Aging gin over oak?

[GBS]

Hello,

Being an avid gin fan, and enjoying Odin's simple gin recipe, I was wondering whether anything could be gained or changed from a quick aging over oak? I also happen to have cherry and hickory wood so I may give this a try as well...

Anyone here tried something similar?

[Oldvine Zin]

I've done a couple of barrel aged gins, while being novel and a bit interesting I'm not a big fan of it. Now I prefer to barrel age my rums and whiskeys but leave my gins pure.

OVZ

[GBS]

I've done a couple of barrel aged gins, while being novel and a bit interesting I'm not a big fan of it. Now I prefer to barrel age my rums and whiskeys but leave my gins pure.

OVZ

Good point, this is exactly what I am looking for, people with proper feedback. Thanks a bunch Oldvine Zin, I will report back with my own findings shortly too.

[cranky]

I tried some barrel aged gin at Proof one year and have to say I hated it. After tasting it I don't think wood has any place in gin.

[Oldvine Zin]

Agreed Cranky once you add wood to gin it is no longer gin - call it something different

OVZ

[Saltbush Bill]

After tasting it I don't think wood has any place in gin.

once you add wood to gin it is no longer gin - call it something different

+1

[Boda Getta]

"Agreed Cranky once you add wood to gin it is no longer gin - call it something different"

Not sure Corsair, Few, Copperworks, Ransom, Bombay Amber, et al would agree. The old English Old Tom Gin was often aged on oak.

BG

[NZChris]

Just do it. Someone has to go first.

Old Tom was shipped to America in wooden barrels. Whether, or not, that was an improvement I have no idea, but I could get some idea by putting my version on oak, or I could ask Uncle Google and hope to be spoon fed by someone who has put in the effort to find out.

[Single Malt Yinzer]

Personally I'm not a fan of aging gins. For me it loses some of it's light/freshness. The botanicals seem to fade too much for me. The oak is also so strong it blunts the botanicals.

I am going to try something different to get a similar effect, Hopefully something that keeps the gin-ness. I am going to age the base I'm using for the gin then blend it with a double strong version of the gin. I want to balance the flavors more so than I could with doing everything at once. I want to see if I can get the gin to stay fresh and sharp while adding in some of the richness of the aged spirit. I'm not convinced it will work, but people love the barrel aged stuff so I will try to appease the masses (a couple of gin friends).

[thecroweater]

I tried some barrel aged gin at Proof one year and have to say I hated it. After tasting it I don't think wood has any place in gin.

Ok not sure if this is your wood or subjective taste but when visiting Smooth Abler Distillery in Greenbiar WV we were treated to a bourbon barrel aged/finished gin and to my tastes it was really something special. I did try their base gin and the girls (Suzie and Jarheads wife bought a bottle so it wasn't a bad drink but I felt the barrel aged gin was even better. Could be that that gin, could be that barrel could be that gin in that barrel or even my tastes are in my arse but I wouldn't write the concept off too fast.

[cranky]

I tried some barrel aged gin at Proof one year and have to say I hated it. After tasting it I don't think wood has any place in gin.

Ok not sure if this is your wood or subjective taste but when visiting Smooth Abler Distillery in Greenbiar WV we were treated to a bourbon barrel aged/finished gin and to my tastes it was really something special. I did try their base gin and the girls (Suzie and Jarheads wife bought a bottle so it wasn't a bad drink but I felt the barrel aged gin was even better. Could be that that gin, could be that barrel could be that gin in that barrel or even my tastes are in my arse but I wouldn't write the concept off too fast.

I'm sure as with most things it is subjective taste. It was a bourbon barrel aged gin. I also tried their un-barrel aged gin. The un aged gin tasted very much like my own so I saw no reason to buy any since I can make it just as well. The barrel aged gin was dominated by the wood, losing too much of what I like and feel gin should be. I personally don't want my gin to taste like whiskey and felt the wood only took away from the end product and added far too much whiskey character to it. Of course I feel the same way about brandy, I don't want my brandy to taste too much like whiskey or oak but others like to heavily oak theirs, maybe others like that sort of thing in their gin too, and I only tried the one sample, but personally feel that was enough.

[Sharks_n_danger]

If you can get a bottle of it, I would highly recommend Willibald’s Gin from a farm in Ontario, Canada. Picked some up on my way through one time. They only have a barrel aged gin and it’s one of my favourite gins.