Hernö creates sipping gin
Swedish brand Hernö has unveiled a sipping gin matured in ex-tawny Port wine casks.
To craft Hernö Sipping Gin 2022, the brand's Old Tom Gin was aged for 60 days, in casks that once held tawny Port from Santa Marta de Penaguião, Portugal, for 12 months. Only 1,003 bottles will be available, with the liquid resting at 43% ABV. "When the opportunity to buy a cask from Caves Santa Marta in Portugal came up, we felt that we would like to mature our Hernö Old Tom Gin this time, to get a slightly sweeter touch," explained Johan Wester, head distiller at Hernö Gin. "After 60 days the balance between Port and gin was just perfect." On the nose, the sipping gin contains aromas of oak, with a ‘floral push’, followed by hints of almond, caramel, butter and vanilla, and an underlying note of ‘crunchy’ juniper. On the palate, floral and juniper flavours are at the forefront, with a rich texture and nutty flavours, combined with dates, to result in a sweet and peppery taste. Finally, the finish is long and lingering with spicy oak, as well as citrus flavours with notes of meadowsweet and juniper. To create the gin, botanicals such as juniper berries, coriander seeds, black pepper, cassia bark, vanilla, lingon berries, meadowsweet and lemon peel were used. The bottling, which is the sixth offering in the brand's range, will be launched on 15 June in Sweden. Hernö recommends the gin served neat, or used as the base in a Negroni or Gin Sour. Earlier this year, the brand announced it would sell shares on a regulated market to support its expansion plans.
