Tara Barrel Aged Gin

Twelve months in a full-sized French oak cask that previously held Australian sherry turn Tara's Pot StillPot stillA traditional still, often copper, that distils in batches. It keeps more texture and character than a column.Glossary Gin into Tara Barrel AgedBarrel-aged ginGin rested for a while in wooden casks. It picks up a golden colour and notes of vanilla, spice or the wine that filled the cask before.GlossarySee Barrel-aged gin gins Gin. Each release comes from a single cask, matured in the mild climate of the Shoalhaven, on the South Coast of New South Wales, and is bottled at 46% ABV. Tara describes the climate as part of the maturation, with the gin resting slowly as oak and spirit come together.

Woody · Spicy · Fruity

The tasting notes move from dried fruit and fresh orange peel to ginger spice, soft caramel and oak, with juniperJuniperThe one compulsory botanical: gin must taste predominantly of juniper. Its "berry" is really a small conifer cone, resinous and peppery.Glossary still bright underneath. The sherry caskSherry caskA cask that once held sherry, the fortified wine of Andalusia. Dry, oxidative oloroso brings nutty, dried-fruit notes; Pedro Ximénez brings raisin and molasses.Glossary brings the dried fruit and a gentle sweetness, the oak warmth and a drier, slightly grippy finish. Orange lifts the aroma, and ginger keeps the middle lively. Even as the cask deepens the colour and the texture, the juniper keeps the gin's shape, so the barrel adds to the botanicals rather than replacing them. Because each cask is bottled on its own, every release reflects its particular barrel.

Tara recommends it neat or over ice, and also suggests premium ginger beer and a barrel-aged NegroniNegroniAn Italian cocktail of equal parts gin, sweet vermouth and red bitter (Campari), served over ice with orange peel. Born in Florence in 1919.Glossary. A small measure at room temperature shows the dried fruit and oak first, while a large cube gradually softens the spice and brings the orange forward. With the cask already giving sweetness and wood, simple serves work better than sweet or strongly flavoured mixers.

To serve, pour 5 cl over one large clear iceClear iceIce without air bubbles, made by slow, directional freezing. Denser, it melts more slowly and dilutes less.Glossary cube in a short crystal tumbler, and add a narrow orange peel and a small slice of fresh ginger. Let the drink rest briefly before tasting. The garnish follows the orange and ginger notes, and the slow melt keeps the cask, juniper and spice in view.