Leave a Comment:
(0) comments
Add Your Reply
A Gin World Tour was the theme for our August Meeting taking a whistle stop tour around the globe, dropping off here and there to try the local gin. All the gins were London Dry style so we were, to some degree, comparing like with like. Every gin has a different recipe, flavoured with botanicals – seeds, berries, roots, fruits, peel, spices or herbs – and all must contain juniper. After juniper, coriander, angelica and cubeb pepper are probably the most popular botanicals and these are the main flavours in a traditional London Dry gin.
However there are more than a hundred different botanicals which are commonly used, an individual gin can contain anything from seven to twenty. It is the balance of these different ingredients and the varying distillation methods that give different brands their distinctive styles.When you take a trip to different parts of the globe, obviously they are going to use botanicals local to them – which is in truth the very essence of craft gin, taking a base spirit and turning it into something that makes a statement about it’s place of origin.
My grateful thanks to Rob and Lynsey for hosting the meeting and the marvellous food provided.
circa £40 – Masters of Malt
Botanicals:- Juniper, Heather, Yarrow, Chamomile Flower, Bilberry, Angelica Root, Meadowsweet, Sorrel, Calamus Root, Elderflower, Pine Shoot.
Perfect Serve:- Tonic, Ice, Lime (Rosemary / Thyme)
Tasting Notes:- Intense juniper greets the nose, with the aromas of a pine forest. On the palate, an earthy sweetness is enhanced by peppery and herbal flavours. A clean, herbaceous finish lingers with a slight floral sweetness
circa £36 – Craft Gin Club
Botanicals:- Juniper, coriander, cardamom, rose petal, cornflower petal, lavender, rosemary, thyme, lemon, grapefruit, rosé extract and polypody fern
Perfect Serve:- Tonic, Ice, Orange, Rosebuds / Petals
Tasting Notes:- Refreshing notes of piney juniper can be found on the nose and palate. They are followed by delicate floral and herbaceous flavours and fresh bursts of citrus which continue onto the well-rounded finish, with delicious, long-lasting Provençal notes.
circa £35 – Drink Online
Botanicals:- Juniper, fresh Lemon, fresh lime, fresh orange, coriander, angelica root, cubeb berry, cassia, dried lemon peel, poppyseed, rosehip, sweet rowan berry, orris root, nutmeg, cardamom, makrut lime leaf and lemon balm leaf.
Perfect Serve:- Tonic, Ice, Lime, Black Peppercorns
Tasting Notes:- On the nose, citrus mingles with rich spices. These carry through on the palate, with juniper at the forefront, supported by the soft floral notes of rosehip and Czech poppy seed, which creates an exceptionally smooth mouthfeel. To finish, the flavour of sweet rowan berry marries with a burst of zest
circa £40 – Whisky Exchange
Botanicals:- Juniper, coriander seed, angelica root, cassia bark, cardamom pod, almond, allspice, fresh orange peel, ginger, grapefruit peel, vanilla and rosemary
Perfect Serve:- Tonic, Ice, Lemon, Cardamom
Tasting Notes:- Well balanced spice and citrus up front. Sweet vanilla and mandarin orange notes complement the fiery cassia bark, ginger and allspice in this truly bold and inspired gin
circa £35 – Masters of Malt
Botanicals:- Juniper, Indian Citrus Peel Mix (Gondhoraj Limes, Indian Oranges, Mausambi Limes, Nimbu Lime), Coriander Seeds, Nutmeg, Mace, Black Pepper, Angelica Root, Cassia Bark, Liquorice Root
Perfect Serve:- Tonic, Ice, Lemon, Green Peppercorns
Tasting Notes:- Fresh on the nose from a blend of four Indian citrus peels. On the palate, black pepper, coriander and mace meet juniper. Liquorice, cassia and nutmeg make for a finish with a warm and sweet flourish.
circa £45 – Craft Gin Club
Botanicals:- Juniper, chrysanthemum, torch ginger flower, lemongrass, pomelo peel, orange peel, lime peel, mandarin peel, lemon peel, kaffir lime leaves, galangal, tamarind, cinnamon, orris root, ginger, cardamom, angelica root, coriander seed, cubeb berries, rosemary, mint and lavender
Perfect Serve:- Tonic, Ice, Pineapple
Tasting Notes:- On the nose and palate you can expect refreshing citrusy notes of pomelo, lemongrass and mandarin, paired with the nuanced floral and spiced aromas and flavours of torch ginger flower and tamarind. The sweet yet earthy flavour of chrysanthemum lingers long on the finish.
circa £43 –
Botanicals:- Macedonian juniper, Mắc Mật berries, Mắc Mật leaves, Mắc Khén jungle peppers, black peppercorn, Diễn pomelo peel, white liquorice, Đia Siêu wood, ginger, turmeric, coriander seed, cassia bark and cassia Leaf.
Perfect Serve:- Tonic, Ice, (Orange Peel), Kumquat
Tasting Notes:- On the nose, expect a burst of sweet citrusy notes from the pomelo peel, followed by fruity aromas and a subtle hint of spice. This carries on through to the palate, with a blend of spiced citrus, honey, lychee and juniper. Warm wood and soft tannins linger long on the finish.
circa £100+
Botanicals:- Longjing Green Tea, White Champaca Blossom, Chinese Angelica, Aged Tangerine Peel, Sandalwood, Juniper, Liquorice, Orris Root, Coriander Seed, Lemon Peel, Green Cardamom Pod, Cinnamon, Grapefruit Peel.
Perfect Serve:- Tonic, Ice, Kumquat
Tasting Notes:- Floral and warmly herbal on the nose, with hints of sandalwood and white champaca blossom. On the palate, its traditional gin base shines alongside the native Chinese botanicals. Tangerine peel comes through first, evolving in the mid-palate to juniper, sandalwood and herbal notes. Chinese angelica and Longjing green tea linger on the finish
circa £45 – Drink Online
Botanicals:- Tasmanian Pepperberry, Tasmanian Pepperberry Leaf, Juniper, Coriander Seed, Ruby Grapefruit, Bergamot, Makrut Lime Leaf, Ruby Grapefruit Peel, Lemon Peel, Coriander, Ginger, and Frankincense
Perfect Serve:- Tonic, Ice, Pineapple
Tasting Notes:- Deeply aromatic and delicious, Forty Spotted’s Tasmanian Classic Gin is a very Aussie twist on a classic London Dry. Native pepperberry runs through the expression, from the initial nose to a lengthy finish. It’s supported by bright citrus on the palate as the makrut lime leaves open up and intermingle with the pepperberry notes, leaving a distinctive expression
circa £34 – Masters of Malt
Botanicals:- Juniper, Maxixe, Coriander, Laurel, Brazil Nut, Cocoa, Cipo-cravo, Pink Pepper, Lemon, Tangerine, Victoria Regia
Perfect Serve:- Tonic, Ice, Pineapple
Tasting Notes:- On the nose, the fresh fragrance of juniper blends with an intriguing hint of spice. At first sip, herbaceous flavours bloom on a base of juniper, with an intoxicating nuttiness lingering on the mid-palate. A brilliant burst of citrus and floral flavours make for an elegant finish.
circa £38 – Robertsons of Pitlochry
Botanicals:- Juniper, coriander, angelica root, orris root, grains of paradise, orange peel, sweet orange peel, rose petals, rose hips, bilberry, lemon verbena, grapefruit peel, green anise seed, cassia, cinnamon, tangerine peel, lemon peel and peppermint leaf.
Perfect Serve:- Tonic, Ice, Lime, Blueberries
Tasting Notes:- Along with juniper, there is a citrus bouquet on the nose, which gives way to floral notes from the rose petals and rose hips on the palate, as well as a touch of spice on the finish. It’s a light, bright, brash and botanical-forward gin
circa £40 – Simply Wines Direct
Botanicals:- Juniper, Cucumber, Dill, Lavender, Almond, Lemon
Perfect Serve:- Tonic, Ice, Lime (Cucumber), Pink Peppercorns
Tasting Notes:- Aimed to evoke Montreal on the first day of spring. Juniper plays an elegant accompaniment to the exuberantly fresh flavours of cucumber, lemon and dill. Almond smooths and rounds while the faintest hint of lavender evokes fields of flowers in bloom.
circa £30 – Sainsbury’s
Botanicals:– Juniper, Angelica, Orris Root, Caraway, Coriander, Meadow Sweet, Cardamom, Star Anise Oriental Lemon and Lime, Grapefruit and Gunpowder Tea
Perfect Serve:- Tonic, Ice, Red Grapefruit
Tasting Notes:- Rounded from the get go, you will get Citrus, juniper and subtle spice up front, the unusual notes from the Gunpowder tea come through with meadowsweet and coriander bringing up the rear and underpinning the whole. Bright and refreshing, it’s a sociable gin that doesn’t demand a lot of you but gives much of itself. It’s probably one of the best aperitif gins around.
circa £35 – River Test Distillery
Botanicals:- Juniper, coriander, angelica, bay, rosemary, orris, Maris Otter barley, grapefruit, grains of paradise and lemon
Perfect Serve:- Tonic, Ice, Lemon, Cucumber
Tasting Notes:- Superbly smooth mouthfeel. On the nose and palate, juniper takes centre stage, complemented by the subtle sweetness and the unique flavours of Maris Otter barley. Herbaceous notes from the bay and rosemary then add a touch of complexity to the bright, botanical blend underpinned by the grains of paradise