Bluecoat Barrel-Finished Gin

Bluecoat Barrel-FinishedBarrel-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 takes the Philadelphia distillery's American Dry GinDry ginGin with no perceptible sweetness: in the European Union, the word "dry" allows at most 0.1 g of sugar per litre.GlossarySee Dry gin gins and matures it in new American oak. It is bottled at 47% ABV. The wood brings a softer, rounder side, with caramel and whiskey notes, while the producer says juniper and pepper remain present. The botanical base retains the citrus, angelica and coriander character of Bluecoat American Dry.

Citrus · Woody · Spicy

The nose combines oak and warm spice with juniper. Citrus remains present, but the wood makes the opening rounder than in the unaged Bluecoat.

On the palate, a caramel-like sweetness and whiskey impression develop around the dry botanical base; pepper and juniper keep the finish from becoming sugary. A little water softens the alcohol and brings the oak forward, while a large clear cube allows gradual dilutionDilutionThe water added by melting ice. In the right amount it opens the aromas and softens the alcohol; too much flattens the drink.Glossary.

This gin suits stirred drinks usually built with whiskey or aged spirits. Bluecoat recommends cocktails such as a 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 or Old Fashioned, where bitter ingredients and measured sweetness complement the barrel notes. For the Perfect ServePerfect serveThe way the producer recommends serving the gin (glass, tonic, ratio, garnish) to show it at its best.Glossary, place a large clear ice cube in a rocks glass, add 5 cl of gin and 10 cl of East Imperial Old World Tonic Water, stir gently, then garnish with an orange twist and a cocktail cherry. The dry tonic keeps the oak from seeming sweet, while orange connects to the citrus in the base and the cherry nods to the whiskey-style cocktails the gin suits so well.

Although maturation changes the colour and adds wood-derived notes, the spirit remains recognisably gin: juniper and the citrus-led Bluecoat base continue through the sip. It can be tasted neat in a small pour, over ice or in cocktails where oak meets vermouth, bitters or whiskey-style ingredients. The new American oak is part of its production, not a flavour added after bottling. Orange and a dry tonic keep a long drink defined without masking the cask.