Zuidam Millstone 5 Year Old Lightly Peated Single Malt Dutch Whisky (700ml)

Where Bols, Filliers and Bokma have become household names in Dutch spirits and liqueurs, you can now add another: 'Zuidam'. By European standards, this project is very, very young - only reconciled by a precociousness that seems to flaunt five centuries of distilling history.

In 1975, Fred van Zuidam and wife, Helene, opened a deliberately contained operation with one small copper still. That modest initiative now turns out a staggering 600 products, including liqueurs, genevers and new world style gins. And with help from their sons, they've recently turned to making whisky in a serious way.

Described as "a distilling geek" and characterised by his frank and pragmatic attitude, Patrick Zuidam supervises the operation. With his brother Gilbert, the pair have progressively upgraded to four new copper stills, over 1000 oak barrels (typically American oak as well as x-Bourbon and Oloroso Sherry) and four production lines and modern tank storage facilities.

In line with other distilleries who have responded to one of the fastest growing segments of the whisky category, Zuidam began work on a peated version of their malt over a decade ago. Aged for a minimum of five years in new American oak barrels and with phenols around 20-25 ppm, the peated version of Millstone whisky hit the market in 2010, winning a silver medal in the International Spirits Challenge in London in 2011. The use of new barrels and the fact that they're stored in a warm and dry warehouse ensures that the whisky ages relatively quickly. 
Expect rich tones of fruit (orange and banana), cinnamon, cloves and honey combined with vanilla and toffee on a foundation of soft smoke.

Tasting note: Brilliant gold. Enticing spiced apple, nashi pear opening sniffs are distinctive and unexpected. Smoke enters as soft puffs of pipe tobacco with further exposure adding bubble gum, fruit mince pie and finally light lanolin. Medium bodied; hints at wet wool and herb infused honey (lavender?) No peat bomb. Pulls up slightly short, but the nose unfolds in a fascinating way. 40% Alc./Vol.