Interview with Tom Haseldonckx - Inspirer of Buds & Barrels, Friend of Looostermans

Huis Looostermans not only houses our trusted Gentleman Store, but also offers a warm home to our friends Gert Rombouts of Haarbazaar Deluxe and Tom Haseldonckx of Buds and Barrels. Together we strive for shared quality. Tom is happy to share his deep-rooted love for whiskey and other spirits with you and turns the search for the perfect bottle into a real taste experience. We proudly introduce him to you:

Who is Tom?

Tom: "Pleasant! My name is Tom Haseldonckx, I am in my thirties and happily married. Together we have 2 apples of my eye and a loyal Labrador who completes our family. I like to be socially committed and am professionally active in the pharmaceutical sector. In addition, I am a passionate expert on whisky, cognac and rum. The passion for whiskey is so great that the boundary from hobby to profession was quickly crossed. This is how Buds and Barrels was born."

What does Buds and Barrels stand for?

Tom: "We stand for Whiskey that falls outside the standard range, but has a good price/quality ratio. This leads to fantastic discoveries. We look for new releases, lesser-known or emerging distilleries, limited bottlings and products from local distilleries."

What makes your offer so unique?

Tom: "Our range is accessible to everyone. There are more expensive selections or collectors' items, but it is equally important to be able to offer more affordable, but high-quality bottlings. In addition, we offer people the opportunity to taste first so that they can definitely buy something that fits their taste profile."

What can our customers expect from the selection at Huis Looostermans?

Tom: "To focus on experience throughout the entire building, we also have a selection of bottles from Buds and Barrels in the Gentleman Store. This selection is an integral part of our range, allowing us to guarantee quality and exclusivity.

The various Whiskey bottlings from The Lakes Distillery immediately stand out with their beautiful bottle shape and labels. We have also selected a house whiskey that is only available at Looostermans! This whiskey has matured for 3 years in an STR cask. These used wine barrels have been re-planed, toasted and then charred so that the spirit reacts nicely with the barrel during maturation. A real rollercoaster of flavors and smells.

In terms of Cognac, we put the spotlight on the scarce bottlings from the independent bottler Art Malts. These bottles have been selected for quality from the smaller local cognac houses and amaze with their tasty palette."

How can our customers discover your collection?

Tom: "We live together with Haarbazaar Deluxe and Looostermans under one roof to create a memorable experience for our visitors. Would you, as a customer, like to come and taste and discover your preference within whiskey, cognac and rum together with an expert? Then make an appointment on Thursday evening or Saturday afternoon. If this does not suit you, you can also come to us for a private tasting. Or discover us and an interesting guest speaker together with others at one of our other tastings and register via our website: www.budsandbarrels .com ."

Any closing message for our customers Tom?

Tom: "Where we emphasize an exclusive but wide range with Buds and Barrels online, we also want to introduce local people to the fascinating world of whiskey and spirits. We like to share our passion, so feel free to drop by during the store's opening hours or take part in one of our tastings or events. In the store you can always find a selection from our range, including whisky, rum, cognac, gin and special beers. We hope to see you soon!"

Would you like to discover the Buds and Barrels range at Huize Looostermans for yourself? We always have an interesting selection available, within which every type of spirit lover will certainly find something to their liking. Looking for something specific? We would be happy to put you in touch with Buds and Barrels!