Miika Lipiainen, the co-founder of Kyro Distillery Company, pours a glass to celebrate the history of Isokyro’s Finnish rye whiskey haven, which blends tradition, innovation, and community spirit.
In the peaceful landscapes of Ostrobothnian, a town called Isokyro in North-Western Finland has an old dairy located next to the Kyro River. The heart of Kyro Distillery Company is an all-rye Finnish distillery founded by Miika Salmi Lipiainen (left), Jouni Ritola (right), Miko Heinila (left), Kalle Valkonen, and Mikko Koskinen in 2012.
Kyro’s dedication to quality and innovation has earned it recognition over the years. Its mission is to improve the whisky industry. The founding story of Kyro Distillery is a natural fit for a Finnish sauna.
The group embarked on a journey to change the face of Finnish distillation forever when they decided to make whisky using Finnish rye. It was going to be a long road, and to make this leap, the group needed a shared vision as well as rye love.
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How did five guys who were in a sauna become a Kyro, rye-only distillery that won awards? Answer: By dreaming and being daring.
Heritage: a focus on the past
Isokyro is a town with a long history. Kyro’s core values are to cherish the local tradition, the environment, and the people. The friends, who had little distillation experience, began the process of finding the best ways to make whisky by experimenting and researching on rye.
The passion for rye and the Finnish heritage, as well as the respect for local ingredients, traditions, and craftsmanship, were what brought our five founding members together over the years.
Rye is a unique grain that requires the use of specific distillation methods. Kyro’s whiskies are characterized by an individual and distinctive rye flavor resulting from harsh Northern weather conditions.
According to Lipiainen, the rye used in Kyro’s production is “a unique grain that requires finding the best methods for distilling whiskey out of it.”
The founders of Rye Whisky knew that they needed to master the entire distillation process, from malting rye to fermentation, to distillation, to cask aging. Shining copper stills cultivate and craft rye-based marvels with a traditional touch.
The maturation of whisky is an art form. In Kyro’s barrel warehouses, made from wood and concrete and adorned with beautiful artwork, time creates its magic. The barrels infuse the spirit with flavors. The rye whisky’s full flavor comes from the combination of American-Scottish whisky-making methods, which combine pot distillation with working on the grain. To get the most out of the grain, malt the rye while including all solids in the distillation.
What was the result? The result was a beautiful malted rye whiskey that captured the essence of Finnish nature, culture, and people.
Whisky that is a winner
Kyro Distillery is an open-minded distillery that focuses on the true taste of everyone. Kyro Distillery, although one of the youngest whisky distilleries in the world, has already won numerous international whisky contests for its immaculate portfolio.
Kyro’s Kyro malt won the three-star award at the 2023 Great Taste Awards, the highest honor in the competition. It also scored an impressive 98/100 at the International Wine and Spirits Competition. Kyro’s entire product line, which includes gins, dairy cream, and other products, is highly regarded and appreciated as a sign of exceptional quality.
Kyro has reached a milestone this autumn by launching its core whisky range, which consists of four different varieties of 700ml bottles. The collection features the well-known Kyro Wood Smoke and Kyro Wood Smoke with alder smoked, as well as the new Kyro Oloroso, which is nutty, sweet, and earthy. This core range showcases the versatility of rye and provides high-quality whisky with different taste characteristics.
Leave a positive impression.
Kyro is committed to a sustainable future, both socially and environmentally. This commitment runs throughout the entire operation. Kyro’s ethos demonstrates the founders’ strong connection to their community and desire to have a positive influence on the whisky market. From sourcing local products to running the distillery using local biogas from food waste and supporting the area, Kyro demonstrates its deep connection to local ingredients and the region. What makes Kyro whisky unique is not only its award-winning craftsmanship but also the way it captures Finnish culture and Kyro value in every sip. Kyro’s entire portfolio takes you on a journey of Finland’s nature. From mist-covered forests and whispering lakes to robust rye fields and blooming gardens.
Kyro Distillery is the story of a rye journey filled with trials and triumphs. It shows years of hard work, passion, and respect for Finnish heritage. Finland is known as the land of a thousand lakes. But in the future, we will see something more that reflects Finnish craftsmanship, nature, and values, namely Kyro.