The brand has two expressions: Old Duff Genever and Old Duff Genever 100% Maltwine. Old Duff Genever 100% Maltwine is 2/3 rye and 1/3 malted barley, fermented for five days, and distilled three times. It’s infused with juniper and English hops. Old Duff Genever carries the same malt wine bill as the 100% but mixes in a 47% wheat spirit, as well as more botanicals, including orange and lemon peel, coriander, star anise, and licorice.

Aromas of herbs and juniper are beautifully enveloped with floral fragrances of orange blossom with a hint of anise. On The Palate Initially soft with flavours of roasted walnuts, hazelnuts and mild spices. Juniper dominates the crisp middle (much like Bombay Sapphire), and the finish becomes sweeter as cooked fruits make themselves known. Best ServedThis article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. Bols was established in 1575, when the Bulsius family set up their distillery in Amsterdam, in the process also shortening their name to the more Dutch-sounding Bols. It is believed they ended up in Amsterdam after first fleeing Antwerp as religious refugees to Cologne where Protestants were welcome. They then settled in Amsterdam, which was independent from the rule of the Catholic Spanish king and a haven for religious refugees. Mr. Piet van Leijenhorst, Master Distiller at Lucas Bols is an expert when it comes to the traditional Dutch spirit Genever. He has many years of experience, crafting delicious liquid gold. If there's anyone who could tell us everything about this mysterious spirit, it would be him. 1. What is Genever?

Recognized for its historic and cultural contribution, and subject to production specifications, the European Union protected genever with 11 specific types of jenever as a geographical indication: We spend a good amount of time with gin at Drink Spirits, but usually the gins fall in either the London Dry category (like Beefeaters) or the explosively growing New American gin category (which includes gins like Bluecoat and Organic Nation). One category we don’t get much of is Genever. The Netherlands fared better with many of their distilleries spared the same fate and able to continue distilling in some form or other. The next time around was not the same. I have been fortunate enough to be in the position of crafting & creating many types and styles of Genever. Genever can be classified into three categories: Genever often retains clear flavours of its base ingredients - rye, malted barley and maize, with the best ones managing to combine this with rich botanical journeys.The reality was that a War raging across Europe impacted resources severely. Even if they could get hold of grains and supplies, there were too few distilleries that were producing Genever in the Netherlands to absorb the displaced demand. Distilled by a family-owned distillery that has spanned four generations since 1888, De Borgens crafts small batches of genever style in the north of the Netherlands. Two critical factors affect Genever in the first half of the 20th century: Wars and Prohibition. As we mentioned in previous sections, having stripped them of their stills, World War 1’s legacy left most Belgian distilleries on their knees. In modern times, jenever distilled from grain and malt only is labelled Graanjenever. Jonge jenever can contain no more than 15% malt wine and 10 grams of sugar per litre. Oude jenever must contain at least 15% malt wine, but no more than 20 g of sugar per litre. Korenwijn (grain wine) is a drink very similar to the 18th-century-style jenever, and is often matured for a few years in an oak cask; it contains from 51% to 70% malt wine and up to 20 g/L of sugar. Although the name oude jenever does not necessarily mean that the jenever is in fact old, there are some distilleries that age their jenever in oak barrels. Here, you can browse through the sections beginning with its ancient and often forgotten history, its more modern past, how to navigate the styles (along with a few rules and processes that define them) and last but not least, some of the key brands to keep your eyes firmly fixed on.