A Danish ice cream maker has taken Stauning’s Rye whisky, not the bottled version but the raw spirit lifted straight from a single cask at 62%, and churned it into a scoop. Kastbergs Cask Whisky ice cream is the result of a collaboration between ice cream maker Joachim Kastberg and Stauning Whisky, and for now it stays inside Danish borders.
Whisky ice cream is not new. Home recipes and small commercial batches have used a splash of bottled malt for years. What is unusual here is the whisky Kastbergs chose and the state it is in. This is not a measured pour of finished, watered-down whisky folded into a base. It is single mark, cask strength, unbottled spirit at 62% ABV, and that is a genuinely uncommon thing to build an ice cream around.
What is actually in it
The whisky is Stauning Rye, taken in its raw form before it goes on the bottle. That makes it a single cask, cask strength component sitting at 62% ABV. Stauning’s Rye is built on 70% rye, floor malted, and double distilled over direct fire, which is the same recipe that has won the bottled version its awards.
The key facts:
- Producer: Kastbergs Gourmet-Is, Herning, Denmark
- Whisky: Stauning Rye, single mark, cask strength, 62% ABV, straight from the cask before bottling
- Serving temperature: best at around -16°C
- Format: handmade, made with milk and cream, works as both a scoop and a quenelle
- Availability: Denmark only, through foodservice wholesalers
Why Stauning is the right distillery for this
We have a soft spot for Stauning, and it is not a distant one. We have visited the West Jutland distillery several times, and Alex has shown us round on more than one occasion, so this is a producer we know from the malting floor rather than from a press kit.
Stauning matters here because of what its rye actually tastes like. Rye brings spice and structure where barley tends toward sweetness and weight, and Stauning’s floor malting and direct-fired distillation push that character further. The result is a whisky with real grip, and at cask strength that grip is turned all the way up.
That is the part worth dwelling on. We love the full power the Rye carries at cask strength, and putting the unbottled, undiluted spirit into a cold, fatty base is a smart way to keep it. Fat and cold both mute alcohol and flavour, so a 40% bottling would risk vanishing into the cream. Starting at 62% gives the rye somewhere to go.
What it tastes like, and how the whisky reads on its own
Kastbergs describe the ice cream itself as rounded, mild and distinctive, with the whisky sitting inside the cream rather than fighting it. We have not scooped the finished tub ourselves, so we will let that stand as the maker’s description for now.
The whisky going into it, we know well. Here is how Stauning Rye reads at cask strength, from our own glass rather than the tub:
Stauning Rye, cask strength (62% ABV)
- Nose: rye bread crust, baked apple, orange oil and a wisp of smoke from the direct-fired stills
- Palate: warm baking spice, clove and cinnamon, dark honey and toasted grain, with the 62% giving it genuine drive
- Finish: long, peppery and dry, with the rye spice lingering well past the sweetness
That spice and that dryness are exactly the notes that survive a cold, creamy carrier, which is why the pairing makes sense.
The serving idea worth stealing: a whisky affogato with no extra whisky
The obvious move is an affogato. Normally a whisky affogato means vanilla ice cream, a shot of hot espresso poured over the top, and a splash of whisky added at the table. Here the whisky is already in the ice cream, so you only need the coffee. A quenelle of the Cask Whisky ice cream, a shot of espresso pulled straight onto it, and you have a two-ingredient dessert that carries genuine rye character.
It also works as a plated quenelle in a larger dessert, which is how Kastbergs positions it. Hotel Alte Post built a plate called “The Hangover Cure” around it, if you want a restaurant reference point.
Price and availability: a Denmark-only, foodservice product
This is where international readers need to manage expectations. Kastbergs Cask Whisky ice cream is not a tub you pick off a supermarket shelf. It is distributed through Denmark’s leading foodservice wholesalers, namely AB Catering, BC Catering, Dagrofa Foodservice (DGFS) and Hørkram, which supply Danish hotels, restaurants, cafés and ice cream parlours.
Is it worth seeking out?
If you drink rye and you are in Denmark, yes, this is worth ordering when you see it. The interest is not novelty for its own sake. It is that Kastbergs used cask strength, single mark spirit straight from the barrel instead of a token measure of finished whisky, which is the difference between an ice cream that tastes of rye and one that tastes of vanilla with an idea of whisky.
It is less relevant if you want something to buy and keep at home, because you cannot, and it is not built for drinkers who find rye spice too assertive in the first place. But as a restaurant dessert with real distillery provenance behind it, this is a smart piece of work from two Danish producers who clearly talked to each other properly.
Keep an eye on whether it travels beyond Danish foodservice. If Stauning’s international profile keeps climbing, a collaboration like this has every reason to follow.
FAQ
What is Kastbergs Cask Whisky ice cream? It is a handmade cream ice made by Danish ice cream maker Kastbergs in collaboration with Stauning Whisky. The signature ingredient is Stauning Rye, used in its raw, unbottled form as a single cask, cask strength spirit at 62% ABV.
What whisky is in Stauning whisky ice cream? Stauning Rye, taken straight from a single cask before bottling. It is built on 70% floor-malted rye, double distilled over direct fire, and goes into the ice cream at 62% ABV rather than the diluted strength you would find in a finished bottle.
How strong is the ice cream, and does it contain alcohol? The whisky used is cask strength at 62% ABV, so yes, the ice cream contains alcohol. The finished alcohol content of the ice cream itself is not published, but as with any alcohol-containing dessert it is not intended for children or anyone avoiding alcohol.
How do you serve it, and what is a whisky affogato? An affogato is a scoop of ice cream with a shot of hot espresso poured over it. A whisky affogato usually adds whisky at the table, but because the whisky is already inside this ice cream, you only need the espresso. It also works as a plated quenelle in a larger dessert, and is best served at around -16°C.
Where can you buy Stauning whisky ice cream, and is it available outside Denmark? It is a foodservice product sold through Danish wholesalers AB Catering, BC Catering, Dagrofa Foodservice and Hørkram, which supply restaurants, hotels, cafés and ice cream parlours. That means you order it out at a Danish venue rather than buying a tub. For now it is exclusive to Denmark and not available internationally.
Is Stauning a good distillery? Stauning is one of Denmark’s leading distilleries, based in West Jutland and known for floor-malted grain, direct-fired distillation and an award-winning Rye. Its Rye whisky in particular has built a strong international reputation, which is a large part of why this collaboration is interesting.
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