The 6 Best Barrel-Aged Gins, According to Bartenders

When one thinks of amber-brown, barrel-aged spirits, gin is likely not the first to come to mind. The clear, unaged, London Dry style of gin is most familiar to drinkers when it comes to the juniper-forward spirit. But for most of its existence, gin has spent time resting in barrels.

The history of barrel-aged gins

The practice of putting gin into barrels was one of necessity, not intention. 

“Stainless steel wasn’t a material that was available until 1913, let alone the 11th century,” says Mark Mentzel, cocktail and bar manager at The Elk Room and Order of the Ace in Baltimore. “Wooden barrels were the answer to the storage and movement of many goods, including gin.” 

Eventually, the people who transported distilled spirits over long distances realized that the barrel was changing the flavor and color of the liquid in a positive way. Gin included.

“The charred interior of the barrel, along with its natural tannins, can impart rich flavors like vanilla, caramel, and toasted oak, while also mellowing harsh edges and adding depth,” says Demi Natoli, beverage director at the Graduate in Nashville. “The longer a spirit stays in the barrel, the more pronounced these flavors become.” 

While producers of spirits like whiskey and Cognac leaned into those flavors imparted by the barrel, gin distillers started to opt for the crystal clear and bright, botanical-forward flavor profile that we know today.

Modern gins aged in barrels

Distilled spirits are now generally bottled before transportation, so barrel maturation is no longer a necessity. It’s a choice, one that more gin distillers are pursuing. 

“The act of putting gin into a barrel is to either nod to history, or to experiment with different woods and see how they interact with a gin’s flavor compounds,” says Mentzel.

Barrel-aged gin is a creative decision. It can add complexity, depth, and unique character to a gin without changing its basic DNA.

The added color, along with the caramel, vanilla, and baking spice notes from the barrel, can provide an entry point for gin skeptics.  

“I like using barrel-aged gin for either gin drinkers who are looking for more, or whiskey drinkers who are looking to branch out,” says Mentzel. “It’s a great feeling to hear a gin drinker say, ‘I had no idea this existed,’ or a whiskey drinker say, ‘I didn’t think I would ever like gin.’”

Barrel-aged gin in cocktails

Though you’re not likely to stir up a classic Martini with it, barrel-aged gin is a versatile ingredient. 

“What I find particularly interesting about aged gin is its herbaceous character,” says Natoli. “Unlike whiskey or scotch, which often lead with notes of baking spices and peat, aged gin tends to highlight a more botanical flavor profile. This makes it perfect for a wide range of cocktails, whether stirred or shaken.”

Though there aren’t many popular drinks that call for barrel-aged gin as the base spirit, it is a great way to add a subtle and unexpected twist to a classic cocktail.  

“One of my favorite ways to use this style of gin is by swapping it in for traditional-aged spirits like whiskey, scotch, or rum,” says Natoli. “For example, try replacing the scotch in a Penicillin with barrel-aged gin, or switch out rum for aged gin in a Mai Tai.” 

“You can easily swap this out in a Negroni for a Venn-diagrammed Boulevardier, same with an in-between Martini Manhattan,” says Mentzel. “Old Fashioneds do well with barrel-aged gin, too, as does a French 75. The sky’s the limit.”

Whether you want to try a variation on your favorite classic cocktail, or create something completely new, here are some of the best barrel-aged gins, according to bartending experts.

St. George Spirits Dry Rye Reposado Gin

From pioneering American single malts to evocative gins, St. George Spirits, based in Alameda, California, has always done things its own way. Its Dry Rye Reposado gin is a uniquely Californian take on a barrel-aged gin.

“St. George uses ex-wine casks from Blacksmith Cellars, run by winemaker Matt Smith, brother of head distiller Dave Smith,” says Mentzel. “The barrels are a combination of French and American oak, which held Grenache Rosé, Syrah, and Tannat. St. George also experiments with single barrel gins that have seen time on other wines like Zinfandel.”

PostModern Spirits UpRoot Gin

PostModern Spirits, a newer craft distillery based in Knoxville, Tennessee, has made a name with its iconoclastic approach. The gins it produces use modern combinations of botanicals, but the barrel-aged UpRoot Gin might be the distiller’s most unique.

“UpRoot takes a bold departure from traditional gin flavors by incorporating Szechuan peppercorn and galangal root, which add a unique, spicy depth,” says Natoli. “The gin is then aged in toasted new oak barrels, further enhancing its complexity with rich, oaky notes.”

The Botanist Islay Cask Rested Gin

The latest addition to The Botanist’s line of Scottish gins is this barrel-aged expression. It’s crafted at Islay’s legendary Bruichladdich distillery, known for some of the finest peated single malts in Scotland. This expression from The Botanist is made with 22 botanicals, many grown locally. Once distilled, it’s rested for a minimum of six months in a variety of oak barrels.

The resulting gin is floral and bright, with a noticeable hint of warm baking spice and sweet oak. The barrel influence rounds out some of the sharper botanical notes and gives this gin a slightly more viscous mouthfeel. It’s highly recommended to use this bottling in a classic Martinez cocktail.

Bristow Barrel Aged Reserve

Cathead Distillery was the first legal distillery in Mississippi. It gained popularity in the South with its line of out-of-the-ordinary vodkas. As Cathead’s portfolio expanded, it introduced Bristow Gin along with reserve editions that are aged for one, four and seven years. 

“Their gin flavor profile starts with a blend of eleven botanicals, including juniper, angelica root, cardamon, cassia bark, clove, coriander, hyssop, licorice root, lemon verbena, sweet orange peel and bitter orange extract,” says Natoli. “After resting in the barrels, each expression takes on different flavor profiles from minty to dark cherry.”

Barr Hill Tom Cat

Caledonia Spirits, the creators of Barr Hill Gin, has become known in the spirits world for its commitment to sustainability. Caledonia works with local farmers and takes care of the bee population in its home of Vermont. That Caledonia makes delicious gins distilled from locally sourced raw honey has helped to put it on the map, too.

Tom Cat Gin is rested in new oak barrels, which contributes a remarkable amount of barrel influence. “This is an Old Tom style of gin, so it’s lightly sweetened with raw honey and aged in new American oak,” says Mentzel. “The gin itself is made from honey and juniper, and becomes genuinely beautiful thanks to the aging.”

Corsair Barreled Gin

Based in Nashville, Corsair is a craft distillery that focuses on small-batch, pot-distilled spirits. Aside from its smoked American single malt, spiced rum, and rye whiskey, Corsair also produces a unique barrel-aged gin. 

“The method to make their barrel-aged gin includes using a vapor basket to extract the botanical flavors, versus a maceration technique which is common in making modern gins,” says Natoli. “After the distilling process, their gin is aged in spiced rum barrels, adding fall spice notes to the spirit.”