Hooghoudt, a producer I’ve previously praised for their efforts to promote Dutch genever, is pivoting to whisky. They just launched 4 new Dutch Lowlands whiskies ranging from 5 to 25 years old, all with different maturation regimes.
They’re not saying goodbye to genever altogether, but Hooghoudt’s priorities are clearly shifting. The writing had been on the wall. In a short period their managing director, commercial director, brand ambassador and communications manager all left the company. Not exactly a sign of success. I suspect their investment in the genever category didn’t bring them the positive results they were hoping for.
Meanwhile, whisky was going from strength to strength. Hooghoudt were hoping to profit from whisky’s success, creating cask aged genevers with a flavour profile aimed at whisky drinkers. After all, what is genever if not whisky with a few added botanicals? (To be fair, it’s so much more than that, but please allow me this oversight for the sake of argument.)
With the genever category not performing up to expectations, it wasn’t a big step for Hooghoudt to release whisky proper. Hooghoudt’s warehouses were already full of maltwine, which is the name of the grain distillate acting as a base for genever. For all intents and purposes, maltwine is whisky. All Hooghoudt needed to do was NOT add botanicals to their stock, and they would be able to release it as grain whisky. And that’s exactly what Hooghoudt has done.
Their new range now consists of four grain whiskies, made from a mash bill of 30% wheat, 30% rye and 40% corn. The youngest one is a 5-year-old matured in ex-beer casks formerly used to age Hertog Jan Grand Prestige (one of my favourite beers). Next up is a 7-year-old Double Cask (ex-bourbon and ex-Oloroso), followed by a 9-year-old fully matured in ex-Oloroso casks. The pièce de résistance is a 25-year-old Hooghoudt from a single ex-Oloroso cask.
The line-up is impressive, but it does come with a slight caveat – 3 out of the 4 whiskies weren’t distilled by Hooghoudt. It’s long been public knowledge that many of the large Dutch genever brands buy their maltwine from Filliers, a Belgian producer. Hooghoudt has been doing so for decades as well – they only started distilling their own maltwine again a few years ago (in limited quantities).
Only the new 25-year-old single cask was distilled by Hooghoudt, not long after which the company sold their stills. As much as it has been common for Dutch genever producers to source their maltwine, it’s also been custom to not talk about this practice. They don’t keep it secret per se, but information isn’t exactly volunteered either. This tradition now continues with Hooghoudt’s new Dutch Lowland whiskies.
Granted, the label of Hooghoudt’s Dutch Lowland whiskies clearly states “Matured & bottled by family distillery.” It doesn’t say distilled. Then again, this difference likely won’t register with the average consumer. They’ll probably assume the whisky was fully made in the Netherlands and by Hooghoudt. It becomes a bit more tricky when reading the marketing copy on Hooghoudt’s website. There’s talk of “our distillery”, yet the current Hooghoudt distillery has only been in operation a few years. Whisky from it won’t be released until 2027 at the earliest.
They also mention Hooghoudt Dutch Lowland whisky is triple distilled, “just like traditional Irish whiskeys”, which isn’t exactly right. Hooghoudt’s sourced whisky is first distilled in a column still and then twice in pot stills – very different from classic triple pot still distillation. Boldly, a comparison is drawn between Dublin, “known for its renowned Irish whiskeys”, and Groningen (where Hooghoudt is based), because they share the same latitude. I would say the only similarity between Irish whiskey and Hooghoudt is the question of provenance.
Meanwhile, the water is described as originating from one of the purest sources in the Netherlands. It’s said to be of “exceptional quality”, which I have no reason to doubt. However, this regional water isn’t used during the distillation process (which takes place in Belgium), but only to dilute the whisky to bottling strength. That is an important distinction to make.
All of it doesn’t completely sit well with me, leaving me with some mixed feelings about Hooghoudt’s new range of whiskies. I’m always happy for new Dutch brands to enter the market, but there is a conscious lack of transparency here. I’d rather Hooghoudt had been more forward; marketing this as a ramp up to releasing their own whisky in a few years. Instead it all feels a bit misleading.
Having said all that, I am seriously looking forward to trying the new Hooghoudt range. Having tasted many of their cask aged genevers, I’ve learned Hooghoudt understands wood management. They know where to source casks from, and Filliers’ maltwine is generally of an excellent quality. Despite my misgivings about the marketing strategy, the combined expertise of these two family run companies should make for decent whisky at least.
Hooghoudt Dutch Lowlands Whisky 5 Years ‘Beer Barrel’ (46%, OB, 2025)
Nose: Hints of caramel, crème brûlée and brioche with a slight farmy edge and gentle notes of mocha, as well a tinge of oranges and some very light notes of shortbread. There’s a whisper of black tea leaves too, as well something herbaceous in the background, leaning towards mint.
Taste: Big notes of mead. Almost treacle-y at times, certainly plenty of dark caramel. Soft notes of strong coffee (almost bitter), but also some orris root, a tinge of resin and warming spices.
Finish: Medium length with touches of caramel-glazed apple, fennel and throat lozenges.
Hooghoudt Dutch Lowlands Whisky 7 Years ‘Double Cask’ (45%, OB, 2025)
Nose: Comparatively light with a focus on vanilla-led aromas. Meringue, sponge cake and custard, but also a sliver of marzipan, sultanas and vanilla foam blocks. Lacks fruitiness.
Taste: Okay, clearly herbaceous, and the resin makes an encore as well. There’s a sort of cough syrup-y quality I strongly associate with some pot still Irish whiskeys. (And have also been present in Hooghoudt genevers.) The sherry influence is relatively minimal, but comes through in the form of dried fruits and a raisin-y edge.
Finish: Medium length. Herbs linger, notes of teak wood and earthy angelica root.
Hooghoudt Dutch Lowlands Whisky 9 Years ‘Oloroso’ (46%, OB, 2025)
Nose: First impression is that of speculoos. Cinnamon-forward for sure, but also nutmeg and cloves. Hints of roasted almonds too, as well as touches of strawberry marmalade, Maraschino cherries and vanilla pods.
Taste: Good mouthfeel. Creamy and syrupy. An immediate hint of bay leaf, then big caramel notes (stroopsoldaatjes, which is a Dutch candy) and a light aniseed-y element, as well as some liquorice root. Gentle notes of stewed berries linger in the background.
Finish: Medium. Hints of strawberry ice cream, some sandalwood and a sliver of allspice.
Hooghoudt Dutch Lowlands Whisky 25 Years ‘Single Cask’ (55%, OB, 2025)
Nose: Dark and intense, that’s for sure. There’s a slight burnished note, as well as rum raisins, redcurrants and dates. That’s followed by brown sugar, walnuts and dusty leather. All the while a soft note of pine resin weaves in and out.
Taste: Syrupy mouthfeel. Big, bold and rich. A sweet arrival with gentle warming spices. Some cracked black peppercorns, nutmeg and maybe cinnamon. Dark, bitter chocolate too. A good amount of raisins then, but also burnt toast and almonds, as well as tarragon and dates. The oak is not shy, shall we say.
Finish: Medium to long. An assortment of berries, coffee, some resin and bay leaf.
Samples provided by Hooghoudt
