First Impressions
Cardinal Gin comes from Southern Artisan Spirits in North Carolina — a state with a rich distilling heritage. The Barrel Rested expression takes their eleven-botanical gin and ages it in oak barrels, adding vanilla, caramel, and a distinctive peanut brittle character that is uniquely American. The golden colour tells you immediately that this is a gin with oak influence.
Tasting
Eleven botanicals rested in oak. The nose is vanilla and caramel-coated nut with herbaceous juniper and floral elements. On the palate at 42%, peanut brittle and fresh juniper with flamed orange peel brightness and vanilla pod sweetness from the oak. The eleven botanicals maintain their identity through the barrel-resting. The finish is rich and smooth with vanilla and oak lingering while juniper provides a dry counterpoint.
The Bottom Line
Cardinal Barrel Rested earns a 7 — a cask-aged gin where the peanut brittle note is genuinely distinctive and delicious. The oak influence is confident but not overwhelming, and the juniper keeps this recognisably gin. Best in a Martinez or an Old Fashioned, or sipped neat after dinner. At £43, fairly priced for a barrel-aged American gin with real character.
