6 Barrel-Aged Gins to Drink Now

While barrel-aged gin is creating quite the buzz these days (pardon the pun), the act of putting the clear spirit in barrels used to be a common task. In the early days of gin, oak casks were the storage vessel of choice for transporting gin, since glass bottles weren’t really a viable option yet. Around the middle of the 20th century, distilleries started to ditch the wood and opted to keep the liquid away from oak.
When it comes to today’s barrel-aged gins, some distilleries are taking a more traditional approach by using new oak barrels in a process similar to how bourbon or rye is aged. Others are opting to impart more complex flavors by filling used spirit barrels with fresh gin. Different types of barrels and casks create different results, so there’s likely something for everyone here, especially lovers of bourbon, rum and whiskey. If you’re looking for a way to switch up that negroni or martini, perhaps one of these barrel-aged gins will do the trick.
Rusty Blade Gin
Old World Spirits
Old World Spirits was aging gin back in 2005 before a barrel-aged category officially existed for it. Keeping with the traditions of its Croatian heritage, the distillery ages Rusty Blade in French oak to impart flavors of candied citrus, cardamom, nutmeg and clove. The end result is a spice-forward gin that’s a solid option not only for martinis and negronis but all kinds of cocktail experimentation.
Barrel-Aged Big Gin
Captive Spirits Distilling
Seattle’s Captive Spirits Distilling has two different barreled versions of its Big Gin: Bourbon and Peat. The former is said to blend the traditional Gin botanicals with notes of spice and citrus from time spent in barrels that once aged bourbon. The second option is aged for four months in Westland Distillery Peat Single Malt barrels that also once housed Wild Turkey. Peat Barreled Big Gin is actually Captive Spirits’ flagship aged gin, imparting flavors of bitter orange and spice on the palette.