Flavor Camp
Flavor Camp

Empress Oaken Gin

February 18, 2025

Gin Spirits
2 min reading time

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
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