Whisky from Groningen

Tuesday, November 11th is the day! The first Groningen single malt whisky is a reality. When Groningen was the Capital of Taste in 2011 with the theme ‘Regional Products’, the gentlemen decided to have a genuine Groningen whisky distilled using products from the region. This complex yet fascinating process was realized in collaboration with the ‘Alambik’ distillery in Midwolda.

A single malt whisky must be made from 100% barley, from a single distillery, and the youngest component must be aged for at least 3 years. Distilling an original single malt whisky is, as many might suspect, no simple task. But enthusiasts of the purest kind—hospitality entrepreneur Maik van Heerd and whisky connoisseur/entrepreneur Albert Heidema—know what it takes to successfully emulate this centuries-old, predominantly Scottish, craft. And in their case, not at one of the idyllic corners at the top of our neighboring peninsula, but ‘simply’ on Groningen soil. At the Alambik distillery in Midwolda, to be precise! That in itself is worthy of applause, were it not for the fact that no less than 6,000 liters of beer were needed to manually produce some 500 liters of ‘spirit’ in the small Alambik still of the same name!

The owner of Alambik spent five months filling the cask, and the final section was filled on 11-11-2011. Connoisseurs can therefore now know that tomorrow, exactly three years later, the big day has arrived, as single malt whisky may only bear this highly honorable and official title after three years of maturation. The first Groningen single malt whisky is aging in a Highlandpark sherry cask and may be called ‘Whisky oet Grunn’ from Tuesday, November 11. For those who have registered for the whisky, it is also possible to let it age longer if they indicate this via info@whiskyoetgrunn.nlThe whisky is released at cask strength (around 60%) and is therefore not reduced to a lower alcohol percentage as practically always happens; no compromise has been made on the taste.

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