Ura Spirits Modjo Oloroso 2nd Fill Cask 14 Months is a French barrel-aged gin from Biarritz, bottled at 44% ABV. It takes the Modjo botanical base - juniper, coriander, orris, grapefruit peel, angelica, mate, green cardamom, green Sichuan pepper, Lapsang Souchong tea and wormwood - then lets it rest for fourteen months in second-fill Oloroso sherry casks. The release is presented as a 600-bottle single cask.

The cask does not erase the gin; it adds patina. Grapefruit and cardamom keep the opening bright, while Lapsang Souchong and wormwood bring smoke, bitterness and depth. Oloroso then adds a darker layer of brandied cherry, spice, vanilla, cedar and gentle tannin. The finish feels long and aromatic, with enough dryness to avoid becoming a sweet wood-aged curiosity.

For the associated gin and tonic, pour 5 cl of Modjo Oloroso over clear ice, add 10 cl of Fever-Tree Indian Tonic Water and garnish with grapefruit peel plus one green cardamom pod. Grapefruit reopens the citrus side of the gin, cardamom mirrors the botanical base, and the shorter tonic ratio protects the cask influence. It is also a strong neat pour for drinkers who usually move between gin and whisky.

The best tasting angle keeps the two identities visible at the same time. Oloroso brings the cask character, but the gin never disappears behind the wood. The right reading is a layered spirit: grapefruit, cardamom and smoke first, then sherry wood, tannin and vanilla. That is exactly why the grapefruit-cardamom garnish is coherent.