A truly unique Canadian rye whisky, finished in a single cask that previously held Hungary’s renowned Tokaji sweet wine.

This 6-year-old single cask rye whisky represents some of the best rye whisky we’ve made at Stillhead Distillery. It spent its first three years maturing in ex-bourbon barrels, developing the character and structure of the whisky, before spending another three years in a first-fill Tokaji wine cask.

The result is a rich and complex rye whisky with layers of ripe fruit, honeyed sweetness, apricot, honeysuckle and toasted oak, balanced by the distinctive spice and character of Canadian rye whisky.

Aged in Ex-Bourbon and Tokaji Casks

This whisky was matured for a total of six years:

• 3 years in ex-bourbon cask
• 3 years in a first-fill Tokaji wine cask
• 6 years total maturation
• Single cask
• Cask strength
• 100% rye whisky

The Tokaji cask brings something particularly distinctive to the whisky. After holding rich, sweet Hungarian wine, the oak becomes saturated with the wine’s concentrated fruit and honeyed character. As the high-strength rye whisky matures in the cask, it draws those flavours from the oak, creating additional depth and complexity.

Expect aromas and flavours of honey, apricot, ripe stone fruit, honeysuckle, vanilla and toasted oak, complemented by the spicy, earthy character of rye whisky.

What Is Tokaji Wine?

Tokaji is a famous style of sweet wine from the historic Tokaj wine region of Hungary. The region is particularly renowned for its rich dessert wines, including wines made from grapes affected by noble rot (Botrytis cinerea).

Noble rot is a naturally occurring fungus that, under the right conditions, causes grapes to lose water while concentrating their sugars, acids and flavours. The result is intensely concentrated wine with distinctive notes of dried fruit, honey and stone fruit.

Tokaji shares this characteristic with other celebrated sweet wines such as Sauternes and ice wine: all can develop remarkable concentrations of flavour and sweetness through the natural concentration of the grapes.

From Tokaji Wine Cask to Canadian Rye Whisky

Once a Tokaji wine cask has finished its life aging wine, the oak can become an exceptional vessel for whisky maturation. The cask’s previous contents leave behind concentrated fruit, honey and wine characteristics that can be drawn into the whisky during maturation.

For this release, we took a 6-year-old Canadian rye whisky and gave it three additional years of maturation in a Tokaji cask. The result is a whisky that combines the spicy character of rye with the rich fruit and sweetness associated with Tokaji wine.

This was an exceptionally limited cask. The cask was split between Switzerland, where half was exported to our import partners, and Stillhead Distillery in Canada, where the remaining whisky is being released directly from the distillery.

Tokaji Single Cask Rye Whisky

If you’re looking for a unique Canadian rye whisky, a single cask whisky, or a whisky finished in an unusual wine cask, this Tokaji Cask Rye Whisky offers something genuinely different.

Limited single-cask release. Once it’s gone, this cask is gone.