We’ll start the new year with something new.
There’s small distilleries, and then there’s The Chamberick from The Netherlands. Not necessarily the building’s footprint, but definitely the distillery’s output. Not much more than a handful of casks are filled each year. And now, finally, The Chamberick Very 1st Cask has been released.
We’ll call it a micro distillery – that’s probably the most apt label. The Chamberick is run by founder Laetitia de Hoog, who said goodbye to her career as a journalist to pursue a new one in whisky. (The Chamberick produces other spirits, including something delicious called an Oat Fashioned, but I would say whisky is its main focus.)
A move from Amsterdam to the countryside inspired the career change. Laetitia and her husband became the proud new owners of a farmhouse, including former cow stables that now house the distillery. The stables are lovingly restored into what might be the cosiest distillery I’ve ever visited. The wood-fired pot still certainly adds to the ambiance.
The Chamberick Very 1st Cask is a single malt initially filled into an ex-bourbon cask in 2021. Laetitia then re-racked the spirit into an ex-Banyuls wine cask, an appellation d’origine contrôlée in the Roussillon county of France. Its final year-and-a-half were spent in the Banyuls cask.
Almost all 460 bottles are sold out, except for a handful of bottles at a few Dutch retailers (here and here).
The Chamberick Very 1st Cask (45.8%, OB, 2024)
Nose: Approachable and delicate, yet an outspoken character as well. Some immediate notes of Manuka honey, amaretto and tinned peaches, as well soil, Werther’s Original and yellow plums. There’s a slight resinous quality too, which slowly creeps more into the foreground, as well as some angelica root.
Taste: A pleasantly creamy mouthfeel. Most importantly: not too vinous. An initial hit of crème caramel, quickly succeeded by earthy, musty flavours, as well liquorice root, blackberries, quinces and herbal notes. Slightly less polished than the nose.
Finish: Medium in length. Hints of damp oak, forest floor, and a sliver of fennel. Ending on slightly more caramel-y notes. Maybe even some breakfast tea.
Sample provided by The Chamberick Distillery
