Suncliffe Debuts Whiskey Barrel-Aged Gin Paying Homage to Sedona — and Only 600 Bottles Are Available
Representing Arizona gin brand Suncliffe’s second barrel-aged release, Solstice Gin 2023 is rested in mesquite casks from Whisky del Bac. (Photo: Suncliffe Gin)
Last week, craft spirit producer Suncliffe unveiled Solstice Gin 2023, a limited-edition, seasonal barrel-aged spirit. Rested in Whisky del Bac mesquite casks, the new release aims to offer a fresh perspective on the unique Arizona botanicals the brand sources from the desert region of Sedona.
According to a press release, Solstice Gin 2023 displays a hue reminiscent of Sedona’s golden ambiance, an invitation for imbibers to “explore a higher plane and enjoy the view.”
Solstice Gin is priced at $54.99 and available for purchase from select retailers in Arizona and nationally through suncliffegin.com. The new expression will ship out to customers the week of Dec. 11.
“With a smooth mouth feel and grilled stone fruit on the palette, Suncliffe Solstice evokes dehydrated petals and carbonic toffee, giving way to the aroma of desert woods and sweet petrichor,” the brand explained.
Suncliffe Gin debuted in 2021. Crafted from three varieties of native juniper (one-seed, shaggy and alligator), along with ponderosa pine bark, manzanita and western elderflower, the spirit boasts a classic juniper-forward profile with a subtly spiced sweetness. The woman- and LGBTQ-owned business emphasizes native, wild-foraged botanicals and actively supports local communities through its partnership with DigDeep’s Navajo Water Project, ensuring water access for Navajo Nation families.
Suncliffe’s 2022 edition of Solstice Gin was aged in charred American oak whiskey barrels.
Meanwhile, Whiskey del Bac, crafted by Hamilton Distillers, emerged from the mind of former furniture producer and woodworker Stephen Paul. Inspired by the Velvet Mesquite, a native plant in Arizona’s Sonoran Desert, Paul decided to use this locally abundant wood to produce an American Single Malt whiskey with a mesquite flavor akin to Scotch.
The Hamilton Distillers team seeks to capture the essence and characteristics of Sonora’s desert region in its Del Bac whiskey, per the press release. The name “Del Bac” has linguistic roots in both Spanish and O’odham, the language of the indigenous people of the Sonoran Desert. It translates to “place where the river appears in the sand,” reflecting the distillery’s location along the Santa Cruz River.
The last time gin and whiskey collided, Texas-based spirits producer Maverick Distilling released a limited-edition gin that was aged for two years in barrels that previously held its Maverick rye whiskey.
Read next:
What Is Barrel-Aged Gin? The Elegant Link Between Whiskey and Botanical Spirits
Top 6 Craft Gin Brands Worth Seeking Out in 2023
20 Festive Cocktail Recipes to Help Get You Into the Holiday Spirit
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