, well-made spirit that does something different without losing sight of what makes whisky enjoyable in the first place. It loses half a point for me only because the NAS tag leaves me wanting to know more about what's actually in the bottle.
Best Served
This one works beautifully in an Old Fashioned. The rye spice gives you the backbone the cocktail needs, and that mezcal-influenced smokiness plays brilliantly with a good demerara syrup and a couple of dashes of mole bitters if you can get them. Use a large ice cube, express an orange peel over the top, and you've got something special. If you prefer it neat, give it ten minutes in the glass — it opens up considerably with a little air.
