Cley Distillery: Rotterdam Whisky and Visitor Guide
Cley is a Rotterdam distillery founded by Paul den Dulk and Maria Neves, who have made whisky and gin under the name since 2015. Its story now includes a move from the Overschiese Kleiweg to a larger home at Charloisse Lagedijk. The current guide follows that change of address, the whisky already available and the producer’s advertised visitor experiences. The new premises and equipment are a new chapter; mature bottles should still be understood through the dates and processes that produced their spirit.
Information checked on 27 October 2026.
Cley’s copper installation, in the producer’s photograph. An exact start date for the larger installation was not established.
At a glance
At a glance | Cley Distillery |
|---|---|
Country | Netherlands |
Location | Rotterdam |
Founders | Paul den Dulk and Maria Neves |
Established | 2015 |
Current address | Charloisse Lagedijk 641, 3084 LC Rotterdam |
Earlier location | Overschiese Kleiweg, Rotterdam |
Whisky styles | Dutch single malt and malt-and-rye releases |
Visits | Advertised tours, tastings and workshops; book the chosen session |
In this guide
AI summary: key points
Cley’s founders have made whisky and gin since 2015; the business announced its move to Charloisse Lagedijk in 2025.
The documented 40% and 52% single malts use malted barley, triple copper distillation, bourbon casks and a further virgin American oak stage.
Tours and tastings are advertised at the new Rotterdam address. The exact start date of distillation on the larger installation was not established.
Summarise this guide with AI
A name from Rotterdam’s landscape
Cley takes its name from an old form of the street name Cley wech, which the producer traces to 1611. The modern distillery began in 2015 with Paul den Dulk and Maria Neves. Its original microdistillery on the Overschiese Kleiweg provided the starting point for the whisky and gin programme.
The current Dutch-language website describes the move to Charloisse Lagedijk in 2025. An older English page still describes the previous surroundings, illustrating why an address should be checked against the present contact and route pages. This guide uses the new address and keeps the former location as part of the history.
The new Charloisse Lagedijk home
The current destination is Charloisse Lagedijk 641, 3084 LC Rotterdam. Cley’s architects documented the rebuilt barn and installation of the stills in May 2025, with commissioning still to follow at that stage. Their account helps distinguish a building milestone from the start of spirit production.
The producer now describes a larger installation with two Scottish copper stills and a broader visitor offer. Its photograph shows the Cley team beside the copper equipment. The checked sources did not establish a precise first-distillation date for the new installation, so no such date is assigned here.
Dutch whisky and changing production scale
The checked single malt product pages specify 100% malted barley and three distillations in copper. The current producer account also connects the distillery with barley grown in the nearby Buijtenland van Rhoon. The exact provenance and process of an individual older bottle should still be checked rather than inferred from the new site’s plans.
For the 40% and 52% single malts, Cley states three years in ex-bourbon casks followed by a second maturation in small virgin American oak casks. That gives a useful sequence, but not a fixed total age for every current batch. The final period is additional to the three years; this guide does not compress it into an exact three-year age statement.
Two single malt expressions
The standard 40% bottling and the 52% version offer a direct way to explore Cley’s single malt. The producer markets the latter as cask strength. The strengths below identify these products, rather than a rule for every Cley release.
Malt-and-rye whisky and sherry-related releases also appear on the site. Their grain recipes and maturation should be checked independently. This guide focuses its detailed cards on the two single malts for which the current product pages provide a clear and matching process description.
Cley Dutch Single Malt Whisky 40% Cley Dutch Single Malt Whisky 52% Cask Strength
The tasting descriptions below paraphrase the producer’s notes. They are not Whisky Clan tasting scores.
Cley Dutch Single Malt Whisky 40%
Style: Dutch single malt whisky
Age: Three years in bourbon casks plus further maturation; total batch age not specified
Strength: 40% ABV
Cask or maturation: Ex-bourbon casks followed by small virgin American oak casks
Palate: Producer profile: vanilla, honey, orchard fruit and dried fruit, with coconut, baking spice and toasted grain.
Finish: A sustained, warm and spicy finish.
Cley Dutch Single Malt Whisky 52% Cask Strength
Style: Dutch single malt whisky, marketed by the producer as cask strength
Age: Three years in bourbon casks plus further maturation; total batch age not specified
Strength: 52% ABV
Cask or maturation: Ex-bourbon casks followed by small virgin American oak casks
Palate: Producer profile: pear, vanilla and dates with clove, cinnamon, coconut and toasted cereal.
Finish: Long, warming and spicy.
Special releases and cask distinctions
Cley also promotes a Palo Cortado release and its Cask Friends programme. These show the producer’s interest in different cask influences, but the cask name alone does not supply an age, strength, outturn or bottling date. Check the exact release sheet before comparing it with either standard single malt.
A newly expanded distillery can sell mature whisky made before a move while preparing or operating new equipment. The age on a bottle and the opening date of a new building describe different events. Preserving both dates is more useful than assuming that the whisky in the shop was distilled in the still room visible today.
Tours, tasting sessions and arrival
Cley advertises a distiller tour with four selected pours, alongside workshops and other tastings. The checked tour page lists the distiller session at €40, but prices, dates and inclusions can change. Book the particular experience directly and ask about language and accessibility before visiting.
Published general opening hours are Tuesday to Saturday, 10:30 to 17:30. The route page directs drivers to parking near Zuiderparkweg 606, about five minutes away on foot; this is a parking destination, not the distillery’s address. It gives Driemanssteeweg as the nearby bus stop and Slinge as the metro option. Recheck travel details for your chosen date.
Other whisky producers in the Netherlands and nearby European countries
These guides are suggestions for further reading. Check locations, travel distances and current bookings when planning a visit.
Reader poll
Share your interests: take the four-question Cley Distillery reader poll
Answer four quick questions to see reader comparisons. No account or email is required.
Contribute an update
Have a correction, a distillery photograph you can share, or a tasting experience to add? Send it to Whisky Clan using the form below. You can also choose to receive the newsletter.
Frequently asked questions
Where is Cley now?
The current address is Charloisse Lagedijk 641, 3084 LC Rotterdam. Overschiese Kleiweg is the earlier location.
Who founded Cley?
Paul den Dulk and Maria Neves, who have made whisky and gin under the name since 2015.
Are all Cley whiskies single malts?
The range also includes malt-and-rye products. Check the classification of the individual release.
Are the two single malts exactly three years old?
The producer specifies three years in bourbon casks followed by further virgin oak maturation. A fixed total age was not supplied for every batch.
Can I visit the distillery?
Cley advertises tours and tastings at the new address. Book a specific session and confirm the current arrangements.
Sources and image credits
View sources and image credits
Featured image: Cley Distillery.
Cley Dutch Single Malt Whisky 40% image: Cley Distillery.
Cley Dutch Single Malt Whisky 52% Cask Strength image: Cley Distillery.
Research checked on 27 October 2026. Tour arrangements, releases and availability can change.
Comments