Taconic Distillery “Stubbornly Different” Barrel-Aged Gin

Sep 10

Taconic Gin aged in a used barrel for an unspecified amount of time. I’m a big fan of barrel-aged gins in general, as I think even a few months in a barrel rounds out and clarifies the flavors (aside from some like Monkey 47 which are just sensational out of the gate).

Eye: Greenish-yellow, like a true Absinthe with no artificial coloring.

Nose: Pure pine and juniper but in a good, walking through the woods way rather than a car freshener way. A little air lets out Bazooka Joe bubble gum right when you open the gigantic tub of individually wrapped pieces.

Palate: Zero burn at any point. Herbs take center stage and follow the nose perfectly. This feels and tastes balanced - none of the flavors are outdoing the other or being outshone. Mouthfeel is oily, herbal, mouth feeling and chewable.

Finish: Short-to-medium length. The Bazooka Joe gum lasts the longest, but the pine and juniper make a pleasant last stand before giving out.

Overall: This is an excellent gin that I could sip neat on a cool fall day with no complaints. I’m curious to see how this would fare in a mixed drink, but why ruin it.

Rating: 7.7

10 | Insurpassable | Nothing Else Comes Close (Blanton’s Straight from the Barrel)

9 | Incredible | Extraordinary (GTS, Elijah Craig Barrel Proof B518 and B520)

8 | Excellent | Exceptional (12+YO MGP Bourbon, Highland Park Single Barrels)

7 | Great | Well above average (Blanton’s Original, Old Weller Antique, Booker’s)

6 | Very Good | Better than average (Four Roses Small Batch Select, Knob Creek 14+ YO Picks)

5 | Good | Good, solid, ordinary (Elijah Craig Small Batch, Buffalo Trace, Old Grand-Dad Bottled-in-Bond)

4 | Sub-par | Many things I’d rather have (A.D. Laws Four Grain, Compass Box “Oak Cross”)

3 | Bad | Flawed (Iron Smoke Bourbon, Balcones)

2 | Poor | Forced myself to drink it (Buckshee Bourbon and Rye)

1 | Disgusting | Drain pour (Virginia Distilling Co. Cider Cask)