Crosscut Distillery Barrel Aged Aquavit
Sudbury, Ontario, Canada
Barrel Aged Aquavit is a Scandinavian-inspired aquavit made with Canadian caraway, dill and wild Labrador tea foraged in Northern Ontario. Unlike Crosscut’s Norse Code Aquavit, this version is rested in an old whisky barrel, which adds a wood-aged component to the botanical profile.
The nose combines oak, dill and caraway. On the palate, there are notes of caramel, caraway, dill and black pepper, with additional notes of vanilla, citrus and herbs.
The aquavit is bottled at 44% ABV in a 750 ml format. It is traditionally served neat and well chilled, directly from the freezer.
Barrel Aged Aquavit can also be used in cocktails. Crosscut suggests a Dill Old Fashioned made with aquavit and Old Fashioned syrup, as well as Living on a Pear, combining aquavit with lemon juice, vanilla liqueur, pear nectar, maple syrup and spiced maple bitters.
In 2023, Barrel Aged Aquavit received a Silver Medal at the Canadian Artisan Spirit Competition in the Akvavit category.
Bottle gallery
About the producer
Crosscut Distillery
Sudbury, Ontario, Canada
Crosscut Distillery is a craft distillery based in Sudbury, Ontario, founded by Shane Prodan and opened on April 4, 2018. It was the first distillery to open in Sudbury. Prodan converted a former machine shop into the distillery, creating a facility with production space, a tasting room and a retail area.
Today, Crosscut operates on Kelly Lake Road in Sudbury, where its production facility, retail shop and cocktail bar are located. Its portfolio includes vodka, gin, whisky, aquavit, liqueurs and other spirits.
Crosscut follows a grain-to-glass approach, with a focus on Northern Ontario ingredients. The distillery works with locally sourced grains and local or foraged botanicals where possible. Its aquavit range includes Norse Code Aquavit and a separate Barrel Aged Aquavit.
The name Crosscut reflects the Northern Ontario environment in which the distillery operates, particularly the region’s forestry and mining history. The company says its production is influenced by the small-batch pot-distilling tradition as well as the character and history of these two industries.
Crosscut has also participated in the Canadian Artisan Spirit Competition. In 2021, four of its spirits received medals, while in 2023 the distillery reported seven awards at the same competition.
