All About Finland’s “Sweating” Whisky: From Sustainability to Sauna Culture

In the ever-surprising world of whisky, the Finnish Kyrö Distillery recently unveiled a groundbreaking innovation that quite literally turns up the heat. Meet Sauna Stories, the world’s first whisky finished in the warm embrace of a sauna. Here’s what you need to know about Finnish culture and a celebration of Kyrö’s 10th anniversary.

Sauna Stories No.1 came out last year and is a limited-edition rye whisky heated to 50°C in Planteray rum casks, powered by surplus heat from the distillation process. This allows the whisky to “sweat” and, as Kyrö’s master distiller Kalle Valkonen puts it, “work out any dissonance.”

The result? A whisky with a flavor profile that embraces bold Finnish innovation: soft vanilla notes mingling with tropical fruit from Jamaica, enriched by rye’s signature brown sugar and spice.

Valkonen calls it his “most relaxed whisky” ever and it’s hard to disagree. The sauna’s heat and humidity create a harmony of flavors unlike anything else in the whisky world. By blending tradition with innovation, Kyrö has created something entirely new, making this bottle more than just a limited edition: it’s a sip of Finnish culture in a glass.

With this release, Kyrö Distillery, based in Isokyrö,celebrates its tenth anniversary. What began as a sauna-born idea in 2012 has grown into a distillery at the forefront of whisky innovation. Finland’s whisky history may be relatively unknown, but Kyrö proves that innovating with a nod to the nation’s pride,the sauna, not only works, it captures the attention of whisky lovers worldwide.

“It makes sense to make whisky in a way that reflects our culture,” says Valkonen. And with nearly 1,900 bottles of Sauna Stories No.1 available, you could say Kyrö is setting a new benchmark for what whisky can be. The bottle is priced at 129 euros.

What makes this story even more compelling is the sustainable angle of the production process. The sauna Kyrö uses to warm the whisky is powered by surplus heat from distillation. While whisky expert Billy Abbott expresses some skepticism about the true sustainability impact, he notes it’s a clever way to accelerate maturation. Plus, the sauna’s humid environment adds another dimension to how the flavors evolve.

The question, of course, remains: will the rest of the whisky world follow suit? Kyrö has already announced that more sauna-finished whiskies are on the way, so we may soon see other distilleries exploring similar ideas. Whether the trend sticks is anyone’s guess, but one thing is certain: Kyrö has warmed up the whisky world: figuratively and literally.

With Sauna Stories No.1, Kyrö Distillery has introduced a unique whisky that blends tradition, innovation, and sustainability. It’s a whisky that not only tastes like Finland, but also has the potential to spark a whole new trend across the industry.

Here’s to the future of whisky and don’t forget to work up a sweat yourself now and then! And if you’re still wondering how whisky ends up in a sauna, Kyrö has posted a playful explainer video on YouTube that walks through the whole process with a wink.

In this overview you can see what else we’ve written about Kyrö. In the meantime Saunas Stories Part 2 came out as well. Read about that below.