If you've ever come into the shop looking for gin, you'd know we flat out rate Kylie's Autumn Dry Gin and we'll go on and on about it's curative and delicious properties. Situated just north of Newcastle, Kylie has built her distillery on her family property and along with using a few of the usual offenders (juniper, lemon and anise myrtle, native sage, pepperberries, pink grapefruit peel and kaffir lime leaves) she distils her gins with a homegrown and rather unusual ingredient - native sugar bar honey produced by Australian stingless bees.
Now, when we found out we were getting a gin specifically made for winter… we were stoked. Barrel aged gin? Get out... Peated? What? Why? While this is an unusual proposition for some, we're so here for it. You might be thinking that these things surely just cover up all the delicate botanicals we look for in gin, the exact opposite happens here. Now, when we found out we were getting a gin specifically made for winter? We were stoked. Barrel aged gin? Get out... Peated? What? Why? Now, while this is an unusual proposition for some, we're so here for it because while you might be thinking that these things surely just cover up all the delicate botanicals we look for in gin, the exact opposite happens here. Kylie starts by maturing our best most favourite Autumn Dry gin in a peated whisky barrel sourced from Black Gate Distillery in Mendooran NSW and it's this ageing that really super charges the botanicals. Soft and floral with hints of citrus and a savoury smokiness that just warms the cockles. Hence, Warm Winter Gin.
We reckon it deserves to be drunk neat while sitting next to an open fire (if local guidelines allow for it). It really deserves to be enjoyed the same way you would drink your favourite Islay single malt. For all those Negroni lovers out there, this really kicks it up a notch. 11/10 chef's kiss.