BARR HILL TOM CAT GIN

New American oak — not bourbon barrels, not used casks — is what separates Tom Cat from most barrel-aged gins; the fresh wood drives caramel, vanilla, and a resinous pine intensity that used oak simply can't deliver. Caledonia Spirits, founded in 2011 by beekeeper Todd Hardie and distiller Ryan Christiansen in Vermont's Northeast Kingdom, starts with their flagship Barr Hill Gin, distilled with juniper in a custom botanical extraction still and finished with raw local honey. That base is then aged 3–4 months in new American oak at 43% ABV. The nose leads with juniper and lemon, the palate moves through orange peel, caramel, and toffee, and honey rounds the finish.