Martin Miller’s debuts ex-Madeira cask gin

Feb 13, 2018by Owen Bellwood

Martin Miller’s Gin has expanded its portfolio with the launch of an expression finished in a single ex-Madeira cask, called 26 Moons.

The gin brand's latest expression has been aged in a single ex-Madeira cask for 26 months. Initial tastings of the gin in 2016 revealed "an ethereal pink hue to the liquid" but found that the cask had not yet impacted on the gin's flavour. Following this assessment, the cask was left to mature for longer until it reached a "sweet spot" at 26 months. Martin Miller's founding partner, Andreas Versteegh, said: "Sometimes testing your patience can be bitter, but it’s worth it when the result’s so sweet." While ageing, 26 Moons developed “very little vanilla sweetness”, instead the gin has gained “a dry freshness, like unripe berries underpins juniper. The usual citrus brightness of Martin Miller’s Gin is evident on the nose, but there are also soft floral notes in its long, dry finish.” Just 960 350ml bottles of 26 Moons have been produced and only 480 of these will be made available to the public. David Bromige, co-founder of Martin Miller's, said: “Sometimes a trusting attitude and patience have to go hand in hand. Patience isn’t just waiting, it’s how you wait. This time an excess of patience has yielded this delicious rose gold liquid, of which there is sadly only a finite amount.” Bottled at 42% abv, 26 Moons is available exclusively through UK-based department store Harvey Nichols for £95 (US$132). Earlier this year, Spain’s Zamora Company purchased a majority stake in Martin Miller’s Gin for an undisclosed sum.