Tasting

Anyone tasting Dutch whisky for the first time often expects a copy of Scotch. But Millstone tastes distinctly of its own origin in Baarle-Nassau: bolder, spicier, with a sweetness that recalls sherry and fresh wood more than peat smoke. Only the peated bottlings show the opposite.

The 100 Rye represents the spicy side: pure rye, new American oak cask, fifty percent ABV. Expect pepper, clove, and a dry, almost bread-like core. These traits are typical of high rye content, and a barley malt simply doesn't deliver them the same way. Anyone drinking rye whisky for the first time will quickly recognize this pattern again.

The Oloroso Sherry Cask bottling, aged ten years, shows the other direction: raisins, nuts, a hint of orange peel. Along with that comes the fullness that long time in a sherry cask brings. Between these two sits the peated Millstone with Pedro Ximénez cask, which combines smoke with a dark, almost plummy sweetness.

They taste best neat and without rushing: first nose it plain, then take a tiny sip without water. If you like, add a few drops of still water afterward, which often opens up further aromas. Switching between the three styles shows, faster than any description could, just how differently a single distillery can speak.

A nosing glass with a narrow opening concentrates the aromas, while a wide water glass tends to dilute them. Time matters more here than equipment. A Millstone left to sit in the glass for ten minutes often reveals more than the first sip right after pouring.