Dry Fly is one of the Pacific Nothwest’s awesome distilleries, and I have enjoyed some great gins from their neighbors at Captive Spirits and 206 Distillery. I tried two Dry Fly gins: Washington Dry and Barrel Reserve, (a special-edition aged gin).

I would compare the flavor of Dry Fly Gin to both Aviation and Bilberry Black Hearts. Right off the bat, there’s a surprising sweetness, something like a combination of blueberries and wildflowers. I imagine the wheat they use to distill their gin gives it some sweetness too. Based on that flavor profile, maybe serve Dry Fly with tea, or in a Martini that’s a more soft, floral sip (with a lemon twist instead of an olive). If there was such a thing as the opposite of London Dry gin, Dry Fly might be it. It’ll run you $30 a bottle.

Now take that gin and put it in a barrel, and Dry Fly Barrel Reserve Gin emerges. There’s no reason to hold back here: I loved the taste of this gin. Barrel Reserve starts as cinnamon-spice thing that’s not at all harsh, then moves to an almond, then butter finish. It was more like experiencing a complex, flavorful rye whiskey than and gin I’ve had. Maybe it’s the softness of the original gin, or maybe they aged it in an awesome barrel….but this is a successful flavor experiment for sure. You’ll pay about $30 for Barrel Reserve too, in the 1/2 bottle size you see above,. It surely won’t not last longer than a week at my house.