Millstone 10 year old 2000 American Oak, Dutch Single Malt

Located just north of The Netherlands-Belgium border, Zuidam Distillers produces genever, gin, rum and liqueurs, in addition to its Millstone whisky brand. I've enjoyed their 8yo French oak single malt, and there's a bottle of 100 Rye on my shelf.

Their 10 year old single malts appear to be produced in pretty small batches, as I've yet to see a bottle number over 500. A number of their 10s, such as today's whisky, are older than 10 years; a curious and rare action taken in the current whisky market. The "American Oak" single malts use virgin oak, and the website says these are the "most robust" of their whiskies. I hope that doesn't mean it's an oak bomb. The Americans are the only ones who can seem to get that type right, though even they rarely do.

Distillery: Zuidam Distillers
Brand: Millstone
Region: The Netherlands (Baarle-Nassau)
Type: Single Malt
Age: 13 (not 10!) years - Feb 2000 to Nov 2013
Maturation: new American oak barrels
Alcohol by Volume: 43%
Chillfiltered? No
Colored? No

Oak on the nose, but it seems more toasted than charred, reading as wood spice. Ceylon cinnamon, cardamom, pine sap and pine needles. There's also orange pixy stix and vanilla cake. It all fades out after 20ish minutes. The palate is different than then nose. Lemon cake, orange zest and peach candy. Grand Marnier and lime popsicles. Vanilla and vanilla fudge. Hints of malt and dried oregano. If someone infused an orange creamsicle with cayenne pepper, that would be the finish's main note. It's lightly tart. A little malt, vanilla fudge and pixy stix.

The first thing one notices when trying a European single malt is that it is not scotch. Most Asian distilleries do a good approximation of Scotch single malt, if not actually better than most current Scottish distilleries. But whiskies from the Dutch, Danish, Germans, French, Swedish, Swiss, etc., are not trying to imitate Speyside or Islay. Maybe it has to do with terroir, or maybe it's distillers doing their own thing. Either way, I enjoy the change of pace.

This Millstone single malt isn't as sticky sweet as the tasting notes read. There are numerous fruit essences in different forms spinning around each other. The whisky could benefit from less vanilla, but otherwise the oak isn't abusive. While a scotch drinker wouldn't consider it "robust", the whisky has a decent richness to it, considering the low-ish ABV. I liked it overall, though not enough to buy a bottle. If Zuidam decides to use refill barrels for future 10s, then I'll give 'em another try.

Availability - A few dozen European retailers
Pricing - $55-$75 (ex VAT, before shipping)

Rating - 82

Single Malt Report: Millstone 8 year old French Oak, Dutch Single Malt

I loves me some Netherlands.  So that's where we're going for this stop on the World Whisky Tour.

(source)

Zuidam Distillers, a leading Dutch liquor producer, currently has gin, 5 kinds of genever, coffee liqueur, chocolate liqueur, cinnamon liqueur, vanilla liqueur, amaretto, rye, and.......single malt whisky in the EU/UK marketplace.

Distillery: Zuidam Distillers
Brand: Millstone
Region: The Netherlands (Baarle-Nassau)
Type: Single Malt
Maturation: 6 years in ex-Jack Daniels barrels, then 2 years in new French Oak
Age: minimum 8 years
Alcohol by Volume: 40%

Let's go backwards with this whisky.

Zuidam ages their whiskies in a warm warehouse, which actually doubles the maturation / aging / alcohol-loss rate.  Sort of like India (of all places), but a little less extreme.  That's why they've done 5yr and 8yr releases, as opposed to 10 - 16 years.

This whisky matures for six years in former Jack Daniels barrels then another two years in new French Oak casks.  Rarely will a producer reveal whose former barrels they're using, so that's a fun maturation fact to know.  The good news is that there's not a hint of Jack in this whisky.

According to the distiller's site they ferment small batches of distillate at low temperatures for a long period of time inside large wide pot stills.  This gives the pre-maturation spirit (new make) soft and fruity characteristics.

But before they can ferment anything, they need some barley grist.  And how do they mill the barley?  Via windmills!

I was somewhere around Baarle-Nassau on the edge of the tulip fields when the whisky began to take hold.

On to the Dutch whisky!  Millstone 8 year old French Oak:

NEAT
Color - Solid Gold
Nose - Very fragrant and floral at first nosing.  Sweet oak.  Very similar to Glenlivet's French Oak.  Sugary pencils.
Palate - Candy!  Brown sugar.  Vanilla.  Maraschino cherries.  Fresh orange juice, maybe?  Mild and desserty.
Finish - Medium length.  Tiramisu and vanilla.

WITH WATER (about 32% ABV)
Nose - Wood.  Raisins.  More oak character.  Sulphur (which is weird because there were no sherry casks).
Palate - The water makes it much fruitier.  Sweet fruit juices.  Almost sherryish (which is weird because they were no sherry casks).
Finish - Still decent.  Sweet.  Gets a touch bitter and sour at the close.

Maybe it's because my expectations were set low for this one due to a couple of not-positive reviews or maybe it's because I had it for dessert at the end of a difficult day, but I liked this one a bit.  It would even stand up well against The Glenlivet 15yr French Oak.  It's uncomplicated, but it works as a dessert malt.  Probably a little better without water.

This will be first time I'll say it (and definitely not the last), but it probably wouldn't hurt if the whisky was released at a higher ABV (43% or 46%) to give it more oomph and strength.  But as it stands, it's a good starter whisky.

BUT it's not priced competitively.  Perhaps it's done so with the thought that Dutch Whisky will considered a luxury by some?  I don't know.  Maybe the windmills are expensive to run?  Is wind expensive?  I can imagine the whisky's price hindering product expansion.

Aside from that, I wish good things for Zuidam because they clearly know how to make a whisky.

Availability - Unavailable in the US, Available in the UK

Pricing - Unfavorable at $105-$120 (minus VAT plus shipping)

Rating - 80