$62.22

Description

The Oude is “old” because it is aged in oak, which gives it a surprising, golden color like an añejo tequila (The parallel between blanco and añejo tequilas and jonge and oude genevers is a fair one.). 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). There are a number of other Dutch gins available in the Netherlands. Most brown cafés (so named because their walls are stained by years of cigarette smoke – consider yourself warned) carry a decent selection, but proeflokalen – “tasting houses” – are the traditional places to enjoy genever. Originally they were attached to distilleries, providing samples of their wares to potential buyers. If you are in Amsterdam, here are a few good places to enjoy genever as the Dutch do. They generally open mid-afternoon to catch the post-work crowd and close around midnight.