No. 1 in a series of posts about Barrel Aged Gins
Although not specifically about this particular gin, it's one in my collection and featured as a serve in this post.
Bluecoat Barrel Finished Gin - 47% - Philadelphia USA
I've been experimenting with some barrel aged gins recently and indeed realised I have a few in my collection I just couldn't get my head around. So I have decided to focus a few posts on them - mainly to help me learn and also for anyone else who wants to join the discussion. I do love my research, so brace yourselves!
The big question I have is, does aging or resting gin in an oak barrel change the identity of gin? Is it the bridge between gin and whisky and possibly what draws whisky drinkers over to enjoying gin? There is certainly a benefit in aging gin if you are wanting to win over whisky drinkers, as whisky has to rest for at least 3 years and there's no legislation around how long a barrelled gin must sit, so for distilleries who are making whisky and needing to wait a long time for a return on their profits, aging gin in barrels seems sensible.
There is an historic connection between gin and oak barrels which goes back to when barrels were the only form of storage or transporting gin and it mellowed and changed the flavour profile of the spirit. So it's not new, but it seems to me to have had a bit of a revival this century, with a lot of distilleries experimenting with aging their gin, but also falling foul to labelling legislation in some countries, as by definition, gin is an unaged spirit. Hence there is a little creativity from distillers who attempt to fly below the radar and why we are seeing words like barrel finished, rested or aged on labels, depending on the origin of the gin.
But here is where I sit...... It's different and although I definitely can still taste the piney juniper in some of them, they taste or smell of whisky or cognac to me and they really do benefit from being sipped on ice, rather than doused in tonic. I agree it's gin, but the flavour profile has definitely changed, so dare I suggest it's maybe "Jim"? Is pink gin gin or is flavoured gin gin if juniper is not the predominant botanical? That's a whole new debate which we won't go into here!
For my serve of Bluecoat Barrel Finished, all I've done is add a few dashes of orange bitters and serve on ice with a wheel of dehydrated satsuma. It's softened the resinous notes which are quite prominent in the gin and resulted in a rounder sip and brought even more of the deep caramel toffee to the front. It's absolutely stunning to nose and has a really complex taste. It's smooth and definitely gin - the juniper gives it away! There's a little peppery spice leaving a warm and slightly sweet finish. It's really a gorgeous sip, so if you do come across it on your travels, do give it a try.