My Wandering Eye is an ongoing series reacting to the rising prices in the bourbon world. We’ve reached a place where even average products have hit the range where they compete price-wise with other types of aged spirits. If I’m going to be asked to drop $40 to $70 on a mid-range bourbon, I might as well see what else I can get for that money. I hope to see if another spirits category offers something downright tasty in that price range. The goal isn’t to find cheap spirits but to maximize the quality I’m getting at a particular price point. The reviews in this series will all be written through a bourbon drinker’s lens.
We are going wandering through the liquor store again for this one. This is another of the late December purchases and tastings from pre-Dry January. This time, I decided to wander into the Gin section to see if something there struck my fancy that could be had for a reasonable price. In this case, I decided on a locally distilled gin from craft distiller J. Carver. And this one is very local. The distillery is just over a half-hour’s drive from my house.
I’ve found that there are times when I really like gin, especially in cocktails. In those times, I’ll reach for a cocktail made with gin over one made with whiskey. I think of it this way: sometimes I want Diet 7-up, and other times I want coffee. Both are calorie-free, but I have completely different mindsets when I reach for each of them.
This particular gin, though, blurs the line between coffee and Diet 7up…err…gin and whiskey. This gin has spent some time in the barrel, you see. Here is what the producer has to say about it:
Yes! It's gold in color! Yet this "whiskey-lover's gin" has become the darling spirit of top mixologists across Minnesota. Dynamic and complex, this gin is distilled with eleven botanicals including orange and cinnamon and finished in new charred oak barrels coopered in Minnesota. This hearty, 96-proof gin adds something special to gin and whiskey-based cocktails, and begs to be sipped neat or on ice. 96 proof
So, let’s dig in!
J. Carver Barrel Gin
Purchase Info: $37.99 for a 750 mL bottle at Viking Liquor Barrel, Prior Lake, MN
Price per Drink (50 mL): $2.53
Details: 48% ABV.
Nose: Juniper, lemon, white pepper, and coriander.
Mouth: Sweet barrel notes of vanilla, caramel, and oak hit first with notes of juniper, cinnamon, lemon zest, orange, and mint.
Finish: Medium to long and tingly with lingering notes of juniper, lemon, and mint.
Thoughts: While I don't think I would ever sip gin neat, this one comes close. I'm enjoying the tasting quite a bit. But since gin is used for cocktails in my house, I need to see how it tastes in those before I pass judgment. First, I did a gin rickey, my favorite deck drink. It works ok in a rickey. It's not my favorite, but it's ok. It makes the rickey a little sweeter than I'd prefer. My favorite winter gin drink is a Negroni (not that it has to be winter to enjoy it, that’s just when I seem to want one.) Now here is where this one shines. The cinnamon notes I noticed in the mouth come through and play very nicely with the vermouth and the bitterness of the Campari. Very nice cocktail. And also a very nice gin. I like it.
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