The 30 BB team checks out the newest small-batch offering from Indian gin makers Stranger & Sons.

Trust the disruptors to come up with yet another twist in the tale. (Or, shall we say in the tiger’s tail?). Stranger & Sons, only five years young on the Indian spiritscape never fail to surprise. After their lipsmackingly good Trading Tides, crafted in collaboration with Australia’s Four Pillars Gin, and India’s first distilled cocktail, the perennial favourite Perry Road Peru (in partnership with The Bombay Canteen), they’ve now come up with a new concept gin.

A limited-edition Sherry cask-aged gin that you can pour straight up over ice instead of pairing it with mixers! Rested in ex-Amontillado and Oloroso sherry casks for over a year, the spirit blends contemporary distillation techniques with the complexity that patient aging brings. The colour, very unlike a gin, brings to mind darker spirits, as does its taste.

Further infused with two key ingredients — cascara and wild honey — that give it a bolder flavour profile. Cascara is the husk of coffee cherry that conceals a character-filled wealth of accents. The wild honey adds a hint of the sweet and smooth. There’s a soupçon of spice and a deep plumminess nestled within its layers, even though the botanicals are bright on the nose as they are with all their offerings.

This creation is far from your typical cask-aged gin, reimagining the experience as something akin to sipping a classic old-fashioned cocktail, but with a welcoming twist. To elevate the experience even further, they recommend a generous spritz of the zesty grapefruit garnish spray that comes with the bottle.

Where does the forest come into the picture, you ask? Well, their inspiration is the lushness and diversity of Indian forests, which is reflected in the bottle and packaging. And just as you can truly unwind when close to nature, they believe this drink will encourage you to slow down, and to immerse yourself fully in the moment.

This limited-edition Sherry Cask Aged Gin from Stranger & Sons is now available in parts of Maharashtra (Rs 3,499), Karnataka (Rs 4,300), and Goa (3,200).