The Whisky Exchange has just released a single cask Millstone, produced at the Dutch Zuidam distillery. Founded in 1975, they have been producing single malt whisky since 2007, with some peated examples, finished malts and rye whiskies.
This one is produced from rye grain milled by Dutch windmills, distilled in January 2004 in small pot stills and matured for over 10 years in a new American oak cask.
They say Sukhinder likes this whisky so much that he keeps pinching the sample bottle…
Millstone rye 10 yo 2004 (58,6%, OB for The Whisky Exchange 2014, cask #667, 245 btl.)
Millstone rye 10 yo 2004 (58,6%, OB for The Whisky Exchange 2014, cask #667, 245 btl.)Nose: an alcohol kick at first, but highly aromatic after that. Typical rye notes: lots of peppery, bready notes and some sour overtones. A slightly bourbonny sweetness underneath, with vanilla pods, caramelized sugar and bananas flambéed. Oranges. Cinnamon and fresh mint. Hints of pencil shavings too.
Mouth: richly oaked and spicy. Pepper, ginger and cloves, as well as some (also Dutch) liquorice. Some lightly bitter grassy notes. Burnt toast with maple syrup, coconut and dark chocolate.
Finish: long, leaving some heat in the mouth. Pepper, polished oak and still this burnt, bitter edge.
I haven’t been particularly impressed with Millstone single malt whisky so far, but they do know how to make a nice rye. The burnt notes are quite loud on the palate, but it’s definitely up there with Canadian or American rye whiskey. Around € 115, available from The Whisky Exchange.
Score: 86/100