The Midsummer is here: Gin Gin!

While this blog is usually about whiskies, and in focus about whiskies including smoke, there is also always room for exceptions. If you know about Kyrö Distillery, then you know that they make 100% Rye Whisky in Finland – their first whisky should be out 2017.

I’ve had a few Midsummer whiskies in this blog earlier. This time it is about the drink and feel it produces. Kyrö’s Gin has the Finnish world included in their essence.
So, the Kyrö Distillery Company also produces Gin. Not just to their own brand, but they produce Gin to some other companies as well. We’ll leave those bits on a side track and focus on the real deal here. KDC Napue and Koskue Rye Gins. I’ve had a few gins during my years of wander in this land of drinks but I never thought about blogging about any of those. Until now. Without the connection to the rye whisky this even would not have happened. But since those great fellows are producing this stuff I of course will tell about them. And btw, Kyrö did won a award for the best corporate identity in Finland. For a good reason, they have got a unique and self-ironic, yet knowing their value, style in all their material.

Napue

was their first gin. Transparent, clear, like most of other gins I’ve encountered. It noses like a gin, it has a palate like a gin.. it is a gin! And actually a real tasty one. This one will take you to a nice hot walk in Finland’s summer.. especially Midsummer! Meadows, buckthorns, birch and herbals mix that only a witch of the wilds can come up with.  It resembles of the midsummer night, while keeping the day’s fiery warm deep buried in the bedrock. It is the cool quick swim in a clear Saimaa lake: refreshing, chilly and yet extremely pleasant experience.
 


All kinds of herbs are mixed into KDC gins.

 

Koskue

is the one who got to spend some time in a barrel. It shares the color with some whiskies (a bit more yellow though), albeit it is not a strong coloring. The scent has more elegancy, fruits and perhaps a bit of rye too. It is gin, but more complex and less direct.  Palate has more taste like gin in it, but the complexity continues. This is a riddle told by an old man. You just can’t get in and while the tale is at the end you’ll figure out the beginning. Fast and yet it will linger in your tongue for a while. This one has more spice in it, and the herbals have been mixed a lot with fruits. The pepper will be a very dominant taste at the end. Koskue is delightfully different than Napue. Both are by the way village names near the distillery.

HAVE A GREAT MIDSUMMER!

Twistiä drinkkeihin ja cocktaileihin Verson ja Juuren avulla

English versions are in here.


Tislaamokierroksella minulle tuli eteen ahaa-elämys kun kävi ilmi että Verson on tarkoitus olla Kyrön tislaamon vakiotuote. Tarkoituksena ei ole kasvattaa Verson ikää ja tehdä siitä kilpailijaa omalle viskille, vaan tässä on tuoksutettu sopiva markkinarako erilaisten viski-drinkkien ainesosaksi. Versoa tulee saamaan jatkossakin ja sitä kannattaa koeponnistaa erilaisten juomien yhteydessä. Helpointa on etsiä jonkin ruisviski-cocktailin resepti ja korvata Versolla tai Juurella alkuperäinen bourbon.

Versordier, joka aiemmin tunnettiin nimellä Bulevardier ja sitä ennen nimellä Negroni

• 3 cl Versoa tai Juurta
• 3 cl Camparia
• 3 cl makeaa punaista Vermuttia

Tämän voi tehdä suoraan drinkkilasiin (on the rocks-lasi vaikkapa). Täytä kylmä lasi jääpaloilla ja kaada ainesosat sinne sekaisin. Hämmennä ja koristele vaikka appelsiininviipaleella.

Kyrönmaan Matkailunedistämiskeskus on myös kehittänyt omia reseptejään, joita tarjoillaan ainakin samannimisestä baarista. Sain, kiitos ystävällisen tuttuni, heidän drinkkilistansa upeine selityksineen käsiini joten laitetaan nuo mainiot Matkailunedistämiskeskuksen tarinat jakoon. Kannattaa muuten käydä paikan päällä nauttimassa, sen verran hieno baari on. Ja ympäristöstäkin löytyy tarinaa ammennettavaksi pitkiin kesäöihin. Allaolevat tekstit eivät siis ole omiani, vaan Matkailunedistämiskeskuksen tuotoksia.

Leväluhdan lähde

Isonkyrön nähtävyyksistä yllättävin on Leväluhdan lähde. Sen lisäksi että lähteen vesi värjääntyy keväisin punaiseksi, on sieltä kaivauksissa löytynyt sata ihmisluurankoa, vanhimmat rautakaudelta asti. Muista aikakauden jäännöksistä poiketen Leväluhtalaisilla havaittujen pitkänomaiset pääkallojen takia kyseisten luurankojen alkuperästä kiistellään. Mystistä.

• Verso tai Juuri
• Punajuurisiirappi
• Bitterit

Pukkilansaari

Kuten jokainen suomalainen kaupunki, kunta tai taajama, Isokyrökin on kiva kesäkunta. Yhtenä vetonauloista on Kyrönjoessa lepuuttava Pukkilansaari, jossa sijaitsevalle tanssilavalle pääsee ainoastaan lossilla. Pohjanmaalaisittain kepeätä tunnelmaa kuvaa parhaiten versiomme klassisesta Whisky sourista jossa mukana tuoreita mansikoita.

• Verso tai Juuri
• Tuoreita mansikoita
• Munanvalkuainen
• Sitruunamehu
• Sokerisiirappi
• Bitterit

Perttilän Silta

Pohjanmaa on tunnettu kevättulvistaan, joiden aihettaja on useimmiten siltojen alle kerääntyvä jääpato, joka saattaa viedä sillankin mennessään. Pohjalaiseen tapaan ongelman ratkaisu on raaka voima, tässä tapauksessa dynamiitti. Siksi onkin yllättävää että nimenomaan pohjanmaalta löytyy Suomen vanhin riippusilta, Suomen Golden Gate Bridge: Perttilän Silta. Tämän kunniaksi kehitimme Rye Ball -drinkin, joka rakennetaan korkeaan, täynnä jäitä olevaan lasiin. BUM!

• Verso tai Juuri
• Ginger Beer
• Limemehu
• Appelsiininkuori
• Paljon jäitä

Soppeli

Twistimme Cobblerista sai nimen Soppeli. Tislaamomme naapurissa on Naskalinkylä, jota käsityöläiset ovat asuttaneet iänkaiken. Seppäperinteitä useamman sukupolven ajalta pitää yllä Hannujen suku, joka on takonut aikanaan jo Perttilän sillan rautaosat ja jatkavat perinteitään nykyaikaisemmissa muodoissaan. Kun seppä saa työnsä valmiiksi ja se on tarkoitukseensa sopiva, on se isokyröläisittäin soppeli. Kuten:
”Tää drinkkihän on oikein soppeli”.
”Nii o, aivan hyvä!”

• Verso tai Juuri
• Makea vermutti
• Appelsiini
• Limemehu

Kyrön Tappelus

1714 talvella Isonkyrön talonpojat taistelivat venäläisen ruhtinas Golitsynin joukkoja vastaan ruotsalaisten karoliinijoukkojen rinnalla. Lopputuloksena Isonkyrön ja lähiseutujen miehet kaadettiin hankeen ja poljettiin ruispellon mutaan. Ruotsalainen ratsuväki suoritti onnistuneen vetäytymisen. Tämän taistelun innoittamana taiteilimme omaperäisen drinkin, jossa ruis lohduttaa tisleen ja mämmin muodossa. Laktoositon.

• Verso tai Juuri
• Liquor 43
• Munanvalkuaista
• Maitoa
• Kardemummabitteri
• Mämmiä

Verso “Sprout” and Juuri (Origins) just made my cocktail!

While I was visiting the distillery, it was a nice surprise to learn more about these rye make boozes. The Verso will be a normal range product and thus be available more or less frequently from the stores. The idea is not the include Verso in whisky tastings (except out of curiosity) but to use it as a ingredient in various drinks / cocktails. You can also use Juuri (the Origins) instead of Verso in these ones.

 

The Versordier Cocktail (was: Bulevardier, was: Negroni)

• a chilled cocktail glass for added visual experience
• One part Campari
• One part sweet vermouth
• A bit more than one part (1.25) of Verso or Juuri

Add all ingredients to a mixing glass filled with ice. Stir and strain into a cocktail glass. Add a orange twist to garnish the experience. This is also known as Ilmari Turja in Kyrönmaan Matkailunedistämiskeskus.
 

The Leväluhta Bog Spring

Near the Distillery is a sight called Leväluhta bog. One of it’s characteristics is that the water of the bog runs red during the springtime. The other part that you might want to note is that the bog has recently released over a hundred human skeletons from it’s depths. The oldest of these corpses date back to the Merovingian and iron age. There are tales and whispered speculations of the origins of these poor souls, the truth will most likely remain a eternal mystery.
(photo from Wikipedia)
To stir up the Leväluhta Bog Spring you need to modify the since-the-ages-famous Old Fashioned. For more grim and memorable lights/night out, use drinking horns or skull shaped glasses.

• a nice pour of Verso or Juuri
• some beetroot syrup
• 3 dashes Bitters
• perhaps a splash of soda water, or water from the bog spring..

Stir, don’t shake, with a bone-shaped stick. A must-have for the next Halloween!

 

Pukkilansaari “the Isle of Pukkila”

Pukkilansaari is a island on Kyrö river. You need to use a ferry to cross the stream to get there, but it is worth it since during summertime there is a outdoors dance hall. And that is where you need to find yourself in a Northern summer night.
The original drink is the Whisky Sour, with some KDC modifications. To get one use

• a nice pour of Verso or Juuri
• Fresh Finnish Strawberries (other countries are ok too)
• Egg white
• Lemon juice
• simple syrup
• some dashes of Bitters

These should get you started. The texts for Leväluhdan Lähde and Pukkilansaari were taken and very loosely translated from Kyrönmaan Matkailynedistämiskeskus cocktail descriptions. More will come later. 

KDC Kyrö Distillery Juuri (Origins or Roots) take #two

I wrote about KDC Juuri back in December 2014: http://savuista.blogspot.fi/2014/12/rye-rye-time-for-rye-juuri-root-of-kyro.html 

Since that time, I have learned that KDC produces their drams in relatively small batches (roughly 600 0,5 liter bottles at the time) and there can be variance between batches. It all depends on multiple factors. Unless the vatting is done on larger number of batches there are differences between bottling batches.

When I got my hands onto sample about batch 8 and Raw Origins, I naturally had to review what’s going on especially since I had now visited the distillery and learned more about their process.

The Rye KDC uses for their mash is excellent. I was able to taste it and I was taken away with that experience. It is great to know how their raw ingredient fares and what the actual end product will taste.

The sample of the batch 8 has a lot better and softer nose than the batch 13. While it is like a moonlighted booze (it is booze after all), it has a great scent in it. Soft rye with some summer combined into it. But what is more important, is that the taste is a lots more tolerable and soft. It is rough, like a Finnish drink should be, but it also has a great rye in it. This is much more balanced and much more complex, than the one from the room 13. Personality is nicer, there is some twist and joke in it but what is the most important part: the finish is longer and way more pleasant. While this is far away from whisky (this is new make, unaged) this is a good base for the dram to come.

While at it, I have to write about the Raw Juuri also. Normally Juuri is tamed down to 46.3% while the Raw Juuri is bottled at 63.8%. This is actually also the strength used when the Juuri is put into barrels for maturation. Considering the angel’s share I’d guess the final Cask Strenght KDC Rye Whisky will be roughly 52-58% – depending on the age of course.

I have no details about the batch of the  Raw Juuri I tasted, but I am surprised how mild and soft the scent is. Considering the power of the drink, I was expecting a lot tougher experience. The Rye scents nice!

Also the palate is first a lot more softer than I thought it would be. The bite emerges much later than I was anticipating. Rye, summer, sun and vast fields surround me when I dive deep into this one. Nothing bad, but there is a constant reminder that this is just the step one. The cask hasn’t given it it’s share yet – and the cask maturation is the big difference between a booze and the whisky. The finish burns and steams, like a steampunk locomotive in a heat but it cools down after finishing it’s goal. Too bad I don’t know the batch of this one, but I must say I enjoy the Raw Juuri much more than the ordinary one.    

Kyrö Distillery Company: where the Rye evolves

When you drive to Isokyrö you know you are at the countryside. The vast fields accompany the more or less lonely road more often than random forests. This is the are where the fields (almost) reach the horizon, people are proud and their shoulders fit in only because they built their houses and doors big. It is the Pohjanmaa and you can check the map for the exact location: https://goo.gl/maps/H6WLd

What is the Kyrö Distillery Company? You can read about them from their web site ( http://www.kyrodistillery.com/ ) but put in short: they are a fresh company (founded 2013/2014, started their production 2014) who are producing 100% pure Finnish single malt rye whisky. At this point it is on the new make level, but 2017 the first three years old Rye whisky will see the sunrise. They are in a good competition spot since there isn’t that much production of the pure 100% rye malt whisky. Usually 51% of the rye is enough to call it a rye and distilleries tend to use that option. The Rye is hard to work with, but if you go through the pain and wait you will get amazing results. KDC also produces two main varieties of Gin, which are remarkable good and tasty.  My recent blog post about Verso can be read here: http://savuista.blogspot.fi/2015/03/kyro-verso-young-distill-growing-its.html

But first, let’s get back in time to the year 1714. KDC’s first Gin was named Napue, which is the name of the village where the distillery is located. It is also the place, where a big historical event happened 301 years ago: the battle of Storkyro, or the battle of Napue. The Russian’s had fought their way to almost west side of the Finland. Finland was part of Sweden in those days, but all those great victories Swedish had during their 30 year war did not help anymore. Since the defeat in Poltava they had been retreating. And despite that the majority of Swedish force was made of tough Finns the Russians were victorious on the battle and thus on the big war. It was a sad day to the region, since Russians burned down the village and it’s nearby buildings and majority of men were killed during the fight and in the aftermath. The story following the battle is tragic and sad, if you are interested about that history please read http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Storkyro. The events burned deep into soul of these people. The memorial was finally built 1920 – just a few years after Finland gained it’s independence.


The Napue suspension bridge is the oldest one in Finland that is still in use. It was constructed 1909-1910.
The distillery as viewed from the suspension bridge. It is on the left behind one more modern house.

The distillery itself has also some historical merits by itself. It was built as a  cooperative dairy in 1908. The dairy produced a famous everyday Finnish cheese Oltermanni for over a couple of decades – revealing the origin the name of the road leading there. The building is beautiful and has remained a lots of it’s old fashioned facet.


The interior of the building are more or less renovated – and the work goes on. The rye they grind is one of the best I’ve tasted: very strong and there is a strong sense of a threshing barn in them. The aim is to use more local rye in the future, which would be a great chapter to the tale.

The production facilities are compact and after cutting off heads and tails they produce roughly 300 liters of new make in one batch (200 liters of pure alcohol).



New mash in production. The mashing and fermenting takes six days to complete, due to low temperature and careful process which provides more taste than the haste.


The maturation is done in a small new oak casks to accelerate the process. Once the new storage areas are completed, they can provide even a better and more stable environment for the whisky to gain it’s final form.

Current warehouse.
The next warehouse, at this point a bit of work is required before casks can be rolled in.
The next next warehouse, that is going to require a few more hours before it is ready.
The bottling is done by hand at this point. Demonstrated with a empty bottle.
It is all handcraft work.
The bottle would be ready for labeling. All labels have been numbered earlier by hand.
..and it would be ready to shop out.

There are much more to tell about the RyeRye and crazy Finns who like to think Rye out of the box. I really appreciate their style, attitude and effort they put in their work. While I am a big fan of smoky drams, KDC rye is interesting and captivating. It is strong and tasty (some batches are better than others) and produces a long finish. It is not subtle, but does things on the rough cut way. Both Rye whisky and their Gin provide themes and tastes of Finland: the nature and the toughness. These are not for somebody who want their experiences to be gentle, smooth and indifferent. The rye is good. I will continue to blog about the Distillery and their drams on the later date: it is amazing how much inspiration one visit there can generate. Kippis!