Seventy One Gin’s New Release Was Aged in Three Kinds of Oak

Generally speaking, gin is not known as being a spirits category that contains a lot of high-priced, luxury expressions. Most brands top out at about $50 per bottle, with a few exceptions here and there. But one relatively new gin brand that is focused on luxury releases is Seventy One Gin, and the latest is a barrel-aged gin that will set you back $275.

Seventy One Gin was founded in 2021 by fashion photographer Mert Alas and entrepreneur Tasso Ferreira, and over the past five years the brand has grown quite rapidly and is now available at some of the world’s top hotels. The name comes from the the fact that the core expression is aged for 71 nights in virgin European oak casks, ex-Pedro Ximenez sherry butts, and ex-Cognac barrels (the brand is very specific about it being nights as opposed to days, a bit of a marketing flourish). That gives the gin a pale yellow color, and adds barrel notes of oak and dried fruit to a palate shaped by botanicals including juniper, queen of the night (a nocturnal cactus flower), coriander seed, Damask rose, and Nigerian ginger. Each botanical is distilled separately before being blended together, a production technique that master distiller Steve Wilson has said was inspired by perfume (the design of the bottle follows suit).

The new release, Eau De Minuit, has been in development by Alas and Wilson for the past five years, and it was aged in a different set of casks than the original: Pyrenean black oak, Vosges French oak, and American oak. “The challenge was to achieve the depth and complexity of the wood without losing the botanical character that makes Seventy One distinctive,” said Wilson in a statement. “Each oak contributes something different—structure, refinement, and roundness—while allowing the botanicals to remain at the heart of the liquid.” The Pyrenean oak was selected to provide black spice, toasted wood, and dark fruit notes; the French oak adds flavors like prune and tobacco; and the American oak brings vanilla, almond, and cream notes. According to the brand, the casks are rotated while aging to encourage interaction between liquid and wood, and like the original the gin spent 71 nights maturing.

Seventy One Gin Eau De Minuit is available starting today here in the U.S. (SRP $275). It will be sold exclusively through Collezione New York and the brand website, but you can find it at select hotels and restaurants around the country as well.