A Special Tasting at The Barrel Smuggler, Featuring Exceptionally Flavorful Whiskies

One Saturday evening, just after closing time, a small group of whisky enthusiasts gathers at Peet’s shop in Leidschendam. Behind closed doors, in the atmospheric whisky cellar, they sample a few familiar whiskies alongside bottles from the Barrel Smuggler. The motto here is an intriguing one: “flavour over provenance.” Today, we get to experience exactly what that means.

This distinctive motto belongs to the Barrel Smuggler, and was coined by its founder, Peter (Peet) Verbeek. Peet is the enthusiastic owner of several liquor stores in the Hague region and has been a whisky lover for 40 years.

Peet loves a whisky with a story to tell. There are already so many independent bottlers doing much the same thing that it was time for something new. The secret lies in importing casks from Scotland and using them to create original blends. The whisky is often given an additional finish in a different cask here in the Netherlands. The blends bring together both single malts and grain whiskies.

The distilleries’ names can’t appear on the labels because the bottles are filled in the Netherlands. That makes each bottle a bit of a mystery: you don’t know exactly what’s inside or what to expect from its quality. The label does tell you which casks the whisky has been aged in, though, giving you a hint of its flavour profile.

The group joining tonight’s tasting includes everyone from whisky newcomers to seasoned tasters. So we start with a couple of accessible drams, such as Deanston Virgin Oak and Auchentoshan American Oak. But, of course, we’re here for the Smuggler bottlings, three of which are on the menu. The first, called Contraband, is a seven-year-old blend of single malts and grain whiskies with a short finish in rum casks. It still smells and tastes a little young, but its unusual, undisclosed make-up makes it intriguing—even if the blend doesn’t seem quite in balance yet.

The second whisky is the Double Matured Summer Edition. Its nose isn’t particularly remarkable, but the palate delivers a pleasant and complex surprise. The spirit has been aged in both stout and rum casks, creating an intriguing sweetness that makes a lasting impression.

The third Smuggler is Triple Wood, Chapter 10 in the Specials series. The whisky has been aged in ex-Islay and ex-Amontillado casks, and you can taste it. Sherry notes paired with a subtle hint of peat make for a lovely combination.

The Barrel Smuggler is a collaboration between Peet and Jeroen van der Plas of Whisky Warehouse Nederland in Katwijk. The partnership has already produced some excellent bottlings, and if Peet is to be believed, there are plenty more plans in the works.

Most Barrel Smuggler whiskies are bottled at 40–50% ABV and offered at a fair price. It was a successful tasting, with the ever-talkative Peet making for a wonderfully enthusiastic host. We can’t wait to see what else this smuggler has in store for us. Ship ahoy!