Jump to content

Bols Genever Gin


Joe Riley

Recommended Posts

Is this just a repackaging of the old Bols Genever? From the website it looks like it might be. If you click on “About Genever” it leads to a page that has a picture on the bottom that appears to show a progression of bottles from the dusty old clay ones to this one. I can’t find anywhere on the site that says anything about it being a new formula.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Is this just a repackaging of the old Bols Genever? From the website it looks like it might be. If you click on “About Genever” it leads to a page that has a picture on the bottom that appears to show a progression of bottles from the dusty old clay ones to this one. I can’t find anywhere on the site that says anything about it being a new formula.

I remembered reading somewhere, when this was announced, that it was a re-tooling of sorts of their formula. I could be wrong, however. Perhaps it's just the same genever in a pretty new bottle. I do have some "old" Bols genever if you'd care to compare the two.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

This is a writeup on jenever that I did for another forum--this seems like as good a place as any to put it:

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.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Being a steadfast trust-er of Jake's advice, I muddled a sugar cube with three dashes of Angostura, added in three ounces of Bols Genever, ice, stirred, and added a lemon twist.

As per Gary Regan's Joy of Mixology.

Delicious.

Can't wait to try some other drinks...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...