Barrel-aged gins to be rolled out in 2017

Independent British distillery, East London Liquor Company made four bottlings in 2016 as part of its on-going barrel-aged gin programme. This year, the distillery says it will release various iterations of Barrel-Aged Gin throughout the year.

Each of the 393 bottles released are presented in a striking bottle with an individually numbered label, currently available from East London Liquor Company bottle shops and The Whisky Exchange, RRP £49.00 (ABV 41%).

The programme, which launched in January 2016, uses the distillery’s signature London Dry Gin, made with 100% British wheat spirit infused with lemon and grapefruit peel, coriander, angelica root, juniper berries, cubeb berries and cardamom, before ageing the gin in a variety of casks to impart additional flavour and colour.

First release (ABV 55%) | New French Oak: Aged in new French Oak barrels for 14 weeks, the casks impart the classic vanilla and dried fruit notes found in bourbon, while complementing and enhancing the botanicals of the London Dry Gin, particularly its cardamom notes.

Second release (ABV 47.5%) | Ex-Sonoma Rye: Aged for 104 days in ex-Sonoma Rye Whiskey barrels, this pale golden gin is described as having an overall mellow taste and aromas of maraschino cherry, cardamom, nutmeg, vanilla, sarsaparilla and black pepper, followed by a warm, spicy finish.

Third release (ABV 52%) | New French Oak and refilled French Oak: Aged for 155 days in a combination of new French oak and refilled French oak barrels, this golden gin boasts flavours of vanilla, dried fruit and spice.

Fourth release (ABV 41%) | Ex-Bourbon: Aged for a year in ex-bourbon barrels, this gin, the distillery says, has aromas of fresh pine, allspice and sweet honey with warming cardamom and a hint of juniper bitterness.

East London Liquor Company founder Alex Wolpert comments: “We really enjoyed working on the barrel-aged gin programme this past year – experimenting with different finishes to combine our love of gin and whisky. We always aim to produce honestly-priced, innovative spirits and the programme has been a real hit with gin lovers looking for something a little different.”

8 January 2017 - Sam Coyne The Drinks Report, editorial assistant