Tastes
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Ecology & Co Asian Spice
Flavored Gin — New Zealand
Reviewed November 8, 2019 (edited November 9, 2019)Ok non alcoholic gin part 3. This is probably my favourite so far of the 3 I've tried. Ecology & Co is NZs answer to Seedlip and I think they are marginally better from what I've tasted so far. The cardamom and spice come through and it blends well with the tonic. Still its not gin and I didn't buy a bottle. I can see a future for the concept just needs something that tastes more like alcohol to get me over the fence. -
Ecology & Co London Dry
London Dry Gin — New Zealand
Reviewed November 8, 2019 (edited November 10, 2019)In my quest for healthier drinking options and given I don't drink coffee, tea, soft drinks or juice (ok once in a blue moon) I've been researching alcohol free spirits. Surprisingly there is quite a boom at the moment. Diaego just paid a fortune for Seedlip a variety which distills as normal then strips the alcohol out. This variety doesn't distill and it doesn't say what the base is (and I forgot to ask when I was chatting to the owner) but apparently they use a truck load of botanicals to impart flavour. I liked it marginally more than Seedlip but still it didn't have the satisfying mouth feel and kick of alcohol and flavors were weaker. So no I didn't buy a bottle. -
Ok I like drinking however I'm getting old and I feel any more than a couple of drinks and it affects my sleep, plus I think I'm falling into the middle age drinking pattern of one a two most nights which I'm trying to knock on the head soooo gin that isn't gin is the answer...or so I thought. Sadly it really wasn't.. the lady who gave me a taste told me people said it was like drinking chopped parsley...and it was... in the words of a wise man called Gump, that's all I have to say about that. Needless to say I didn't buy a bottle.
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Southward Mountain Gin
Modern Gin — Wellington, NZ, New Zealand
Reviewed November 7, 2019 (edited November 8, 2019)I had great intentions when I went into my local liquor store to purchase a non alcohol gin type spirit. After tasting a couple of varieties and then being offered the real stuff my resolve crumbled and i ended up walking out with a bottle of the Scapegrace Gold. This i also got to try and it was a nice drop. A gin for people who don't like gin apparently and I can see why, not as full on gin profile and very drinkable straight. A mix of Juniper, Lemon Peel, Orris Root, Rosemary and Lavender. -
High West Rendezvous Rye
Rye — (bottled in) Utah, USA
Reviewed November 6, 2019 (edited November 8, 2019)I'm not sure if I got the old or new recipe for this sample but this is a damn nice example of a rye whiskey. I would buy a bottle except that it sounds like it's yet another bourbon which they have devalued...it never seems to end in the sourced bourbon world. It's not really different from the taste profile of other bourbons but it does it very well. Perfect balance and beautifully crafted. -
Scapegrace Gold Navy Strength Gin
Navy-Strength Gin — New Zealand
Reviewed November 6, 2019 (edited November 9, 2020)Nice gin which just won top London Dry Gin out of 600 entries at the IWSC awards. One of the few I found easy and nice to drink straight and its 57%! Made in my old home town, Christchurch, NZ. Very citrus forward, perfect viscous body and long aftertaste. -
CAMUS XO Borderies Single Estate
Cognac — Borderies, France
Reviewed November 5, 2019 (edited May 2, 2021)It's been a while since i had a Cognac and this one is damn nice. Deep rich port like notes, xmas pudding and more. Very nice effort. -
Tomintoul 25 Year
Single Malt — Speyside, Scotland
Reviewed November 4, 2019 (edited November 11, 2021)I'm surprised at this one. The sample I have is not a gentle dram at all. Now it's no (typical) Mortlach in profile but its rich, robust and flavorful. Toffee, Caramel, cinnamon, dark fruits and more. Very nice dram. The finish is shortish and initially very slightly harsh which detracts from the experience but it makes you want to take another hit to get the full experience one again. In time that to fades and it becomes a more balanced. Definitely changed my opinion of Tomintoul 180 degrees. -
Mortlach 22 Year (The Maltman)
Single Malt — Speyside, Scotland
Reviewed November 4, 2019 (edited November 9, 2019)I love seeing the different styles that independent bottlers can bring to a classic distillery. This isn't the usual meaty rough Mortlach, it's been tamed but not in a bad way. It harnesses the best aspects in a subtle way and results in perfect balance, mouth feel and a good dose of complexity. It would be interesting to both try another Maltman bottling and work through a bottle of this.
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