We explore Kyrö’s core range alongside their Sauna Stories No. 2, tracing the journey of this Finnish distillery from what began as a lighthearted, almost drunken idea into a serious and accomplished producer. After delving into Kyrö’s history, we’ll taste the four rye whiskies from their core lineup and their second Sauna Stories release, pausing in between to test samples in the sauna and assess how the heat and environment affect the character of their whisky.
Kyrö Distillery
Kyrö’s story begins exactly where you’d expect a very Finnish spirits revolution to start: in a sauna, with five friends, a bottle of American rye and a slightly tipsy question. Why, in a country built on rye bread and harsh winters, did nobody make rye whisky? The idea still sounded good the next morning, which says a lot about both the conviction and the hangovers involved. So in 2012, in the small Ostrobothnian village of Isokyrö, they registered what would become the Kyrö Distillery Company, with a simple, stubborn premise at its core: everything would be 100% Finnish wholegrain rye.
The founders – Mikko, Jouni, Miika, Miko and Kalle – had no background in distilling, which might have killed a more sensible project but instead pushed them into full‑on bootstrapping mode. They turned part of Kalle’s parents’ house into a makeshift fermentation hall while the family was on holiday, fermented their first rye mash there, and hauled it across the country to use another small distillery’s pot still for the very first Kyrö spirit. That garage‑band phase gave them just enough conviction to look for a permanent home, and they found it in a disused 1908 dairy in Isokyrö, once famed for producing Oltermanni cheese. The old creamery sat right by the Kyrö River, battered by the same climate that makes rye such a hardy crop; it felt almost too perfect not to claim.
By 2014 the stills in the converted dairy were running hot, filling the former cheese factory with the dense, slightly sweet grain aroma of rye wash and fresh new make. The problem, of course, was time. Proper rye whisky needed to sit for years, and the company needed cash flow immediately. The solution was to bottle the in between: gin. Using the same rye base spirit, they layered in local botanicals and launched a pop‑up speakeasy in Helsinki under the tongue‑in‑cheek banner ‘Isokyrö Tourism Agency’ to pour early experiments. Friends loved it, curious strangers wandered in, and the gin started to move from curiosity to actual product.
The real inflection point came in 2015, when Napue Gin – built on that rye base and Nordic botanicals – won ‘Best Gin for Gin & Tonic’ at the International Wine & Spirit Competition. Overnight, this tiny all‑rye distillery from an obscure Finnish village jumped onto the global radar, and demand for the gin exploded. Kyrö suddenly had the financial breathing room to invest properly in kit, separate whisky and gin production streams, and dial in the very particular quirks of distilling 100% rye, a grain infamous for its sticky mash and temperamental behaviour in the still. The mission never shifted, though: all the spirits, whether gin or whisky, remained rye‑driven.
While gin carried the brand into back bars around Europe, the original dream rested quietly in barrels. The first Kyrö rye whisky reached bottle‑age in tiny quantities around 2017, released mostly to carefully chosen bars rather than thrown into general retail. From there, the whisky side of the operation grew in step with the team’s confidence and technical control. They leaned heavily into Finland’s social and agricultural relationship with rye – planting before the ground freezes, harvesting as the snow threatens, and preserving grain through long winters – framing their spirits as a liquid continuation of that history.
Today Kyrö operates as a full‑scale, all‑rye distillery on that same riverside dairy site in Isokyrö, comfortably straddling the worlds of modern craft gin and characterful rye whisky. The branding stays playful – sauna stories, lake plunges, and unapologetically Finnish humour – but beneath the surface sits a fairly serious piece of distilling: specialist rye equipment, dedicated whisky and gin lines, and a grain‑to‑glass philosophy rooted in one crop and one country. What started as a half‑joking, ‘Why doesn’t anyone make rye whisky here?’ has turned into one of Europe’s most distinctive rye distilleries, with every bottle still quietly answering that original question the same way: ‘In Finland, we do now.’
Kyrö Malt Rye (2025) Review
The Kyrö Malt Rye is made from 100% malted wholegrain Finnish rye and aged in new American white oak. It sits at 47.2% ABV, without chill filtration nor added colour. This is quite inexpensive, around €40 in Germany, and £50 in the UK.
Colour:
Burnished.
Nose:
Neat: Plenty of rye character straight away: dark rye bread, toasted crust and a little sawdust and pencil shavings. Sweet notes of honey, brown sugar and caramel mingle with nutmeg, black pepper and a touch of varnish. Underneath, cocoa and dark chocolate, coffee grounds, and hints of orange peel, apple and soft orchard fruits add depth and a nice tartness.
Palate:
Neat: The arrival is punchy and fairly oily, mixing toasted rye bread with honey, caramel and vanilla. Warming spice builds – nutmeg, clove, black pepper and candied ginger – backed by mocha, milk chocolate and a little maple syrup. Tart berries and fresh apples and pears peek through, keeping things lively and adding a faintly earthy, Nordic feel.
Finish:
Medium to medium long, with honeyed sweetness, rye bread spice and tingling pepper, slowly drying into nutmeg, oak and mocha. Orchard fruits linger softly in the background as the chocolate and coffee notes fade.
Comments:
This Kyrö Malt Rye might be an excellent Trojan horse into rye whisky for whisky lovers that don’t usually appreciate rye whisky. Even though the rye is pretty obvious, especially on the nose, the mix of fruits, spices and sweetness makes this Kyrö pretty easy to drink and pretty easy to like. And the ABV is spot-on.
Rating: 7/10
Kyrö Malt Rye Oloroso Finish (2025) Review
This Finnish rye malt whisky is also double pot-distilled from 100% malted wholegrain rye and finished in Oloroso sherry casks after a first maturation in ex-bourbon and new American oak. Also clocking in at 47.2% ABV, it’s non-chill filtered and natural colour. Expect to pay less than €50 for a bottle in Germany, but a bit more than £55 in the UK, and €65 in France…
Colour:
Burnished.
Nose:
Neat: Walnuts, toasted nuts and sweet, earthy rye bread dough lead, with marzipan, black cardamom and menthol freshness. Dried fruits – raisins, prunes, dates, sultanas – mix with caramel, maple syrup and orange peel. Chocolate notes (milk and dark), vanilla, fresh tobacco, pain au chocolat and subtle banana hints add layers.
Palate:
Neat: Luscious and spicy, with rye bread, honey, raisins, walnuts and Brazil nuts upfront, plus milk chocolate and dried cherries. Sherry-driven richness brings plum, black currant, hazelnut praline and black cherry, balanced by rye pepper and clove. Vanilla, maple syrup and subtle coconut or apricot provide sweet-savoury harmony.
Finish:
Medium long and peppery, with nutmeg, white pepper and rye spice dominating, plus oak, bitter coffee and caramel dryness. Chocolate, dried fruit peels and ginger linger warmly.
Comments:
I’m less fond of the Oloroso finish on this Finnish rye… (sorry I had to do it). The nose shows the oloroso notes on top of the Kyrö Malt and they already feel slightly disjointed, but on the palate, the red fruits sweetness and fruitiness really feel artificial. This fruity sweetness makes me think more of a port finish than an oloroso one, and if tasted blind, I would have guessed a port finish.
Rating: 6/10
Kyrö Wood Smoke (2025) Review
The Kyrö Wood Smoke uses 100% malted Finnish rye, smoked using alder. It is double pot-distilled and matured in ex-bourbon, French oak and new American white oak casks, before being bottled at 47.2% ABV. Around £60 a bottle in the UK, and under €50 in Germany, for instance.
Colour:
Amontillado.
Nose:
Neat: Earthy forest floor and toasted rye bread with butter, plus green fruits, cocoa, pine and subtle campfire smoke. Vanilla, caramel, Sichuan pepper, dried fruit, raisins and hints of smoked meat add warmth, spice and sweetness. On top of that, fennel, resin, spruce and some floral notes round it all out.
Palate:
Neat: Full and spicy with rye bread, honey, wild berries, vanilla and orange oil, building to dry alder wood smoke and meaty depth. Clove, cinnamon, ginger, black cherries and toasted grain provide a spicy balance. Caramel sweetness and light herbs like marjoram emerge with time.
Finish:
Medium long and dry, with cigar smoke, woody pepper, baking spices and lingering campfire notes. Sawdust, apple skin, ginger and subtle cherry cola fade slowly.
Comments:
This Kyrö Wood Smoke is a stunning smoked rye whisky. It’s packed full of flavour, with a complex nose and palate, and a finish that calls for another sip. Citrus, spices and wood: all the typical rye markers are here, underlined by tasty and balanced smoke. And this alder wood smoke really brings something different: a real signature.
Rating: 7.5/10
Kyrö Peat Smoke (2025) Review
Kyrö Peat Smoke is a 47.2% ABV Finnish rye whisky made from 100% malted wholegrain rye, barn-smoked for 24 hours with Finnish freshwater peat and matured in new American oak and ex-bourbon, with some Kyrö Malt casks in the mix. Around €55 in Germany, closer to €70 in France, and £60 in the UK.
Colour:
Jonquille.
Nose:
Neat: Soft mossy peat and waxy, vanilla-laced smoke lead, with damp forest floor, dried leaves and a touch of swampy earth. Partly cooked apples, toffee apples, honey and a hint of candied citrus bring gentle sweetness. Behind that sit rye bread dough, herbal tones (dill, cut grass, juniper) and a faint medicinal edge that hints at mezcal-like vegetal smoke.
Palate:
Neat: Sweet rye malt arrives first – honeyed black rye bread with a drizzle of honey – quickly joined by citrus notes of candied orange and lemon. Warm baking spices (nutmeg, clove, ginger, black pepper) build over a base of wet, mossy smoke and bonfire ash. Herbal, slightly vegetal peat recalls mezcal again, with nettle tea and crushed herbs alongside a touch of melted chocolate. Oak stays supportive rather than dominant, adding vanilla and light tannins.
Finish:
Medium long, with mossy peat smoke gently wrapping notes of swampy water, cut grass and crushed herbs. Beeswax, ground ginger, liquorice root and candied lemon peel linger as rye bread and oak fade slowly.
Comments:
This Kyrö Peat Smoke feels more vegetal than Wood Smoke, with slightly more sweetness as well. Very good again, but I prefer the Wood Smoke one.
Rating: 7/10
Kyrö Sauna Test: Control Sample (2025) Review
Not much is known about this first test sample, just that this one is from before the sauna test, as a control sample. It is bottled at Kyrö’s usual 47.2% ABV, so lower than the final release. This is not available for sale.
Colour:
Pale straw.
Nose:
Neat: The nose first reveals pears, apricots and golden apples before the rye itself appears, with exotic woods and a touch of spice and citrus peel. There are hints of fennel, liquorice (both roots and confectionery) and damp undergrowth.
Palate:
Neat: This feels a bit new-makey, with an oily mouthfeel. Pears and apricots, with a strong astringency, drying the mouth rapidly. The rye is intense, with sandalwood, spices and citrus again, also leaving a herbal bitterness.
Finish:
The herbal bitterness lingers with citrus peel and even albedo, a pinch of white pepper, and some wood.
Comments:
This control test sample feels like a young and harsh whisky, feeling close to new make. The apricot brandy casks are not evident, but I’ve never tried any apricot brandy.
Rating: 5/10
Kyrö Sauna Test: After Sauna (2025) Review
Not much is known about this second test sample, just that this one is from after the sauna test. It is bottled at Kyrö’s usual 47.2% ABV, so lower than the final release. This is not available for sale.
Colour:
Yellow gold.
Nose:
Neat: The fruit intensity is lower than the control sample from before the sauna. Apples and apricots are still here, but more restrained. The rye is more marked, with a stronger exotic wood intensity. After a while, lots of citrus peel as well. But most of all, there is a strong forest honey aroma.
Palate:
Neat: The mouthfeel is oilier, and it has lost some of its harshness. If the rye is still strongly present, with lots of wood, the palate lost the astringency. However, after some aeration, you start to identify apricots, almonds, forest honey, moss and herbal teas.
Finish:
Long, on forest honey, herbal tea, sandalwood and citrus.
Comments:
More colour extraction! The time spent in the sauna allowed the harsh and youth notes of the spirit to be ironed out. If the rye characteristics are still there, it truly gained maturity in that small amount of time, making it a way better whisky.
Rating: 6/10
Kyrö Sauna Stories N°2 (2025) Review
This limited 51% ABV rye whisky from 100% malted Finnish rye matures in new American oak, finishes in apricot brandy casks, then spends time in a 55 °C Finnish sauna for enhanced oak interaction. Expect to pay around £110 in the UK and from €115 in Germany, or even close to €140 in France.
Colour:
Chestnut.
Nose:
Neat: Exotic wood, creamy vanilla and spicy rye greet first, with ripe apricots, dried fruits and stone fruits rising prominently. Light pepper, orchard fruits (apple, pear) and a dusty attic charm add nuance.
With water: Apricots brighten further, softening wood and spices for more vanilla, dried fruit and orchard clarity.
Palate:
Neat: Broad and velvety, with rye spice, warm oak and bright stone fruits – apricot, peach – balanced by cacao and fizzy sweetness. Bold, evolving with caramel, vanilla ice cream notes and playful fruit marmalade.
With water: Rye spice mellows, letting stone fruit sweetness and oak warmth integrate creamier, with reduced tannin grip.
Finish:
Long and layered, with lingering rye spice, tannic dryness, apricots and a soft peppery twist.
Comments:
Another excellent Kyrö, with a nice originality: I don’t think I’ve ever seen another whisky using apricot brandy casks. Well, after a quick check on Whiskybase, three other distilleries used Apricot brandy casks for a finish or partial maturation: the Germans from Gerhard Büchner, Whiskey Thief with their Good Times rye in the USA, and the Irish Two Stacks, using make from GND. Back to Finland, this Sauna Stories N°2 shows a very nice mix between the rye spices and the sweetness provided by the apricot brandy. The slightly higher ABV works really well, as it brings a broad and velvety mouthfeel. Sure, the price doubled compared to the core range, but I guess the special treatment this whisky underwent can justify it.
Rating: 7/10
Samples provided by Distill Spirit, the French distributor for Kyrö. Pictures lifted from Kyrö’s website, except for the two sauna test samples, from yours truly (but you could tell, I know).