Sample 3 cl Stirks Aged Small Batch Oak Aged Gin 46%

A whisky man making gin, and never quite letting go of the whisky. The casks held Speyside Single Malt Whisky before this, and you can both see it and taste it: the gin comes out golden, soft, with vanilla on the nose. Three centilitres for the curious whisky drinker.

The expert's description

Sample 3 cl Stirks Aged Small Batch Oak Aged Gin 46% is an English Oak Aged Gin matured in casks that previously held Speyside Single Malt Whisky, and bottled at 46%.

Behind Stirk's stand David Stirk and Creative Whisky Company in England. The company has spent years bottling Single Malt Whisky drawn from other people's casks, and the gin follows the same line of thought: distilled in a dry London Dry style, then laid into oak for more than three months. That is short by whisky standards, but plenty for a spirit with no grain or sherry to fight through.

The cask does the work. Vanilla, caramel and a mild wood spice settle over the gin's own base of juniper and coriander, and the result edges towards whisky without ever ceasing to be gin. The colour is golden and comes from the wood alone, since the bottling is neither filtered nor coloured.

It is bottled in small batches at 46%, which gives the gin the weight it needs for the cask notes to carry through a mixed drink. This 3 cl bottling exists so you can taste the style before choosing a full bottle.

Tasting notes

Nose

Vanilla and soft caramel first, instantly recognisable from a whisky glass. Beneath them lie dry citrus and coriander's warm, faintly soapy note, while juniper only reports for duty after a moment.

Palate

Robust and full. Juniper and herbs hold the middle, caramel spreads out to the sides, and there is yellow fruit and a hint of blueberry in it. Oak lends a dry spiced edge that stops the sweetness running away with everything.

Finish

Sweet oak and wood spice stay longest. Long for a gin, with juniper lying dry underneath it all.

Specifications

Name: Sample 3 cl Stirks Aged Small Batch Oak Aged Gin 46%
Producer: Creative Whisky Company
Region/Country: England
Type: Oak Aged Gin
ABV: 46%
Size: 3 CL
Cask type: Casks that previously held Speyside Single Malt Whisky
Non-chill filtered: Yes
Natural colour: Yes
Edition: Small Batch
Serving suggestion: Neat over a single ice cube or in a Negroni

Flavour profile

Cask matured · Vanilla · Caramel · Spiced · Juniper-led

Did you know?

The name comes from David Stirk, who spends his working life bottling Single Malt Whisky under the Creative Whisky Company banner. The gin is his attempt to build a bridge to the people who would otherwise never put a gin bottle on the shelf.

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Frequently asked questions about Sample 3 cl Stirks Aged Small Batch Oak Aged Gin 46%

What does a whisky cask do to a gin?

It lays vanilla, caramel and wood spice over the juniper. Oak gives up the same compounds it gives to whisky, and because gin starts out far lighter, the cask makes its mark much faster. The wood is also where the golden colour comes from.

Does Oak Aged Gin taste like whisky?

No, but it moves in that direction. Juniper and coriander are still clear and make it impossible to mistake for Single Malt Whisky. What you recognise from whisky are the cask notes: vanilla, caramel and the dry spiced edge from oak.

Should it be drunk neat or mixed?

Both work, but neat over a single ice cube shows the most. Forty-six per cent gives it the weight to stand alone, and the cask notes open as the ice melts a little. Mixed, it does best in recipes that would otherwise call for whisky.

Which cocktail suits it best?

A Negroni. The cask notes give the drink a round sweetness that meets campari's bitterness, and the result sits somewhere between a classic Negroni and a Boulevardier. Stir it down and garnish with orange peel.

Which glass suits a cask matured gin?

A tulip-shaped tasting glass, the same kind used for whisky. The shape gathers the vanilla and oak notes that get lost in a wide tumbler. For a long drink, switch to a tall glass with a little ice.

Why taste a cask matured gin in 3 cl first?

Because the style divides opinion more than any other gin category. Three centilitres is exactly the measure used at a whisky tasting, and it leaves room for two neat pours in which the cask notes can open up. Browse the full selection of Whisky Samples.