For its 2026 Up Helly Aa release, Shetland Reel rested its Original Gin in a former whisky cask. The limited bottling marks the tenth edition in a series created around Shetland's annual fire festival. It is presented at 40% ABV in a 500 ml bottle, with the cask adding a new layer to the distillery's established juniper-based gin.

Woody · Limited Edition · Spicy · Vanilla

The first aromas are soft vanilla and honeyed sweetness, followed by toasted oak and a faint trace of smoke.

On the palate, the whisky cask brings a rounded malt character, while baking spice and subtle fruit give the middle more detail. Juniper remains part of the underlying gin, but the wood changes the balance: its dry, warm notes now sit alongside the botanical freshness rather than behind it.

The texture is smooth and rounded, with vanilla and malt continuing through the finish. A gentle smoky note stays in the background, and the oak gives the last sip a dry edge. At 40%, the gin is easy to lengthen with soda, yet the cask character is substantial enough to stand up in a stirred drink. The producer also suggests a Cask Gin Old Fashioned, where the malt and baking spice can meet bitters and a restrained measure of sweetness.

For a Shetland-style highball, build 5 cl of gin over clear ice in a chilled tall glass and add 10 cl of cold soda water. Finish with a narrow lemon twist, expressed over the drink. The citrus brightens the vanilla and oak without covering them. Stir once and serve while the ice is still firm; extra garnish or syrup would distract from the cask's toasted, gently smoky character. The annual release also gives the whisky-cask treatment a clear place in the distillery range, linking a familiar juniper spirit with the warmth of oak and malt.