Empress Oaken Gin
flavorcamp
February 18, 2025
TL;DR: A rich, barrel-aged gin with warm vanilla, caramel, and spice notes, offering a smooth and complex twist on the classic Empress Gin profile.
Empress Oaken Gin takes the vibrant spirit of Empress 1908 and gives it a luxurious, time-honored twist. Rested in oak barrels, this gin develops deep layers of caramelized citrus, warm baking spices, and a silky vanilla finish, making it an excellent choice for sipping neat or elevating classic cocktails. The aging process imparts a golden hue and a rounded mouthfeel, blending the best of gin’s botanical brightness with the depth of oak-aged spirits. Whether you’re a gin purist or a whiskey lover looking to explore, Empress Oaken Gin offers a bridge between two worlds—rich, refined, and unmistakably smooth.
Flavor Camp Taste Profile
Overall Review
- Overall Assessment: 85/100
- Distinctiveness: 8/10
- Bottle Appeal: 8/10
- Value for Price: 7/10
- Crushable / Daily Drinker
- Cocktail Worthy
- Special Occasion Sipper
- Weird & Wonderful
- Skip It
Tasting Notes
- Appearance: Clear, Light Caramel
- Aroma: Charred cedar, lemon/lemon verbena, licorice root, white flowers, anise, white pepper, gunpower tea leaves
- Taste & Mouthfeel: More lemon peel on the palate, white pepper, slight caramel and vanilla notes, charred oak, tea leaves (like a roiboos note).
- Finish: The finish is mouth drying and slightly tannic but pleasant.
- Distinctiveness: Fairly distinctive as it is barrel aged/rested, however, because it's fairly balanced, it isn't hyper-distinctive beyond that.
- Overall Drinkability & Balance: The juniper is extremely subtle in this expression; it definitely has the potential to bridge the gap between whisk(e)y and gin. Would be fun to play with whisky-based cocktails using this gin!
Product Details
- Distiller: Victoria Distillers
- Type: Gin
- Origin: Victoria (Sidney), BC
- ABV: 42.5%
- Botanicals: Juniper, lemon peel, orange peel, star anise, sasparilla, oak aging
- Price: $55-60 CAD (2025)
Comments / Notes:
Three things to remember about this gin:
Barrel-Aged to Perfection – Rested in oak barrels, this gin develops warm vanilla, caramel, and spice notes, adding a rich depth to its botanical base.
Whiskey-Like Complexity – With its smooth mouthfeel and layered flavors, it appeals to both gin enthusiasts and whiskey drinkers looking for something different.
Golden Hue from Natural Aging – Unlike Empress 1908’s signature indigo color, Empress Oaken Gin takes on a warm golden tone naturally from the barrel, without any artificial coloring.
Food Pairing Recommendations: Oatmeal Cookies, Milk Chocolate
Cocktail Recommendation: Espresso-Infused Negroni
