Tastes

Bourbon Snob Tries Gin: Part 11 Part 10: Ransom Old Tom Gin Part 12, 1/12/25: Castle & Key Roots of Ruin Dry Gin >>>~~~~~~~~~~<<< I have not had too many gins. It’s been years since I’ve tried one. I don’t really know the language or the flavor profiles that make sense when describing gin. I am Tim McGrawwin’ it over here: “I ain’t as good as I’m gonna get, but I’m better than I used to be.” This is a bourbon snob trying to understand gin. Much thanks to @ContemplativeFox for the pour! >>>~~~~~~~~~~<<< Nose is heavy pine, lemon. There’s a soapy note in there. I am concerned. Body is orange, chocolate. It’s simple, but it’s fantastic. Don’t need a lot of notes when they’re this good! Finish is more chocolate, a bit of lemon. Grapefruit. Malt. Cinnamon. Going back, that soap note is gone. It’s malt now. Must just have been one of those brain things. This is another freaking fantastic gin. The stout influence is obvious, and quite frankly: it’s brilliant. You have citrus in your gin by default, so add some malty notes to get a chocolate orange flavored drink. I will be hunting down this one too.

Bourbon Snob Tries Gin: Part 10 Part 9: Drumshanbo Gunpowder Irish Gin Part 11, 1/11/25: Copperworks Cask Finished Gin: Imperial Stout Cask >>>~~~~~~~~~~<<< I have not had too many gins. It’s been years since I’ve tried one. I don’t really know the language or the flavor profiles that make sense when describing gin. But I’m starting to get there… maybe? Any suggestions??? This is a bourbon snob trying to understand gin. Much thanks to @ContemplativeFox for the pour! >>>~~~~~~~~~~<<< Something to notice: the color is amber. It made me look up why, and it turns out that this little guy was aged for 6 months in French oak wine barrels. Very excited to see what that can do to a gin! Nose is sangria, plum, sugar, grapes. There is a mild alcohol astringency, but it’s something I’d associate more with a vodka than a gin. This is fantastic. I could smell this all day. Body is heavy with the wine influence. There’s pit fruits, brine, vanilla. Cherry. Freakin pineapple? Finish is sugar, cinnamon, more vanilla. Cola! Floral. Busy busy busy. I love this so much. I don’t know if it’s fair to say that this is a gin that I love, because the wine finish is so dominant. Floral and briny notes are the only hints to me that this is a gin base, and it honestly tastes like a really well made cocktail. That said, it’s freakin delicious. So though it may not be fair to say to gin snobs (meant as a term of endearment 🫶), I shall say it nonetheless: this is my favorite gin ever. I will track this down.

Bourbon Snob Tries Gin: Part 9 Part 8: Roku Gin Part 10, 1/10/25: Ransom Old Tom Gin >>>~~~~~~~~~~<<< I have not had too many gins. It’s been years since I’ve tried one. I don’t really know the language or the flavor profiles that make sense when describing gin. So tonight I’m going to go with “Portuguese” and “toothpaste options at the dentist.” This is a bourbon snob trying to understand gin. Much thanks to @ContemplativeFox for the pour! >>>~~~~~~~~~~<<< I’ll be honest. This gin sounds like a punishment gin at beerlympics, or something you’d get your drinking buddies as a gag gift. Nose is faint pine and lemon, with butter and corn in there. Body is pretty bland. I’d say butter and corn take stage, almost like white dog. I could see cream, vanilla. Finish is floral explosion. Wow that was intense. I had to get a dozen sips in to get anything past that. The orange peel is there, though faint. Vanilla comes back. Buzzing lips… this mouthfeel on the finish is spicy bruh. I did not like that first sip. That intense finish was just too much. The subsequent sips grew on me though. By the end, I thought this was an above average gin.

Bourbon Snob Tries Gin: Part 8 Part 7: The Botanist Part 9, 1/9/25: Drumshanbo Gunpowder Irish Gin >>>~~~~~~~~~~<<< I have not had too many gins. It’s been years since I’ve tried one. I don’t really know the language or the flavor profiles that make sense when describing gin. But hey: we’re halfway there. Some might say: we’re living on a prayer. This is a bourbon snob trying to understand gin. Much thanks to @ContemplativeFox for the pour! >>>~~~~~~~~~~<<< Nose is lemon, vanilla, cream, bit of pine. Body is tangerine, lemon, orange peel, more vanilla. Finish is orange peel, bit more vanilla. This is another really good gin. I think the key for me with these is staying away from overly sweet or overly floral. This one does a great job in the fruity/briny space, and almost scratches the same itch as a really good juicy rye.

Bourbon Snob Tries Gin: Part 7 Part 6: Monkey 47 Dry Gin Part 8, 1/8/25: Roku Gin >>>~~~~~~~~~~<<< I have not had too many gins. It’s been years since I’ve tried one. I don’t really know the language or the flavor profiles that make sense when describing gin. “Something witty.” This is a bourbon snob trying to understand gin. Much thanks to @ContemplativeFox for the pour! >>>~~~~~~~~~~<<< Nose is lemon, pine, cucumber. Fresh rosemary. Body is spiced cake, mild orange. Bit of peaches. The pine is there. Finish is cinnamon, sugar, orange peel. This is shockingly good. When I smelled more lemon and pine, I thought: “well here we go again.” But the body and finish are not dissimilar from many whiskeys that I enjoy. There’s no thick soapy mouth feel that I’ve learned to run from in gins. It’s spicy, flavorful and delicious. The nose is my least favorite part, but that’s more of an inditement of the prior gins than is fair for this guy. If I can forget the pain of the past, I can enjoy those notes too. This is my new favorite gin to date.

Bourbon Snob Tries Gin: Part 6 Part 5: Uncle Val’s Botanical Part 7, 1/7/25: The Botanist >>>~~~~~~~~~~<<< I have not had too many gins. It’s been years since I’ve tried one. I don’t really know the language or the flavor profiles that make sense when describing gin. If I could, I’d try doing in it mandarin. That was a bad citrus pun. This is a bourbon snob trying to understand gin. Much thanks to @ContemplativeFox for the pour! >>>~~~~~~~~~~<<< Nose is brine, lemon peel. Pine. Body is lemon, celery, brine. Finish is pine, more brine. In the fruit department, this one is straight peel. It’s not bad, but middle of the road for gins I’ve had so far.

Bourbon Snob Tries Gin: Part 5 Part 4: Bols Genever Part 6, 1/6/25: Monkey 47 Dry Gin >>>~~~~~~~~~~<<< I have not had too many gins. It’s been years since I’ve tried one. I don’t really know the language or the flavor profiles that make sense when describing gin. The only thing between “my understanding of gin” & “excellence” is one little ampersand. I want you to remember that. This is a bourbon snob trying to understand gin. Much thanks to @ContemplativeFox for the pour! >>>~~~~~~~~~~<<< Nose is floral, with orange, rose, lemon, and watermelon. Very faint pine. Body is roses, lemon. Simple, but clean. Wow! The finish is busy. Finish transitions during the lemon hit into fresh flowers, orange, watermelon, and a soapy note and mouthfeel that I don’t particularly care for. Think hotel bar soap. Not the fancy kind. I mean it might feel soft on your skin while you’re washing your hands, and that’s nice. But it’s ultimately unmemorable, and you don’t even really consider stealing the one by the sink that’s still in its cardboard box. Overall: one bad note, a lot of great stuff. This tastes fresh. That watermelon is fantastic and refreshing. It’s almost crisp enough to pass as a thirst quencher. Beyond that, it’s fascinating.

Bourbon Snob Tries Gin: Part 4 Part 3: Hendrick’s Lunar Part 5, 1/5/25: Uncle Val’s Botanical >>>~~~~~~~~~~<<< I have not had too many gins. It’s been years since I’ve tried one. I don’t really know the language or the flavor profiles that make sense when describing gin. Fake it til you make it baby. This is a bourbon snob trying to understand gin. Much thanks to @ContemplativeFox for the pour! >>>~~~~~~~~~~<<< Nose is white dog. This is fascinating. There’s butter, grain, corn. Genuinely smells like white dog. It’s delicious. Body is butter. Cream. Not much else going on. Finish is flat. Bit of cinnamon possibly. Pit fruits join the finish eventually: grape, raisin. This tastes just like a solid white dog. Very good. I’ve tried a few brands’ white dog on premises, and I genuinely enjoy the flavors from a science experiment perspective. This lives in that space for me, which feels odd. I was beginning to think that all gin flavors lived in front of a lemon pinesol backdrop, but this one is in a different world. I no longer know what to think!

Bourbon Snob Tries Gin: Part 3 Part 2: Copperworks New Oak Cask Finished Gin (Release No. 030) Part 4, 1/4/25: Bols Genever >>>~~~~~~~~~~<<< I have not had too many gins. It’s been years since I’ve tried one. I don’t really know the language or the flavor profiles that make sense when describing gin. d==RNG for flavors==b This is a bourbon snob trying to understand gin. Much thanks to @ContemplativeFox for the pour! >>>~~~~~~~~~~<<< Nose is pine, lemon, dust. Peaches. Body is lemon, peaches, cream. Finish is orange, chocolate. More peach. Bit of pine. This is fantastic! This is my favorite gin to date. It’s so creamy and peachy. It’s delicious.

Bourbon Snob Tries Gin: Part 2 Part 1: Nolet's Silver Part 3: Hendrick’s Lunar, 1/3/25 >>>~~~~~~~~~~<<< I have not had too many gins. It’s been years since I’ve tried one. I don’t really know the language or the flavor profiles that make sense when describing gin. Wouldn’t have my current job if I didn’t try to talk intelligently about stuff I know nothing about, as though I have an inch of damn business being in the room. This is a bourbon snob trying to understand gin. Much thanks to @ContemplativeFox for the pour! >>>~~~~~~~~~~<<< Nose is pine, lemon, mint. Body is orange syrup, sugar. Orange flavored candy vibe. Peppermint stick. Finish is more orange, butter. Orange cookie vibe. A mint note hangs on at the end. Bit of cinnamon. So at a glance: there’s color. Think Glenmorangie. There’s heat in the body. I don’t really notice it, because I’m the worst kind of bourbon snob. You know the ones. But it’s there in the mouth feel, and I like this. Maybe the finish did something that tapped into the happy bubble in my venn diagram, because the notes seem to my novice palate to be similar to the last gin I tried: Nolet’s Silver. But that one was not finishable for me, and this one could wind up on my shelf someday.