.rutte - jenever - vat 91

On Rutte's website, there is the possibility for professional wine merchants to purchase their own cask of matured jenever. From one of these ex-Bourbon barrels, some samples have been drawn and sent to the "Friends of Rutte" programme-members in order to pre-taste and judge this particular barrel, and send them feedback. As participants of the programme, we received a generous 10cl bottle.

38% abv, €not for sale (yet), jenever

Nose: very light, sweet, a hint of liquorice

Palate: sweet, honey, liquorice, herbal, green herbs, laurel

Finish: sweet, grassy, fresh mowed lawn, medium long, citrus, orange-zest
Mark: +++/++ 

Conclusion: Stuff, with things.

More info: casked: 29-01-2014, bottled: 13-02-2015

"Rutte offers the professional wine merchant the unique opportunity of reserving their own barrel at our distillery. This concerns single used bourbon barrels, which have matured American whiskey for 3 years. Rutte fills these barrels with old jenever and gently ages the spirit until the moment the wine merchant indicates the desire to bottle it.  

The jenever can be six months old, or if preferred much older. Rutte ensures that the jenever will taste superb at any given moment; the old jenever decanted into the barrel is a full-bodied jenever, distilled with junipers and herbs. The longer the jenever is left to age, the more the spirit will be infused with the taste of the wooden barrel; the taste will slowly evolve from a soft, herby, aromatic jenever to become an intense, full, wood-matured jenever. 

Every bottle is unique; both the barrel and the bottle numbers will be recorded on the label by us."