Review // Radermacher Distillery - Lambertus Whiskies

A couple of weeks ago, I saw a post by a Scandinavian whisky friend on Instagram, in which he talked about a Belgian gin, rum, and whisky brand that I had never heard of up to that point. After googling a bit, and asking around, I decided to contact the distillery with a proposal. I would spend some time on the blog talking about Belgian spirits, in exchange for samples to review. That distillery is Radermacher, a stone’s throw away from the German border, and it sounds like a hidden gem!

Text by Mickaël Van Nieuwenhove
Photography is © Mickaël Van Nieuwenhove and © Distillerie Radermacher

The distillery

When I started to read about the distillery I had contacted via Instagram, I was surprised that I had never heard of them before. Their history goes back to 1836, when Peter Radermacher, decided to switch careers from being a farmer to owning a gin distillery. His grandchildren, Josef, Pierre, Willy and Lambert, expanded the distillery by also adding liqueurs to the list of spirits that were distilled at their facility. They also bottled wine, which they imported in the form of casks.

In 1989, the grandson of Lambert Radermacher, Bernard Zacharias, took over the distillery and introduced another expansion. Nowadays, the distillery “offers a wide range of spirits, liqueurs, fruit flavoured aperitives and whiskies” under a variety of brand names (distillerie.biz). I’m curious about their other products too. They have vermouth, gin, rum, and even limoncello and a type of fruit punch. The distillery was so kind as to send a bottle of rum and a bottle of their ‘ancestor gin’ called Töpfergeist. These will be reviewed separately on social media.

I also have the idea of visiting them during the Christmas time. It would be a fun daytrip if they allowed visitors. They have an ideal location, right next to the German border, and I noticed there’s a couple of quaint tourist attractions in the neighborhood, not to mention the beautiful walking routes in the forests.

In this article, I’ll be reviewing their whisky range, which includes a single malt, a 10 year old whisky, and a single cask expression. Incidentally, their whisky range was named after Lambert Radermacher, the grandfather of the current owner.

Casks at the distillery.

Lambertus Single Malt

The first expression I tried was the Lambertus Pure Single Malt, a NAS (non age statement) whisky at 46% ABV that was matured on American white oak casks, which previously held premium tequila. Yes. You read that right. No maturation on bourbon casks here, according to the product sheet. Surprising, perhaps even a bold move.

I noticed that this was ‘something different’ when I nosed the liquid. Less sweet than a ‘classic whisky’, and more perfume-y. There are wood notes, but I also got flower petals, maybe even rose petals, together with some chocolate and a little sting of the alcohol.

The flavors continue along the same line. Flowery notes, blended with some more hints of chocolate, finished by a drier note that literally dries out your tongue. It’s not the classic ‘crystallization’ of the different flavors on your palate, but more like a sensation that sucks the moisture from your tongue. Peculiar, but not invasive. I like that fact that it’s so different.

There’s not really a finish to this expression, but that’s not really necessary. It’s an interesting expression, to say the least. I wonder what kind of ‘whisky tradition’ this leans to. A German one? A French one? Or might this be the first sign of a blend of traditions? It’s distinctly ‘un-like’ Scottish whisky. That’s good. I don’t want to drink any ‘Belgian versions of Scotch’.

Lambertus Single Grain Whisky - Aged 10 years

Next, I tasted the 10 year old expression in their whisky range. Curiously, this is only a 40% ABV whisky. I wonder if it has anything to do with the ‘angel’s share’, or whether it was a conscious choice to lower the ABV below 42. 10 years in oak casks, without any further specifications. To be frank, I’m a bit puzzled.

I get the same flower petals in the nose, although this time they have a ‘stronger’ scent. There’s still some chocolate notes, but less pronounced than in the single malt expression. There is a sweeter side to this expression however, and it is found behind the layer of flower scents which at first is rather dominant. After a while, I picked up on a ‘drier’ note, more ‘nutty’.

There are some vanilla flavors, some macadamia nuts too. Then there’s that malty flavor, reminding me of a farmer’s market loaf of bread. Honest and straightforward. No fancy elements. It’s less ‘dry’ than the single malt expression, offering a bit more finish too.

I’m a bit on the fence about this one. To me, there’s certainly something there, but it doesn’t really register at 40% ABV. I wonder if a higher alcohol by volume would bring out a more lasting flavor pattern. This dram should bulk up a bit. It’s little brother, the single malt, is more convincing.

Lambertus Single Grain Whisky - Single Cask

Last but not least, I poured myself a generous dram of the single cask expression. It had surprised me during my pre-tasting when I took some pictures for the blog. 48.4% ABV, now we’re talking. I believe this should be the product that I’d recommend when someone wants to try a Radermacher whisky.

The individual scents all add up to a warm and inviting mélange, and the difference between the single cask and the other two expressions is clear from the start. Perhaps the ABV does make a difference! There’s subtle vanilla, some caramel, the same macadamia nuts, though a bit smothered by the other scents.

For some reason, I still taste the flower petals, only this time they taste more ‘vibrant’. There’s also a delightful ‘spicy’ note to this expression, like a mix between white pepper and maybe a bit of nutmeg. Some chocolate, still, although it’s more ‘part of the dessert’ than the main thing, by which I mean that it has the same sensation as a dessert that has chocolate as an ingredient, rather than it being the focus. Less dominating, in conclusion.

This is also the first expression that is a bit more ‘sticky’ and ‘chewy’, whereas the others are rather ‘liquid-y’. The finish is not as dry as that in the other expressions, but is more ‘spicy’ and ‘peppery’. As a whole, the single cask is also more ‘mouth-filling’ than the other expressions. I’m a fan.

Afterthoughts

I wonder what the reception of these whiskies is like in for example Germany or France, or Luxembourg. I have the feeling that, from my perspective, these expressions are on the edge of my conception of whisky, with an exception for the single cask. I’m certain that for some people, these expressions might be a bit ‘light-weight’, but at the same time I know that the single cask might convince some of the whisky drinkers I know. I wonder if that’s the case on ‘their side of Belgium’. I know the different cuisines are already widely varied, depending on where you go in Belgium.

In the end, we’re talking about ‘breaking away from prejudice’ with these expressions. They are distinctly ‘un-like’ Scottish whiskies, and that opens plenty of pathways towards a distinguished ‘Belgian’ whisky style, if it’s even possible to create something like that. After all, their slogan reads “Our passion for the unusual”…

There’s one more product in their whisky range, but it’s not a whisky at all. Instead, it’s classified as “Lambertus Smooth Malt Liqueur”, a spirit that is heavily influenced - quite literally- by whisky. I might pick up that bottle from the store, simply because I’d like to know what that bottle tastes like.