Kyro

Finland is the biggest consumer of rye in various forms in the world - indeed, rye bread can be considered their national dish. But when 5 friends shared a bottle of Rittenhouse Rye in a sauna they realised that the country didn't have a rye spirit to speak of. And so Kyro was born - with no distilling experience the friends contacted micro-distilleries around Europe to learn how best to make a quality spirit.

The Kyro distillery, located in an old dairy in a small town named Isokyro on the banks of the River Kyro, produced it's first run in 2014, with the company already having been established in 2012. Made with 100% rye, Kyro now produce a range of whiskies, gins and liqueurs.

The Wood Smoke is unusual because the rye is smoked with alder wood, often used in sauna. It produces a somewhat dry smoke, which works wonderfully with the dark, almost sour notes of rye itself. The end result is a whisky which has elements of charred sourdough bread and high-cocoa dark chocolate, along with dark fruits that have been left just to close to the grill.

It's absolutely amazing in a Manhattan, particularly with a slightly spicy vermouth such as Azaline. The deep, dark complexity from the two flavour profiles is something to behold.