Gin / Genever / Jenever / Dornkaat - ?

[Jono]

http://www.starchefs.com/wine/starspirits/html/dutch_gin/index.shtml

I really have not developed a taste for Gin....are the Dutch and/or other continental expressions something quite different? They seem more appropriate for drinking neat vs mixing. Is the juniper still as strong an element in the taste?

[craigthom]

I had a taste of Anchor's at the KBF. It had juniper, for sure, but it had other botanicals, and there was a nice taste of unaged rye whiskey under it all. It worked really well.

I only had a small taste, and it was at the gazebo, so it wasn't my first sample of the night. barturtle should be able to tell you more.

[Jake_Parrott]

The gin that Craig tried was the Anchor "Genevieve", which uses a whisky-spirit (i.e., low-proof distilled) as a base. The more widely available Anchor "Junipero" has a GNS base.

[Jono]

So Anchor "Genevieve" might be a gateway gin for whiskey drinkers.

[cowdery]

Gins are all pretty aromatic. I've never found a gin that was really enjoyable neat, at least not to my taste. Juniper berry is still the defining flavor element.

[Jono]

Yeah, that is what I suspect....a hint of juniper would be ok...but it is just usually just too strong ....even ice cold.

[scratchline]

Dutch gin is very different from London dry gin. It is sweeter and tastes like malted gin. I am a big fan and I understand that Bols is going to be introducing or has already introduced a genever in America. I've never had the Genevieve but, like most Anchor liquor, it carries a premium price. Boomsa is another brand available in the US but again, I've never had it. Genever has a long tradition in cocktails and it's a shame that it isn't more widely available or used. A very unique and excellent spirit. I actually shared some with TNBourbon when he was through, and if he's around, maybe he could add some tasting impressions.

There's also a barrel-aged gin called Kensington that is marketed to appeal to whiskey drinkers. If you can find it, it's also worth a try.

-Mike

[Vange]

I have tried the Kensington and own the Kensington XO. The XO is a sipper gin and very unique. Also the Boomsma Oude is a great way to see the Dutch style of gin. It is a bit harsh neat, but is a different spirit than London Dry plus very affordable.

[Jono]

Binny's carries the Boomsma Oude....$17.99..."..Drinks like a gin, but with less juniper character and a more pronounced malt backboone and rye undertones.."

...........................................

I found a listing for Kensington XO... $200!!

http://www.missionliquor.com/Store/Qstore/Qstore.cgi?CMD=009&DEPT=000002&CAT=000015&BACK=A0007A1B0000002B1

http://www.missionliquor.com/Store/Qstore/Qstore.cgi?CMD=011&PROD=1044486301&PNAME=Boomsma+Oude+Genever+Gold%2C+80+proof%2C+750ml

$15.99

http://www.wallywine.com/ps-17615-453-boomsma-oude-genever-gin-750ml.aspx

"The flavor will surprise many gin drinkers as well; vanilla and baked apple wrap around more usual juniper and cinnamon notes. It’s very creamy and round, with a long finish. Because of its texture and complexity, using this in a mixed drink would be as wasteful as using single-malt scotch in a Rob Roy. Chill it and sip it, and back it with a Trappist ale if you must have something with it. After a long dinner, both of the Boomsma Genevers give white-liquor fans something to drink proudly in the rarefied air of Cognac and Scotch drinkers (and with a secretive smile; the gin is much more affordable)."

Sounds like a pick up for me....just to try.

[Vange]

Here is the regular kensington although it is a London Dry. Try the Boomsma Oude for a genever type.

http://www.internetwines.com/rws26401.html

[mier]

If you ever can find it try Rutte oude jenever or oude jenever from distilleerderij Onder de Boompjes(casked).Also Zuidam distilleries have some nice jenevers.

Eric.

[Jake_Parrott]

Just returned from a Europe trip that included a couple of days learning about jenever. Here are some basics.

Jenever is the combination of moutwijn ("malt wine," usually corn/wheat/malted barley spirit, double or triple-pot-stilled, then either macerated with juniper and redistilled, or flavored with a strong juniper-infused neutral or non-neutral spirit) and normal grain distillate, not quite as rough as Archer Daniels' GNS, but close, also with juniper. Very few other aromatics are used, and the juniper flavor is not required by law to be discernable or preeminent. The minimum bottling percentage is 37.5%, though higher-proof bottlings are becoming more common. Aged jenevers are raised either in ex-bourbon barrels or ex-brandy barrels (including some cognac wood). I did not ask about chill-filtration. The labeling designations for jenever are:

jonge jenever--at least 2% moutwijn, the rest grain spirit. Usually labeled as jonge graanjenever, as low-class jenever can be made with molasses spirit. Not as flavorful as even decent London dry gins.

oude jenever--at least 15% moutwijn. The designation "zeer oude" has no meaning. Can be aged, but doesn't have to be. Sometimes colored with caramel, and/or sweetened slightly.

corenwijn--at least 51% moutwijn. Bols has recently released 6-year-old and 10-year-old corenwijn bottlings; both are slightly marked by an out-of-balance bourbon-barrel character, but are quite fine.

moutwijnjenever--a rarity (only three producers), 100% moutwijn. Old Schiedam, the very good jenever produced at the excellent jenever museum in Schiedam (a suburb of Rotterdam, about an hour by train from Amsterdam, with frequent trains), is an example of this type.

Jenever is also made in Belgium and France, with slightly different laws.

For export, Bols has recently released "Bols Genever" in a new, cylindrical, glass bottle. It is about 55% moutwijn, slightly sweetened, more botanically intense, and a slightly higher 43% alcohol, all geared at the ur-classic cocktail weenie community. It is an excellent product for old-fashioned, improved gin cocktails, and Hollands Houses, amongst other great classics.

Some of my favorites from the trip included the basic Bols corenwijn (an excellent bargain at 14 euros travel retail for a liter), the new Bols Genever, Paradyswyn, Old Schiedam, and the rare, 50% alcohol Filliers 8-year-old from Belgium. The Filliers Vintage 1990, 18-years-old, is also excellent, with some juniper showing on the nose on top of a very fine whiskey.