Maker: Two James, Detroit, Michigan, USA
Style: Barrel-aged dry gin
ABV: 45.5%
Michigan state minimum: $44
Appearance: Pale gold.
Nose: Alcohol, juniper.
Palate: Sweetness, alcohol, juniper.
Finish: Dry and coniferous.
Mixed: Gives a nice, clean Pine-sol® aroma to classic gin cocktails.
Parting words: This gin is wildly unbalanced. Its sibling, Old Cockney, teeters on the edge of enjoyability, but the barrel-aged version falls right off the cliff. Most barrel-aged gins bring a creamy sweetness to cocktails, but that’s entirely absent here. No mixer can really stand up to the agressive piney-ness of this gin. It leaves all cocktails in ruins, no matter how good or potent the mixers. For $2 less, you can get Valentine’s barrel rested Liberator gin which is superior in every way. Barrel Reserve Old Cockney Gin is not recommended.
Sipology 