Sweet Oloroso sherry casks shape the Fifth Edition of Crossbill's Cask Aged Gin, a limited release bottled at 42.8% ABV in 50 cl. The base is the distillery's distinctive two-botanical gin, made with hand-picked juniper and rosehip, which is then rested in the sherry wood. Crossbill began in the Scottish Highlands, where its juniper and rosehip are gathered, before moving its distillery to Glasgow, and each cask-aged edition is released in limited numbers.

Woody · Limited Edition · Fruity

Using only two botanicals is a deliberate choice that lets the juniper speak clearly, with rosehip, the fruit of the wild rose, adding a soft and gently tart fruit note. Oloroso sherry, from Jerez in southern Spain, ages in contact with air, which gives it its nutty, dried-fruit depth. The sherry cask then brings its own layer: dried fruit, sweetness and the gentle tannin of oak. The wood also gives the gin an amber-blush colour.

Candied raisin and vanilla appear first on the nose, inviting a slow first sip. The palate turns brighter with citrus zest, then moves into sweet dark-brown sugar and soft fruit. The finish is rich, with syrupy honey notes balanced by warm oak, while fresh juniper and rosehip remain present beneath the sherry's dried-fruit character. It is a gin to sip slowly, neat or over a single large ice cube, and the oak leaves a gentle grip of tannin on the finish.

Crossbill presents it neat, over ice or in a cocktail, and suggests a premium tonic or lemonade for longer drinks. A thin twist of orange suits the sherry notes, and a few raisins served alongside echo the nose. The distillery's Oak-smoked Negroni, made with equal parts gin, Campari and sweet vermouth and finished with orange peel, shows its richer side.