Spirit Works built a custom hybrid still specifically for this kind of experimentation — a 1,000-liter copper pot made by Carl Distilleries, Germany's oldest family of stillmakers, with two different rectifying columns capable of producing base spirit at over 95% ABV in a single run. Barrel Gin starts as the same wheat-based gin recipe (juniper, orris root, angelica, cardamom, coriander, hibiscus, hand-zested citrus), then rests around four months in new American White Oak barrels. Wine Enthusiast was clearly impressed, awarding it 94 points and describing a golden gin with buttery vanilla, honey, and fresh apple on the nose, a slightly oily palate balancing vanilla sweetness against mint, pine, cinnamon, and cardamom. Not every reviewer agrees on the character, though — Christopher Null at Drinkhacker found it surprisingly un-gin-like, with juniper barely present behind heavier earth tones, mushroom, and eucalyptus. Either way, it's a genuinely different animal from a standard gin: candied citrus, baking spice, and toasted coconut show up across various batches, finishing sweet with lingering juniper and cardamom. Bottled at 45% ABV, it works equally well in gin cocktails or subbed into ones built for whiskey.
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Brand:Chips LiquorSKU:C0010107LTags:Winebow