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Gin-related spirits: Aged gins

The whisky writer Jim Murray tells a story about being with a Dutch distiller describing his latest gin, which he had aged in oak barrels for some years. As the conversation went on and they talked more about the grain used and the type of barrel, Jim suddenly declared, ‘That’s not gin, that’s whisky!’

It’s a fine line, but certainly once you remove the botanicals from the equation, the lines become severely blurred. Aged gin has become fashionable in recent years, with bars hosting their own mini-casks full of gin spirit, and creating their own take on aged gin.

There are also countries, particularly those in Eastern Europe, where stainless steel casks are prohibitively expensive and distillers have had no choice but to use oak casks.

Given the flexibility that gin offers, the idea of ageing opens up a whole new world of possible flavours, as distillers explore everything from virgin oak from continents across the world to casks that have been previously used for a vast range of different wines and spirits, including some that are highly regional and region-specific.