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McHenry Barrel Aged Gin
Barrel-Aged Gin — Tasmania, Australia
Reviewed
March 6, 2019 (edited July 22, 2022)
Nose: Vanilla, lilac, lavender, orange blossom, ground coriander seed, lemon myrtle, faint pine needles.
Palate: Creamy, round, sweet arrival. Vanilla, mild baking spices (notably coriander, caraway and poppy seed), a slight spearmint note, some trace juniper and a foundation flavour of lemon zest. The texture is very rich and full.
Finish: Medium. Sweet and mildly spicy with vanilla on the aftertaste.
This is probably the most rounded and approachable barrel-aged gin I've tasted. The compulsory juniper note is very restrained (hardly noticeable, in fact) and the emphasis is all on a warm, floral vanilla and baking spice profile, enlivened by a little citrus.
Unlike most gin, which I like to try neat but inevitably end up enjoying best in a G&T, this one is best as a sipping spirit, either neat or with just a chip of ice. Adding tonic makes a pleasant drink but also detracts from the spirit.
This was produced through a variant of the solera system employing 24 heavily charred 200 litre ex-Russell's Reserve bourbon casks. The total maturation period was 12 months, with half the contents of each cask being cycled through the solera every 2 weeks.
This is an unusual approach, and a long, intense maturation for gin. However the result speaks for itself through this richly flavoured, but subtle spirit.
"Good" : 83/100 (3.5 stars.)
99.0
AUD
per
Bottle
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@Rick_M Addendum: My guess is that the sweetness of bourbon works well with the floral sweetness of gin, whereas the dryness of whisky is too much of a contrast.
@Rick_M I don’t think so, barrel-aging is a niche thing, and quite a few come from the US, so I’d be surprised if McHenry’s thing is unique (although the solera method may well be). I’ve only tasted 2 other barrel-aged gins and both were matured in Australian ex-whisky barrels. I’d love to try it with cognac casks, if anyone does such a thing. The other two I’ve tried were OK and good respectively, but this one has been the best so far by a long margin.
@cascode - bourbon casks to age gin? Is this unique?