Review: Stonecutter Spirits Single Barrel Gin
Stonecutter Spirits is based in Middlebury, Vermont, and this is the company’s signature product, a gin matured in former bourbon barrels. The botanical bill, source of the barrels, and length of aging isn’t revealed — aside from the note that juniper, orange peel, and cardamom are used (which doesn’t tell us a whole lot).
Stonecutter’s nose is promptly in line with other aged gins, moderate to heavily herbal but laced with considerable and sweet vanilla notes. The palate kicks things off with a healthy juniper and bittersweet citrus peel slug — heavier than you get from a typical aged gin — before jumping into some more exotic and odd flavors, including coconut, pineapple, and lingering vanilla notes. The finish is herbal and racy with red pepper, tempered with notes of cocoa powder and bubble gum.
While I don’t suspect any oddball botanicals are used in the production of Stonecutter, as the description above might indicate, this aged gin ultimately comes across as a bit scattered. That said, it’s quite charming in its own right, and would make a good addition to basic mixers. I’m thinking ginger beer?
90 proof. Available in Vermont.
B+ / $55 / stonecutterspirits.com
Stonecutter Spirits Single Barrel Gin
$55
