So, cask-ageing is a definite awesome thing for drinks other than whisky, and the Handmade Cocktail Company know this as a fact, which is why they allowed this Negroni mature in an oak cask for 12 months before bottling it. The classic recipe they use, featuring premium-strength English copper pot-still gin, top-quality sweet vermouth and a mix of aperitifs, develops breathtaking intensity, depth and complexity from the cask-ageing process. So, yes. Cask-ageing. Awesome.
The concept of the ‘Vintage Cocktail’ range is simple – you get all the ingredients for a superb cocktail pre-mixed, all you have to do in this case is pour it over ice, stir and garnish (with a healthy slice of fresh orange). Each bottle carries a stamp showing its year of manufacture.
Hints of mixed berries, sage, a little mint and caramel. A decidedly fruity, inviting nose with oodles of spice.
Lavender, Rhubarb and Custard sweets, a hint of aniseed. Rich berries and a little ground mace. Peppery, mouth-filling and incredibly fruity.
Big, oaky, intense finish with lasting notes of potpourri and sugared peels.
The cask maturation has brought far more herbal, spicy intensity to this classic cocktail.
What a treat. The spicy gin has a wonderful punch. Would be impossible to mix your own and make it better. Best part is that it is easy to be the world's best bartender.
