Bols Very Old Genever
Bols’ smooth, rounded genever, with a rich flavor of grains, light fruit notes, and juniper. Not a genever to knock back, but to sip slowly at room temperature or enjoy as a kopstoot with a weizen.
Old in style, not in age
Bols Zeer Oude Genever is an oude genever: the classic style with more malt wine than jonge genever. “Oude” refers to the recipe, not the number of years in a cask. The extra malt wine gives this smooth genever a rich flavor of grains, light fruit notes, and juniper.
While Bols Jonge Jenever is fresh and dry, Zeer Oude is rounder and fuller. It’s delicious at room temperature or slightly chilled, and pairs well with a fruity wheat beer or weizen. For an extra step up, with oak aging, try Corenwyn from the same house.
In brief
Rich grain with a hint of fruit
Grain and herbs
A warm aroma of grains with fresh spice and juniper. Its aroma is at its best at room temperature.
Smooth and rounded
Fuller than jonge genever, with rich grain notes and subtle fruit notes that mellow the alcohol.
Warm and spicy
A warm finish of juniper and grain, slightly longer than with jonge genever. Great with a second sip of beer.
Tasting profile of Bols Zeer Oude Genever neat at room temperature. Lightly chilled, it tastes fresher and slightly less malty.
Three ways to drink Zeer Oude Genever
Old genever is a sipping spirit. Don’t serve it straight from the freezer, or the grain and fruit notes will disappear.
Neat at room temperature
Pour 3.5 cl into a tulip-shaped shot glass and let the genever rest for a moment. Smell it first, then take small sips to taste the grain and fruity notes.
Genever glasses →Kopstoot with wheat beer
A small glass of Zeer Oude Genever alongside a wheat beer or witbier. The genever’s and beer’s fruity notes complement each other, making for a smoother kopstoot than with lager.
Go to the kopstoot →Genever Old Fashioned
50 ml Zeer Oude Genever, 5 ml sugar syrup and 2 dashes of bitters. Stir with ice and strain over a large ice cube in a tumbler, garnished with a twist of orange.
Go to recipe →Cocktails with old genever
Where a recipe calls for whiskey or genever, Zeer Oude Genever provides a smooth, grain-rich base.
Amsterdam Sour
Genever, lemon, sugar and egg white. Old genever makes it smoother and more grain-forward.
Old Fashioned
Sugar, bitters and a twist of orange. Zeer Oude Genever makes for a smooth Dutch version.
Kopstoot
Genever and beer side by side. Best enjoyed with old genever and a wheat beer.
Hot Toddy
Hot water, honey and lemon. A Dutch winter warmer made with old genever instead of whiskey.The right glass for oude jenever
A tulip glass for tasting, a heavy tumbler for an Old Fashioned, and a coupe for an Amsterdam Sour.
More Bols flavors
Bols
Where it all began. Find out all about Bols on the brand page: its origins, types, and classic cocktails.
Go to Bols →
Bols Young Jenever
Light and smooth, with malt, juniper, and citrus. Ice-cold from the freezer or as a kopstoot alongside a beer.
View Bols Jonge Jenever →
Bols Corenwyn
Aged for two years in French oak: malt, wood, and a finish of cinnamon and honey. A jenever to savor.
View Bols Corenwyn →
Bols Blue
Bright blue with a strong orange flavor. The liqueur behind the Blue Lagoon, Blue Hawaii, and Blue Spritz.
View Bols Blue →
Bols Triple Sec
Crystal clear, dry, and strong. The orange liqueur in your Margarita, Cosmopolitan, and White Lady.
View Bols Triple Sec →
Bols Peach
A fresh liqueur made with sun-ripened peaches. The peach in your Sex on the Beach, Woo Woo, and Bellini.
View Bols Peach →Everything about jenever: the types, the best-known brands, and the cocktails.
Questions about Bols Zeer Oude Genever
Can’t find your question here? Read more on the Bols page or browse our cocktail recipes.
Everything about Bols →What is the alcohol percentage of Bols Zeer Oude Genever?
Is Zeer Oude Genever aged for a long time?
What is the difference from Bols Jonge Jenever?
Should you drink old jenever cold or at room temperature?
Which beer goes well with Very Old Genever?
Buy Bols
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