Atelier Vie has announced the release of Euphrosine Gin #9 Bottled In Bond. The new release from the New Orleans distillery is the first bottled in bond release of any kind from a Louisiana distillery, and one of the first releases of a bottled in bond Gin worldwide.
To qualify as Bottled in Bond, the Gin must be aged a minimum of four years and bottled at 100 proof (50% ABV). Until recently, Federal regulations required that for Gin to qualify as bottled in bond, it would have to be stored for four years in barrels lined with wax, to prevent any influence of the wood on the spirit. However, the Federal Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau recently modernized a variety of spirits labeling regulations, and as of May 4, 2020 distillers are now permitted to age Gin in unlined barrels with the possible result being a bottled in bond spirit, if all other regulations are followed.
“Back in 2016, we had some extra gin and some empty barrels at the distillery,” explains Jedd Haas, President of Atelier Vie. “Our standard barrel aged gin, Euphrosine Gin #9 Barrel-Finished Reserve, is aged for nine months. We had previously experimented with a batch that was aged for thirteen months, but the results lacked a good balance of flavors and the spirit was unusable. So with no expectations, and simply as an experiment, we filled two barrels with new make gin and put the barrels aside. These barrels sat in the distillery for years, nearly forgotten, with no end use in mind. The modernization of the labeling regulations for bottled in bond gin was both unexpected and fortuitous.
“The end result is that through this rule change, our experiment could suddenly become a real product. This turn of events left only the most important question to consider. Was it any good? As you’ll recall, our earlier experiment with aging gin for thirteen months was a failure, so we had only a small amount of optimism prior to opening the barrels. But in this case, we had a pleasant surprise. After four years, the spirit has been transformed with incredible notes of oak and smoke. This is a whisky lover’s gin and it’s delicious,” Haas concluded.
Atelier Vie Euphrosine Gin #9 Bottled In Bond has been barrel aged a minimum of four years and is bottled in 750ml at 50% ABV. The retail price at the distillery is $65. Euphrosine Gin #9 Bottled in Bond is also in stock for wholesale purchase from our Louisiana distributor, International Wine and Spirits. A total of 204 bottles were produced.
All spirits can be purchased for curbside pickup through the distillery’s new online store and can typically be picked up the following morning between 9am and 10am.
