Finders Oloroso Sherry Barrel Aged Gin

First-fill Oloroso casksSherry 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 from Montilla, in southern Spain, mature Finders Oloroso Sherry 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. Finders selected a botanical base of juniper, cassia bark, orris root and wattleseed for barrel ageing, and bottles the small-batchSmall batchProduction in small quantities per distillation run, often in a small still. The term has no legal definition.Glossary gin at 46.3% ABV in a 700 ml bottle. First fill means the casks had held only sherry before, so their influence is strong.

Woody · Spicy · Fruity

Finders describes nutty notes and a touch of sweetness from the Oloroso, with dried fruit and spice developing over pine and cinnamon. JuniperJuniperThe one compulsory botanical: gin must taste predominantly of juniper. Its "berry" is really a small conifer cone, resinous and peppery.Glossary gives the nose a familiar resinousResinousAn aroma reminiscent of pine or fir resin. It is juniper's signature, due to compounds such as pinene.Glossary line, and cassiaCassiaThe bark of a Chinese cinnamon tree, coarser and hotter than Ceylon cinnamon. It brings a warm, slightly sweet spice.Glossary makes the spice warmer and rounder. Orris rootOrris rootIris rhizome dried for years, then ground. Powdery and violet-like, it mainly works as a fixative that binds and lengthens the other aromas.Glossary holds the aroma together, and wattleseed contributes a toasted, earthy quality that sits naturally beside the nutty sherry. The result is darker and more contemplative than the distillery's unaged Australian Dry, yet aromatic rather than heavy, with dried fruit, nut and oak most clearly defining the sherry influence. Oloroso is a rich, oxidised sherry, which explains the walnut and raisin notes.

This is a gin for a slower pace. Sipped neat, it shows the move from pine to dried fruit; over a large cube, the alcohol softens and more of the cask appears. It also makes an excellent MartinezMartinezThe presumed ancestor of the Martini: gin (often Old Tom), sweet vermouth, maraschino and bitters, stirred over ice and served straight up.Glossary or a gin Old Fashioned, where the sherry notes meet bitters and vermouth.

To serve, pour 5 cl over one large clear ice cube in a short tumbler, and add a narrow strip of dried orange peel and a small piece of cinnamon. Let the drink rest for a minute before the first sip. The garnish follows the dried fruit and spice notes, and the melting ice opens the cask.