THE DUKE Cask Finish Gin

Our THE DUKE Cask Finish Gin makes worlds merge together whilst elegantly picking out the best characteristics of each.  Intense wood barrel aromas with fine vanilla notes from toasted Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey barrels. Or the balanced fruitiness with fine notes of pineapple and coconut through the aging in Plantation Rum barrels, refine the virtues of our gin with its whole variety of spices. Through the completion in the wooden barrel, the gin takes on its special, amber colour, which symbolises its elegance and garuanteed first-class enjoyment.

Spirits need time until they are perfect.  Gin production begins with the maceration, in which the botanicals are steeped in alcohol for a certain period of time. The following distillation takes a few hours and is repeated after a gentle filtration. After the ‘marriage’, in which the fine spirit is diluted with water to reduce it to drinking strength, the storage begins. This is usually done in stainless steel tanks, where the finished gin rests for several weeks before it is bottled.

This process is different when it comes to our Cask Finish Gin. Here the Gin is filled into wooden barrels made out of American white oak, instead of the stainless steel tanks.  The type and quality of the barrels and, above all, their initial use play a very important role here. Both the bourbon barrels and the rum barrels we use, were toasted before their first use, which gives the spirits that are subsequently stored in them their special flavour profile. By applying a high heat to the barrels, also know as toasting, resinous elements on the inside of the barrel are broken down. These aromas would adversely affect the spirit during storage.

„I have a simple taste – I am always satisfied with the best.“

(Oscar Wilde)

THE DUKE – Rum Cask Finish Gin

For the THE DUKE – Rum Cask Finish Gin we used Plantation Rum casks from Maison Ferrand, one of the oldest spirits companies in the Cognac region. Plantation’s current philosophy goes back to a long and meticulous development and learning process.  Just like in our distillery, traditional methods meet many years of knowledge and constant development – always driven by the quest for perfection. The Plantation Rum is aged for several years in an American white oak barrel in the Caribbean before acquiring its unique structure and finesse in French oak barrels at the Chateau de Bonbonnet, in the heart of Charente, France.

For our Rum Cask Finish Gin, we use the emptied barrels from the Caribbean. The low-tannin wood has been able to absorb all the fine aromas of the young rum, in the tropical climate over the years. The combination of the rum aromas and the wood bring out fruity notes such as pineapple and coconut in our Gin.

THE DUKE – Bourbon Cask Finish Gin

The word Bourbon in inevitably associated with the American state of Kentucky, because the whiskey, mostly distilled from corn, was originally produced exclusively there. Today the stated of Tennessee and Virginia also play a major role in the production of bourbon whiskey. However, according to the American spirits regulation, bourbon must be produced in the USA. Furthermore is it obligatory for a genuine bourbon, that the whiskey is stored in fresh, charred barrels made of American white oak.

This is where THE DUKE Distillery comes into play. For our THE DUKE – Bourbon Cask Finish Gin we use the exact barrels that are not reused to store bourbon again. To be precise, we use genuine Kentucky Straight Bourbon barrels from a historic whiskey distillery. During storage in the warehouse, part of the whiskey the so-called Angels Share- evaporated through the wood and leaves behind its special aromas. After our classic THE DUKE Gin has rested in the former bourbon barrels for a certain period of time the characteristic vanilla notes of the bourbon and the tasty wood barrel flavours complement our gin. A very special and unique composition is created by this process.

The unique and exciting thing about our cask finish gins is the fusion of two completely different spirit worlds. THE DUKE Cask Finish Gins combine the fresh herbal and spicy notes of gin with the solid cask aromas, soft, with hints of vanilla from the oak cask in which they rest.
Due to their complexity, these gins are ideal to enjoy pure, but also develop their unique aroma in a special gin & tonic or various cocktail creations.

Both of this year’s Bourbon and Rum Cask Finish Gins are available in limited quantities in our online shop and distillery shop, as well as at selected retailers.

Your own cask finish gin

Would you like your very own Cask Finish Gin? On request, we would love to give you the opportunity to create your own cask gin with us. Whether it with our classic Munich Dry Gin, Rough or Wanderlust Gin; whether bourbon barrel, rum, port wine or sherry barrel – the possibilities for your personal cask finish are multifaceted. The label, the alcohol content and the quantity can also be customised. Our distillery will help and consult you on every step of the process.
However, please note, that the minimum purchase quantity of a wonderful, full cask (180 litres) must be adhered to.

Interested? Then simply send an e-mail with your enquiry to our master distiller Magic: magic@theduke-gin.de

THE DUKE – Cask Finish Gins – buy online now