Providence-based Industrious Spirit Company, the makers of Ornamental Gin, launched Patina Barrel Aged Gin in 2021.
Similar to their flagship gin, it begins as a corn base distilled on a Vendome copper pot. Its botanical blend is mostly secret though it includes unusual ingredients like passion flower and lemon balm.
The aging period is over three months, in barrels that formerly held their Blue Velvet bourbon.
Tasting Notes
Color: Goldenrod and perfectly transparent.
Aroma: Layers of burnt butterscotch and rosemary custard with a touch of lime leaves.
Flavor: Hints of vanilla give way quickly to a bold mid-palate rife with dried herbs: chevril and marjoram give way to later hints of vanilla, elderflower and chamomile. Intriguing with the amount of “light” botanicals that come through.
Finish: As the herbs subside, a long finish with oaky bourbon notes and burnt caramel— all cast amidst a delicate, distant floral haze.
Cocktails
I think some of the herbal notes in Patina Barrel Aged Gin, while unexpected, they can work well with the right ingredients. Try it Southside-style for an interesting, almost cozy herbal take on the classic drink.
Or make an aged gin old fashioned with a savory bitters, such as a Celery.
But overall, Patina Barrel Aged Gin is at its best neat or on the rocks.
Overall, Patina Barrel Aged Gin
Patina Barrel Aged Gin is an interesting contrast to ISCO’s flagship Ornamental Gin. While the latter comes across as more floral, the time in the barrel brings out the gin’s more herbal side. It’s equally as light on juniper; however, it’s an intriguing flavor for a barrel aged gin that in my experience tastes like nothing else out there.
Unique, intriguing and well balanced, Patina Barrel Aged Gin is a barrel aged gin for fans of herbal and floral, savory styles.