Zuidam Dutch Rye 5 Year Old

To conclude our line-up of rye whiskies, we return to the Old Continent and try a 5 year old from Holland. Zuidam Dutch Rye 100% Pure Potstill, to be precise. Zuidam has a long tradition in distilling and has recently entered the whiskey market. They allow their spirit to mature on small, new charred casks of American white oak.

The nose is creamy and spicy. A toasted slice of brown bread, a lot of citrus and honey. Vanilla and woodspice. The vanilla becomes stronger, the fruitiness fades. It does show a wonderful hint of butterscotch. Slightly nutty. I’m reminded of marzipan. Dried grasses, too. Not bad at all.

It is quite oily on the palate. Sweet and fruity. Spicy too. A bit grainy, but also wonderfully sweet like cherries, raspberries with mint and walnuts. A lot of pepper and oak.

The finish is long, sweet and spicy.

This is a very pleasant surprise. It can contend with quite a few of its American cousins, if you ask me.

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