Gin of the month July
Dutch roots, citrus, warm spice.
CLEY
DUTCH DRY GIN
For the July gin of the month we stay in Rotterdam.
And I am not complaining.
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Because Rotterdam has a way of making spirits that do not arrive with too much poetry first.
They arrive with confidence, with a little bit of stubbornness.
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Cley Dutch Dry Gin is not a soft, sweet, floral gin, it's a gin with Dutch roots.
Real ones, because Cley Distillery makes gin based on a Dutch distilling tradition developed in the 17th century, using organic raw materials from the region.
The distillery was started in 2015 by Paul den Dulk and Maria Neves at the Overschiese Kleiweg in Rotterdam. Even the name Cley goes back to the old street name “Cley wech”, mentioned in 1611.
That already gives me something I like, a bottle with a story before the cork hat been pulled from the bottle.
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And this gin is closely connected to Cley’s whisky side too.
The base is made from Cley moutwijn, giving it more body.
The juniper and piment of Jamaica pepper are soaked in that malt wine, with orange peel and citrus bringing freshness into the long finish.
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So yes, this is gin, but it has one foot in jenever and the other foot in whisky, while both feet are firmly in Rotterdam.
That makes it interesting.
Especially for July, because July does not always need another easy summer gin with berries, sometimes July needs something with a little warmth.
Something citrusy, spiced, and classic without becoming boring.
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Cley Dutch Dry Gin does that.
It brings juniper, citrus, coriander and piment together in a way that feels familiar, but still clearly its own.
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Confident and I like confident.
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CLEY
DUTCH DRY GIN
From Dutch malt wine to Rotterdam gin
Tasting notes
When I open it:
Proper gin starts with juniper.
And this one does, Juniper comes first.
Then the citrus opens up, orange peel, fresh lemon brightness.
but it's a dry citrus edge not sweet orange candy.
Behind that, the spice is moving in.
Coriander, a soft peppery note.
And underneath it all, there is something rounder.
That's the malt wine base giving it a bit more weight.
Not whisky.
Not jenever.
But something in between.
When I taste it:
Clean at first, then warmer.
The juniper keeps the structure and the citrus keeps it fresh.
The spice gives it a little Rotterdam attitude.
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The orange peel again is clear, but not sweet.
The coriander brings that familiar dry, lemony spice.
A little pepper.
A little depth.
A little “don’t overdo the garnish, I've got plenty of flavour myself”.
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This is not a gin that disappears under tonic.
Good, because the right mixer is important but I do not pour a gin so tonic can take all the credit.
When I swallow it:
Dry, citrusy and gently warming.
The orange stays for a moment, then the coriander and piment return.
Juniper again at the end.
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The finish is longer than expected.
That is where the malt wine base helps.
It gives the gin something round and soft.
A little more body.
A little more grip.
A little more story.
Mouthfeel
Medium to full-bodied for a dry gin.
Smooth, but not soft.
That malt wine base gives the whole thing a rounder mouthfeel than a very neutral grain spirit would.
It feels handmade.
I like that a gin that has something to say
Best serve suggestion
The classic serve is exactly where I would start.
Gin.
Premium Indian tonic.
A slice of orange.
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For a more aromatic summer serve:
Add one lightly bruised basil leaf next to the orange.
Not too much, this is gin not a salad bowl.
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For food:
Try it with grilled prawns, roasted vegetables, charcuterie, aged cheese or anything with orange, herbs or warm spice.
It can handle food, and I like that in a gin.
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Gin.whis notes
What I like about Cley Dutch Dry Gin is that it does not feel designed, it feels like it came from a still.
From someone who understands flavour.
From a place where whisky, jenever and gin are not separate islands, but family members who sometimes sit at the same table.
That is the charm here.
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Cley could have made a very simple modern citrus gin, but instead, there is more going on.
The Dutch distilling tradition.
The malt wine base.
The 17th-century roots.
The link to whisky.
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And still, when you pour it, it is a proper gin and tonic gin.
Fresh enough for July.
Structured enough for me.
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A little warmer than expected.
A little more Dutch than most people realise.
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It does not need a flaming rosemary branch and three edible flowers.
It just needs tonic, orange, ice and a glass big enough to let it breathe.
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Producer: Cley Distillery
Style: Dutch Dry Gin
ABV: 43%
Origin: Rotterdam, The Netherlands
Base: Cley malt wine
Botanicals: Juniper, orange peel, coriander, piment of Jamaica pepper
Bottle: 500 ml