Arbutus Barrel Aged Gin

Arbutus 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 spends more than a year in new oak barrels before it is bottled at 40% ABV. Its base is the distillery's London DryLondon DryA style, not a place of origin: every flavour comes from distilling natural botanicals. After distillation only water and a trace of sugar may be added, with no flavouring or colouring.GlossarySee London Dry gins Citrus Gin, which combines juniper, coriander, lemon and orange peel, makrut lime leaf, dried salted lime, lavender, orris root, elderflower and angelica. The time in oak gives this established citrus recipe a distinctly different finish.

Citrus · Woody · Spicy

The first impression is warm and rounded, with caramel and oak alongside the brighter citrus. A cherry-cola note adds a darker, rounded accent to the citrus and oak. As the gin opens, lemon and orange peel bring freshness back to the palate, while spice and the dry juniperJuniperThe one compulsory botanical: gin must taste predominantly of juniper. Its "berry" is really a small conifer cone, resinous and peppery.Glossary base keep the sweetness in check. The oak is present as a gentle toasted quality, not as a heavy whisky-like weight; the finish remains recognisably gin, with citrus zest and spice carrying through.

The maturation is unusually long for a gin: more than twelve months in new oak, rather than a brief finishing period. It is easy to sip neat, while the citrus base also gives it brightness in a mixed drink. Using its own London Dry Citrus Gin as the foundation means the barrel does not erase the botanical recipe; instead, it adds oak, caramel and a richer texture to a familiar citrus-led base. Made in Nanaimo, the 375 ml bottle is filled at 40% ABV. Oak adds length rather than replacing the juniper, and citrus stays clear through the finish. The new barrels deepen the palate without removing the familiar outline of the London Dry base.

Pour 4.5 cl over a large clear iceClear iceIce without air bubbles, made by slow, directional freezing. Denser, it melts more slowly and dilutes less.Glossary cube and add 10 cl East Imperial Burma Tonic Water. Its firm, dry bitterness suits the oak and keeps the citrus from becoming too sweet. Add an orange twistTwistA strip of peel twisted over the glass to release its oils, then dropped into the drink.Glossary and a short cinnamon stick to the glass, then place the same garnishes beside it. Stir slowly once; the orange lifts the aroma while the spice follows the barrel notes into the finish.