The bottle of 0.375 L capacity and 47% vol. is unopened and sealed to the corks around original and comes in the original box. It is numbered 1,703. The article was produced by the Black Forest distillers GmbH in a number of only 2,000 bottles. The mizunara oak is a variant of Quercus mongolica; translated literally, the word’s two components – mizu and nara – mean “water oak”. The wood owes its name to its high moisture content. This, however, is also what makes the wood softer and much more difficult to form into the desired shape. Moreover, mizunara trees develop more branches and grow in a rather crooked fashion, which presents coopers with further challenges. As if that weren’t enough, a mizunara oak needs to be at least 150 years old to reach a size suitable for obtaining staves that can be used to manufacture 500-litre puncheons. It’s not just that the costs involved are significant; the finished barrels are very hard to come by, as well. The same can be said of smaller hogshead barrels, which are even more difficult to produce because their shorter staves are more apt to break whilst being bent into the desired form. All these obstacles notwithstanding, Mizunara Barrels make it possible to achieve aromas that are unmistakable and truly unique. Monkey 47 2020 Distiller’s Cut is a soft, elegant dry gin with a refined top note of sandalwood and a touch of coconut that combine to offer a supple sensory experience – one that’s not just for fans of a delicate vanilla bouquet.