Citrus, spice, oak, and awards: That's our Ferndale Street Maple Barrel Rested Gin

Some gins are all sharp edges and bright citrus. Some barrel-rested spirits disappear so far into the wood they forget they started life as gin.

Ferndale Street Maple Barrel Rested Gin puts itself somewhere even more interesting.

It begins with our classic Moonshiner’s Margaret Street Signature Gin, a very good place to start. Then it spends up to a year soaking in ex-maple barrels, slowly pulling in warmth, sweetness and oak while still holding onto the citrus and spice that gave it character in the first place.

The finished spirit sits comfortably between worlds. Part gin. Part barrel-aged slow sipper. Entirely its own thing.

Pour it over ice and the whole thing opens up gradually. Citrus first. Then vanilla, cinnamon and toasted sweetness drifting through underneath. The oak never dominates, but it does keep the flavours beautifully grounded.

An award-winning maple barrel rested gin with serious depth

Ferndale Street Maple Barrel Rested Gin picked up medals across three major competitions in 2025:

• Silver at the Australian Gin Awards
• Silver at IWSC, scoring 91 points
• Bronze at the London Spirits Competition

And once you get into the judges' tasting notes, a clear picture starts to emerge of this beautifully rounded maple barrel rested gin.

The Australian Gin Awards described:

“Nice deep nose, fruit and citrus balanced well by wood. Sweet botanicals well integrated with the barrel characteristics. A nice round and oily finish.”

The IWSC judges picked up:

“Cinnamon, clove, orange peel, and toasted caramel. The flavoursome palate offers delightful sweetness with black pepper, honey dried apricot, delicate florals, and green herbs, with a citrus lift.”

And from the London Spirits Competition:

“Lemon and cinnamon spice blend with vanilla on the nose, the palate is sweet, nutty and gently herbal with good balance, finishing with a touch of citrus and warmth.”

Across the different judging panels we heard the same recurring themes. Citrus: check. Spice: check. Sweetness: check. Warmth: check. We're so proud of this awesome little winner that carries a finish with real texture behind it.

What the barrel changes

Time in maple barrels shifts the whole shape of the gin.

The bright citrus from Margaret Street stays alive, but it settles deeper into the profile. Orange peel becomes richer and softer. Spice develops more warmth and weight. Vanilla and toasted sweetness begin to thread through the middle, alongside subtle oak and gentle herbal notes.

There’s texture to it as well. That "round and oily finish" the judges mentioned is exactly right. The gin lingers lazily on the palate like it has nowhere particular to be in a hurry.

And despite the barrel influence, the botanicals still hold their ground. You never lose the gin underneath.

Gin that cuddles up to tonic… 

Ferndale Street Maple Barrel Rested Gin behaves differently depending on how you pour it.

With tonic, the citrus lifts and the spice sharpens slightly, while the barrel notes stay warm and smooth underneath. Over ice, the sweeter maple and oak character comes forward and stretches out the finish.

In an Old Fashioned, it settles in beautifully, bringing enough structure and botanical character to stop the drink becoming overly sweet.

It’s a slower style of gin. One that rewards giving it a minute rather than rushing through it.

How to serve it

This one doesn’t need much interference.

Serve over ice with a quality tonic and garnish with orange wafers, or lean into the barrel character and pour it into an Old Fashioned.

Either way, give it a little time in the glass. There’s plenty going on underneath the surface.

A different side of gin

Ferndale Street Maple Barrel Rested Gin takes familiar gin botanicals and pulls them into deeper, warmer territory without losing their identity along the way.

Pour it slowly. This one opens up as it goes.