Gnista SpiritsSpirits & Sapiir ReviewsGnista Barrelled Oak Review

I’m currently lazing in the sun with my surface pro and a glass of Gnista Barrelled Oak on ice, and the more I drink this spirit, the more I understand why Gnista is making a name for themselves as true leaders in the world of Non-Alcoholic spirits.

You will likely find deep complex flavours of oak, warm cinnamon and clove spices and dried raisin sweetness in each glass of Gnista Barrelled Oak. The flavour profile is brought together with a full and lasting mouthfeel built upon smokiness and a noticeable level of heat from habanero chilli.

The flavour profile of the Barrelled Oak below (and its big sister the Gnista Floral Wormwood) both deserve a spot on your drinks cart!

With each sip you will find the Gnista Barrelled Oak gives you oaky smokiness, sweetness, spiciness and heat.

The Barrelled Oak gives traditional oak aged fine spirits a real nudge and brings an earthy spirit to your glass that is built around:

• A base of smokiness and oak;
• Deep and complex sweetness – from raisins;
• A melody of spices – think cinnamon and clove; and
• Warmth and heat – from habanero chilli.

The mouthfeel of the Barrelled Oak is also something the Gnista team have achieved to an extremely high level and second to the Floral Wormwood, I have not found anything (yet) that matches it in the non-alcoholic space.

Sounds too good to be true right? It’s not! If you have read my piece on the Gnista Floral Wormwood you’ll be familiar with the amazing flavour profiles Founder, Erika and Master Blender, Fredrik are creating.

With the earthy and fruity flavour profile built around oak and smokiness this is one for anyone who is enjoys aged spirits that are dark and complex. If you enjoy cognacs and port the Gnista Barrelled Oak is a non-alcoholic spirit that will make a great addition to your collection.

Similar to the Floral Wormwood, if you enjoy lighter spirits, are not big on smokiness or oak or raisins, this is a spirit you might want try before you buy.

Even if dark and smoky spirits are not your go to, I’d suggest trying it at least once to see what is actually possible in the world of non-alcoholic spirits.

If you are looking to buy a bottle of the Barrelled Oak across the globe, online is your best bet and you can find yourself a bottle at a couple of retailers below who will have it shipped directly to you all, down below:

• Brunswick Aces AU/NZ (use TIPPLE12 at checkout for 12% off!)
• Master of Malt (UK/AU/Global)
• Nix & Nix (Netherlands)
• Gnista Direct (All Europe)
• Temple Cellars (Singapore)

The depth and complexity in flavour that comes with each glass of the Barrelled Oak is largely due to the way Erika and Fredrik use ingredients, typically used in food preparation, to build out aspects of the drink.

The uniqueness of the Barrelled Oak really shines through when you look through what it contains. With each glass you’re going to find ingredients like:

• Rhubarb juice – for its acidic punch;
• Beet syrup – for depth and body;
• Fruit & dried spices for depth and character – think ginger, black pepper, raisins and rye malt;
• Distillates from botanicals and infusions made from vodka – think almonds, cloves, rosemary & habanero.

If you have ever had beet juice or syrup before, you’ll likely have had that lightbulb moment when thinking about how Gnista have been able to create things like the depth of flavour and mouthfeel.

The full nutritional panel is dropped in below for more information.

Having spent a bit of time with the Barrelled Oak over ice, with ginger ale, soda and tonic, I’ve been enjoying how versatile it is.

The Barrelled Oak is one which Gnista say is:

• brilliant on the rocks;
• mixed with soda (or tonic); or
• used as a base to a whole array of non-alcoholic cocktails.

The Barrelled Oak signature serve is called the Oak Soda and is simple and easy to craft at home.

Barrelled Oak Signature Serve: Oak Soda

• 20-30ml Gnista Barrelled Oak
• 60 – 90ml of Soda;
• Ice; and
• Topped with a lemon slice or maraschino cherry.

Looking for something a little more left-field, how about the Oaky & Soy?

Barrelled Oak Cocktail: Oaky & Soy

Crafted by Luca Rapetti from London’s GŎNG Bar, the Oaky & Soy is exactly what the name suggests.

To piece it together you’re going to need only a few simple ingredients below:

• 70ml Gnista Barrelled Oak;
• 5ml Soy Sauce
• 5ml Maple syrup.

Gnista have created a range of the best non-alcoholic spirits in the market right now and the Gnista Barrelled Oak does not disappoint.

After being scarred by another smoky styled non-alcoholic spirit I was really quite hesitant to try this but, I am so glad I did.

I really enjoyed this one and it gets a 9/10 from me. While the Barrelled Oak soft forks away from the Floral Wormwood in flavour it is different enough to warrant having a bottle of each.

I’ll be parting with my cash to pick myself up another bottle when this one is up and I’ll be keeping it on hand for anything from an afternoon Summer Spritz to a Winter Warmer.