Waymar Gin House’s Ambrosia Series ages their Waymar Gin House Signature Gin in various barrels. This one is aged for seven months in a Spanish Oak cask that formerly held Manzanilla Sherry.
Manzanilla Sherry is produced in the coastal town of Sanlucar de Barrameda, where the humid seasdide clime nourishes the distinctive “flor” yeast used to produce sherry. It uses Palomino Fino grapes, similar to other Sherries, but its seaside maturation creates a distinctive flavor many describe as “salty.”
Tasting notes
Color: Dark Goldenrod in hue
Aroma: Chamomile, orange rind, marmalade with a hint of vanilla and some hints of sherry. Pleasant, with a good gin and botanical character underlying the wood and sherry.
Flavor: Marzipan and almond loudly throughout the palate. Lemon and orange come on easing into a mid-palate with some chamomile, coriander, and Crème Anglaise.
Towards the back of the palate, some more sherry character manifests. There’s a touch of green apple, oak, and the wine itself. Some quiet juniper here as well, but it’s somewhat of a background note.
Finish: A bit dry, with some clear Manazanilla Sherry hanging on the palate. Lingering sweetness, with hints of eggy custard, vanilla, and chamomile flowers.
Cocktails and suggested serves
Waymar Gin House Gin aged in Manzanilla Sherry Casks is a good sipping gin with nice balance and a good mouthfeel. I preferred it neat or on the rocks.
Mixing with this gin is somewhat hard. I found it better on its own, versus being prepared in an Aged Gin Old Fashioned.
It has some nice flavors which lend itself to drinks like The Hot Toddy; however, your liking for that will depend on whether or not notes of warm Manzanilla Sherry appeal to you.
Overall, Waymar Gin House Gin aged in Manzanilla Sherry Casks
A lovely combination of interesting and somewhat unusual cask choice, with a good foundational gin makes Waymar Gin House’s Manzanilla Sherry Gin a worthy gin to seek out if you’re a fan of— well sherry and gin.
That’s really the key here. The chamomile aroma of sherry combines with the floral notes in the gin to create a bold, floral aged gin. While there’s plenty of other botanicals in here, the cask selection is the star.