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Day 8 - KWM 2025 This Is Still Not An Advent Calendar

Posted on December 9, 2025

by Evan

What is this? Two KWM Casks in a row in the 2025 KWM This Is Still Not An Advent Calendar tastings series? It must be Christmas!

Well, we are not quite there yet, but we are already in a giving mood. Say hello to the Millstone 2016 KWM Oloroso Cask from the Zuidam/Millstone in the Netherlands.

This is one of the younger bottlings of Millstone whisky that we have featured in one of our annual whisky calendars in a while: We have featured both Rye and Single Malt bottlings of Millstone past KWM Whisky Advent Calendars, including:

As you can see, we are big fans of the Zuidam Distillery and their Millstone Whisky. This KWM Cask marks the seventh whisky from the distillery to be featured in one of our Advents. I believe that is more Dutch whisky than Canadian or American Whisky we have featured in KWM Advent Calendars so far.

Border between Belgium and the Netherlands at Baarle Nassau & Baarle HertogThe Zuidam Distillery was founded in 1975 in Baarle-Nassau, in and around the very quirky border that the Netherlands part of the city shares with Baarle-Hertog - the name of the Belgian part of the city.

See the picture to the left for the city map, courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.

The Distillery's founder, Fred van Zuidam, had accumulated two decades of previous experience in spirits production before deciding to make a go of it on his own. Under his care, the distillery started by making a line of premium liqueurs using natural ingredients, from grain to fruit to herbs and spices used. This methodology continues to this day, as Zuidam spirits are made with no artificial colouring or flavouring. This goes for all of their products, be it their Cassis Liqueur (which is delicious by the way), Apple Flavoured Gin, Dutch Courage Old Tom Gin, Premium Genever, or Single Malt Whiskies and Rye Whiskies. Millstone whiskies, and beyond that with the Zuidam line of spirits and liqueurs are numerous, so they can be hard to keep track of.

Zuidam's first experiments in whisky-making started in 1994, and regular whisky production commenced four years later in 1998. Even then, the Zuidam family showed patience, not releasing their first single malt whisky commercially until 2007. The first bottling was a 5-year-old. It was also the first release to use the Millstone name, which was a reference to the use of Dutch Windmills to stone-mill the malted barley. Nowadays, the use of windmills is no longer enough to supply all the grist needed.

(Diagram that breaks down the whisky making process. Found on Zuidam Distillery's Website.)

Fred’s son Patrick van Zuidam is now in charge of whisky and spirit production at the family distillery. Under his guidance, the distillery’s line of whisky has stretched into a variety of styles and grains, including Rye as well as three-grain and five-grain blends. On the single malt whisky side of things, the distillery uses long fermentation times as well as a Belgian Brewer’s Yeast for the fermentation itself. Patrick has a deep fondness for good quality sherry casks and has invested serious amounts of time and money to obtain them.

This investment is paying off in a big way for sherry-influenced whisky lovers. I believe Millstone currently ranks at the top tier of sherried whisky producers, standing shoulder to shoulder with the likes of Gordon & MacPhail and Signatory Vintage/Edradour.

Millstone 2016 KWM Oloroso Cask – 52.3%

Our 3rd KWM exclusive cask of Millstone is a single malt distilled in 2016, and matured in an Oloroso sherry hogshead. The whisky has been bottled after 7 years at 52.3%. We're big fans of Millstone and its impresario Patrick Van Zuidam. We've been looking for an opportunity to select and bottle a cask of sherry-matured Millstone single malt, and are thrilled that this one is finally here!

The artwork on the label is from a painting of the store Andrew's wife Jen had made for him several years ago... it is our old entrance, pre-"the infamous Dodge Ram incident!"

Andrew's Tasting Note

Nose: rich, sherried, and nutty; dried dark fruits: raisins, dates, and figs; jujubes, candied ginger, and Aussie licorice; dark milk chocolate, Fruit Roll-Ups, soft leather, and building spice; beer nuts and Nerds.

Palate: rich, sherried, and nutty with a luscious mouthfeel; starting with the dried dark fruits again we have fig jam, Glosset Raisins, and grilled dates; again with the Fruit Roll-Ups, Nerds, and candied ginger; dark milk chocolate, soft new leather, cigar tobacco, and festive spices: ginger, cinnamon, cardamom, and licorice root; there is also a touch of earthy funk, like a cellar aged fruit cake.

Finish: rich, spicy, and sherried, with loads of dark and candied fruits; elegant and coating with soft leather and tobacco.

Comment: there is a lovely synergy here between the nose, palate, and finish; I don't often find that in young sherried malts... but this is Millstone whisky, and they fill and bottle some of the best sherry casks in the industry; there is a complexity, and elegance here that belies its age; this is old school style sherry, and it is lovely.

Evan’s Tasting Note

Nose: Herbaceous and full of fruit notes. Dates, raisins, blackberries, brown sugar and molasses, fudge, maple syrup, a hint of Chartreuse (the green one), and cloves.

Palate: Rich, almost syrupy, but with a spiciness up front to keep it balanced. Orange rind and more dates and raisins on the palate along with maple syrup, moving in to toffee, fruit cake, and a touch of pine sap.

Finish: Lengthy and warming, with plum and date notes and a touch of nutmeg and clove sticking around on the fade.

Comment: A big and bold sherried dram that in that distinct Millstone/Zuidam fashion. This Dutch distillery makes some of the best sherry-casked whisky outside of Scotland. Heck - it is even better than much of the stuff made inside Scotland, too.

Cheers,

Evan

evan@kensingtonwinemarket.com

This entry was posted in Whisky, Tastings, Whisky Calendars, Tastings - Online Tasting, KWM Single Cask, KWM 2025 Still Not An Advent Calendar Tastings

 

 

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