ABOUT THIS BOTTLING

Our fourth batch under our Millstone label is a 3 Year Old Rye Whisky, a release of just 220 bottles at 55% abv.

The Zuidam family founded their Dutch distillery in 1975 and have amassed more than 50 years of distilling experience between them.

However, it wasn’t until 1998 that they started making whisky, and their Millstone label was born in 2007.

Zuidam Distillers was founded by Fred van Zuidam back in 1975, starting with just one small copper pot still and a passion to produce exceptional quality liqueurs, gin, and vodka.

It took a good ten years to gain a solid reputation within the Netherlands, but the goal when son Patrick joined, was to make whisky. It’s still very much a family business, their two sons now running the distillery.

Zuidam grow much of their own grains, and do use wind power to help grind their grist. Rye has been a key grain for Dutch Genever for centuries. Zuidam’s first rye whisky however, was distilled in the early 2000s. Rye, notoriously difficult to work with, has a much longer fermentation time, around 8-9 days. Millstone use a 50/50 mix of malted and unmalted grains.

The rye is double distilled in their copper pot stills, with a narrow cut point between 68-70% abv

Virgin American oak barrels, toasted, and with a #3 or #4 charr with charred heads are used for maturation.

NOSE

Big and bold right up front. It’s nutty, with maple wood, rye toast, salted caramel, and hints of nutmeg and clove in baked apple.

TASTE

Rich and full bodied and beautifully balanced. Spiced toffee apples, cinnamon, clove, and a maple syrup sweetness. The finish is long and elegant. Rye toast and cinnamon buns.

ABOUT THE LABEL

The inspiration from this label comes from a scene straight out of Willy Wonka and the chocolate factory.

Willy Wonka has been replaced by Patrick van Zuidam. The landscape includes all the big landmarks from the film but the river and waterfall is whisky instead of chocolate. The candy plants have been replaced with whisky-related items too, but there’s a lot of rye growing around the windmills of this label, as you’d expect!