Though Belgian whisky might be a new thing, the first whisky distillery Belgian Owl was founded in 2004, the country has a long history of producing geneva. This traditional juniper-flavoured spirit is made with a rich, high-flavour spirit base, not unlike new make, so all the equipment and knowledge was already there to make whisky. Not surprisingly, long-established distillers such as Filliers and Braeckman have branched out into this new category. As well as single malts, Belgian distillers make high quality grain spirits often with a high percentage of rye for a big spicy taste. Both pot and column stills are used to make grain whiskies.