Raise your hand if you’ve had sloe gin.

Keep it up if you know what sloe gin is.

Yeah, not many people on this side of the pond have had this gin variation. It’s quite sweet, with many brands adding sugar on the back end in a kind of rum-like dosage way (it’s not required, but it does happen). The “Sloe” refers to a berry that’s macerated in gin to give it a sweet flavor and bright red color. Sloe gin ranges from 15%-30% ABV, but most are between 25%-30% since the EU requires 25% ABV or more, and the UK is the largest producer (granted, with the UK out of the EU, this might change, but nothing has yet).

So what about an American sloe gin? Spirit Works Distillery in California wine country is taking just that approach, importing sloe berries from Europe and using their own gin as the base spirit. No neutral grain spirits here. When creating the Barrel Reserve Sloe Gin, Spirit Works put their sloe into new, charred American oak casks for a few months to round out the edges. The result is a 29.6% ABV barrel-aged sloe gin liqueur* imbued with buttery baking spices and vanilla that elevate the red fruit.

*note: since this is under 40% ABV, it technically is not a gin but a gin liqueur. Given the spirits’ long history and colloquial use, however, the term sloe gin is acceptable without the “liqueur” suffix and is made clear as such in European and relevant codes.

The sloe gin is delicious, the Barrel Reserve version even more so. And of course, Spirit Works knows this, putting two-year-old straight rye in these casks for a 3rd use (1st use was for their barrel-aged gin, second was with their sloe gin).

The big question for me was whether the sloe gin would overpower the rye. At first, it did - the sloe berries were sweet, tart, Campari-like in texture swapping berries for bitter orange. Add in an unfamiliarity with the flavor, and my palate was totally consumed in sloe. Rye is also the American spirit I’d usually say is best to stand up to strong finishes, but here the gin was too strong.

Then I gave it some time and some air. Over subsequent tastes and as my palate recalibrated around the sloe gin, I found this pour to be much more balanced than I thought at first sip. The rye is relatively high in the recipe, with an 80% rye mashbill (70% organic rye and 10% malted rye) and the remaining 20% being specialty brewing malts. The spice and grain from a younger rye (~2 years old) complements the gin’s underlying herbal notes, and the sloe goes the other way to bring out more fruitiness from the rye.

Of the four samples Lost Lantern generously provided, this had me the most interested and gave the most variation across tastings. If you’re new to sloe gin like I was, I’m sure it’ll take a few times to find the balance. If you’re familiar with sloe gin, maybe you’ll find it faster. Either way, I haven’t seen an American whiskey finished in sloe gin before - but I can’t wait for the second.

Thank you to Lost Lantern for providing a sample of this product with no editorial constraints.

Lost Lantern 2022 Single Cask #4: Spirit Works California Straight Rye Whiskey Finished in a Sloe Gin Cask: Specs

Classification: Straight Rye Whiskey

Origin: Spirit Works Distillery

Mashbill: 70% Organic Rye, 10% Malted Rye, 20% Specialty Brewing Malts

Proof: 113 (56.5% ABV)

Age: 3 Years Old

Location: California

Lost Lantern 2022 Single Cask #4: Spirit Works California Straight Rye Whiskey Finished in a Sloe Gin Cask Price: $100

Official Website

Lost Lantern 2022 Single Cask #4: Spirit Works California Straight Rye Whiskey Finished in a Sloe Gin Cask Review: Tasting Notes

Eye: Reddish maple syrup. Medium rims and sloughing blobs.

Nose: Proof hits the nostrils first followed by a berry sweetness. The gin is sweet, not herbal, leaning more into the blackberry jam notes like an amaro made with raspberries and blackberries. The rye isn’t too present on the nose.

Palate: On the first try, the sloe is delicious but completely overpowering. Once you get used to the sweet berry, though, a strong proof closer to 120 comes out with Campari-like bittersweet balance. Astringent on the back palate. Mouthfeel is filling and creamy, like a well-made Manhattan or Boulevardier with the coating adding a black licorice backbone.

Finish: Long - very long, but still mostly sloe gin. The rye underneath peeks out at the end, decides it needs more time, then retreats again.

Overall: Reminiscent of a berry-forward Boulevardier, and a good one. The sloe takes some getting used to if you’re not familiar, but it’s rewarding once you find the balance.

Final Rating: 6.5

10 | Insurpassable | Nothing Else Comes Close

9 | Incredible | Extraordinary

8 | Excellent | Exceptional

7 | Great | Well above average

6 | Very Good | Better than average

5 | Good | Good, solid, ordinary

4 | Has promise but needs work

1-3 | Let’s have a conversation