11 International Rye Whiskeys You Will Love
International Ryes
Rye whiskey is traditionally thought of as a North American spirit. This could very well be changing, thanks to a few innovative distilleries across the globe. Much like it was in the U.S., international rye whiskies outside of Canada wasn’t really a thing at the turn of the 21st century. But an increasing number of distillers abroad have turned to the tall, spiky, and cold-resistant grain to produce expressions which have captured attention and earned awards.
Rye
Europe is leading the charge in rye whiskey production, which makes sense historically. The grain originated in modern-day Turkey some 4,000 years ago and gradually spread throughout Central and Eastern Europe as well as Scandinavia. The bottles they’re producing are also facing an identity crisis: In April 2025, the EU decreed that rye whisky can only come from the U.S. or Canada, sending Europe’s rye distillers on a mad scramble to make sense of the mandate as they fight against its existence.
This recent clash doesn’t change the fact that international rye whiskey is an emerging category peppered with several essential bottles. The following expressions are especially worthy of inclusion to any rye lover’s back bar. Some of these expressions may be harder to come by than others, but the thrill of the chase can be part of the fun.
Zuidam Millstone 100 Rye Whisky and Zuidam Millstone 92 Rye Whisky
The Netherlands
Zuidam Millstone 100 Rye Whisky and Zuidam Millstone 92 Rye Whisky
This independent Dutch distillery is largely credited with producing Europe’s first contemporary rye whisky. They’re not newcomers to the distilling game — Zuidam’s began distilling liqueurs, gin, and vodka in 1975. They take their decades of distilling know-how to create Millstone, a rye whiskey emphasizing the grain’s raw nature and a lack of color and flavor additives. Their two rye expressions, Millstone 92 and Millstone 100, reference the Proof in their name. They’re both made from a 51% unmalted rye/49% malted rye mash bill, and they both rest in new American oak barrels. The difference is age: Millstone 92 ages for at least 36 months (3 years), and Millstone 100 ages for at least 100 months (8 ½ years). Both offer characteristics of subtly honied citric and spicy aromas, a fruity and spicy palate presence, and a sweet yet peppery finish.
Stauning Rye Whisky
Denmark
Stauning photo credit Stauning
Founded in 2015, Denmark’s first modern whisky distillery developed from curiosity. A group of nine friends, inspired by Scotland’s five distinct regions, set out to distill a whiskey that represented the essence of Denmark’s West Coast. They meet this goal at their sleek, modern distillery through a legitimate “Danish grain-to-bottle” process. After sourcing their rye and barley grains from local farms, they lean on the traditional method of 100% floor malting and the utilization of two-dozen direct fired copper pot stills for distillation. Their approach yields a robust rye dominated by notes of freshly baked bread and accentuated by pops of dried fruit and toffee.
Kyro Malt Rye Whisky
Finland
The idea of creating a Finnish rye whisky happened when Kyro’s founders were hanging out in a sauna, which makes perfect sense considering Finland’s famous love of saunas. As they were sipping on American rye whiskey, it dawned on them that nobody was distilling Finland’s abundant rye into a spirit. They took up that mantle and set out to make a rye that tells the tale of Finnish terroir. Kyro guides this story by double pot distilling Finnish wholegrain rye and aging them in new American white oak and ex-bourbon casks. Barrel-fueled notes of vanilla and caramel augment earthy rye aromatics on the nose. Intense sweet rye bread notes transition onto the palate, supported by flavors of honey and wild berries.
Waldviertler Original Rye Whisky and Waldviertler Dark Rye Malt
Austria’s first rye whisky producer highlights distilled spirits’ stature as an agricultural product. Waldviertler Roggenhof was operated as a farm by the Haider family for more than a century before Johann and Monika Haider began gradually evolving the property into a distillery in 1995. They make two rye whiskeys. Their flagship label, Whisky J.H. Original Rye, is a 60% rye, 40% barley expression offering a comprehensive sense of place: they not only source the rye locally, but they also age the spirit in Austrian oak barrels. The latter imparts a highly concentrated wood essence to the juice. This baseline supports a broad range of flavors that manifest during the tasting experience, from nutmeg and dark fruits on the nose to cinnamon, cocoa, and pepper on the palate.
Stork Club Distillery, Stork Club Straight Rye Whiskey, Full Proof Whiskey and Triple Wood Whiskey
The trio behind Stork Club Distillery possesses solid industry credentials: Bastian Heuser co-founded Bar Convent Berlin, Sebastian Brack created Thomas Henry bitter lemonade, and Steffen Lohr was a former Bacardi brand ambassador. They took over the German distillery at the end of 2016 — it originally launched in 2004 — and recalibrated its focus to German rye secured from a local floodplain known as the Spreewald Biosphere Reserve. It was an ambitious decision, as nobody in Germany was making rye at the time. It turned out to be a good call. Their base expression, Stork Club Straight Rye Whiskey, matures its carefully selected German rye in American and German Napoleon oak barrels to create a decadent, cocktail-ready expression. Expect notes of spice and pepper along with rich notes of caramel and dark chocolate.
Filliers Single Rye 5 Years Old and 8 Years Old
Filliers Distillery has been around since 1880. They jumped into distilling rye much later in their timeline, becoming the first Belgian distillery to produce a rye whisky with the release of their Sunken Still brand in 2016. They released their eponymous 5 year and 8 year labels in 2023, with each bottle featuring Belgian rye distilled traditionally in copper stills and matured in new American oak. The straightforward process results in expressions where light spice and pepper juxtapose with soft vanilla and chocolate notes. It’s rather clear Filliers picked up on a thing or two about distilling in the last 140-plus years.