I read about Caledonia Spirits' Barr Hill Gin in a Vermont Tourism pamphlet of some sort, the kind you get at the rest areas on the highway (along with Green Mountain Coffee and free wifi!). I found it in a NH State Liquor Store: $19.99 for a 375ml bottle, and $35 for a standard 750ml bottle.
I like gin, especially interesting artisanal gins. I love the Greylock Gin from Great Barrington, and I normally would not hesitate to shell out the dollars for another artisanal New England gin, but in this case I was hesitant.
Why the concern? Barr Hill gin comes in an attractive bottle sealed with a honey-colored wax, and a bee figures prominently on the label. They say "We use pure grain spirits as a canvas to showcase juniper berry and raw northern honey. Added just before bottling, the raw honey imparts unique floral qualities..." That's where I got nervous. How do they add honey? How much? is the gin sweet?
That's not a bizarre question. Over a hundred years ago, Old Tom Gin was a class of sweetened gin used in some cocktails. You can still get Hayman's Old Tom Gin at some shops and can try it in a cocktail at Drink in Boston.
So I bought the 375ml bottle.
I should have bought the bigger one. the stuff is delicious. It is not sweet, but it has that suggestion of sweetness that comes from the honey overtones; there is no sugar, but you get a flavor that you associate with sweetness. It's just a suggestion, and a very pleasant one.
One great thing about this gin: it is not hurt by ice or water. Some gins lose much of their delicate flavor when chilled (the fabulous Old Raj loses everything when chilled!). The Barr Hill opened up nicely with a few drops of water, and it kept an excellent flavor profile when stirred with ice and served neat.
It also made an excellent cooler with Dry Lavender Soda.
The Barr Hill Gin will definitely be on my bar for the coming summer months, and I suspect through the winter when I long for a sense of summer on a long January night.
Thanks to Richmond and Annette for their assistance with this arduous research!