Zuidam Oude Genever

Nose: Malt spirit and gin-like spicy notes (juniper, anise, and licorice). Similar to gin but much richer and fuller. Palate: Sweet, herbal/spicy, and malty upon arrival. The taste expands, revealing more of the same notes with increased presence and complexity. The spirit seems to develop on the palate, and a very pleasant spicy warmth emerges towards the finish. The mouthfeel is rich, smooth, and oily. Finish: Medium/long. Cereal and malt notes in the aftertaste with a zesty juniper and licorice flavor. A very good "oude" (old-style) genever that is full-bodied, smooth, and luxurious. It's mellower than the brighter Bols "zeer-oude" (very old), though that one is also good in its own way. Genever has a lot in common with mixed-mashbill white dog, so if you enjoy unaged grain spirit, I'd definitely suggest trying this. This is made with a mashbill of corn, rye, and malted barley, triple-distilled in pot stills. A portion is then distilled again with botanicals, and the two distillations are combined. The term "oude" refers to the style (old-style) rather than the age, as opposed to the more modern "jonge" (young) style, which is lighter and contains less malt-wine. Aged oude Genever is usually called "zeer-oude," but the terms are somewhat flexible. Zuidam also makes Genever with age statements (up to 15 years, I believe), and there's a bottling with a 1-year age statement. This particular bottle is the entry-level Zuidam genever and has no age statement. I'm not sure if it's completely fresh off the still or if it rests briefly in casks before bottling. However, the fact that it's unaged doesn't affect its flavor or quality. Aged Genever has a different character than unaged spirit, but both are equally enjoyable, just different. Delicious sipped neat at room temperature or chilled, excellent with a good beer, and contrary to some opinions, delightful with tonic water and in mixed drinks. Back in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, when classic cocktail books were written, this is what recipes calling for "Hollands Gin" referred to. Try using it instead of London dry gin in your next gin-based mixed drink. "Good": 84/100 (3.75 stars)