Bernhards 1806 Eiffel Dry Gin on oak
Subtle cask character with vanilla aromas
- Country
- Germany
- Alcohol
- 43.7%
- Bottle size
- 500 ml
- Producer
- Bernhards 1806
- In short
- Oak and vanilla notes
- Botanicals
- Juniper, Elderflower, Coriander
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Aromacode®
- 1 Pine, 45 of 100
- 2 Citrus, 22 of 100
- 3 Fruits, 26 of 100
- 4 Blossoms, 55 of 100
- 5 Grass, 60 of 100
- 6 Herbs, 31 of 100
- 7 Wood, 85 of 100
- 8 Spices, 23 of 100
- 9 Sharpness, 35 of 100
The Aromacode® shows how strongly each aroma comes through. The larger the wedge, the stronger the aroma. Numbers match the list.
About this bottle
Bernhard Zender produces his gin on a former farm in the Eifel village of Wolsfeld. Fruit spirits have been made here for seven generations. The year 1806 marks the granting of distilling rights for pears and apples.
Developing 1806 Gin took around two years, with elderflower from the Eifel contributing to its flavour. The recipe and exact list of botanicals are secret, though cask ageing tends to alter their character anyway. The gin spends 110 days in a French oak cask. It's also given a three-month resting period overall.
Tasting notes
Nose and aroma
The first thing you notice is the vanilla aroma from the cask. It moves back and forth between vanilla and wood. Nothing overbearing or reminiscent of an old crypt: it's rather delicate and warm. Fruit and herbal notes are there, too.
Palate and finish
The gin is very gentle. Vanilla and a little wood appear again, followed by a lovely, gentle build-up of heat. What? It eases into a pleasant warmth. Not pepper, more a light juniper kick that arrives very, very slowly. The finish isn't particularly long. A trace of juniper and vanilla remains, but there's one last lift before it fades. Enjoyable, and definitely cocktail material.
With ice
Ice changes the gin again, bringing the vanilla further forward while softening the heat. To me, that gives the profile a little more fruit. I couldn't resist trying it with a maraschino cherry, either. Mmm.
Verdict
If you enjoy cask-aged gin, you'll probably enjoy Bernhards 1806. It isn't one of those wildly overdone gins with more extraneous flavours than the gin could ever have had to begin with. Here, you get a gin with a new twist that still tastes like gin.